Most folks use ladders in their day-to-day lives, either professionally or personally.
That's why training on safe ladder usage so important—and so difficult, says Mike Van Bree, president of the American Ladder Institute (ALI) and director of product safety and engineering at Louisville Ladder Inc.
"Nobody wants to get hurt. Let's start with that," Van Bree says. "And people are attentive to the task at hand, whether that's hanging that light fixture, cleaning out the gutters or whatever task the ladder may be needed for. People want to do the job, get the job done and sometimes that comes without maybe slowing down for just a second to pay attention to safety. Not deliberately, but [people] just are focused on the job. Maybe not being aware of some of the safety hazards."
When people don't perceive a risk, they don't always see the need to keep up their guard. But every time a person reaches for a ladder, they need to stop and ask: What is the right ladder for this job?
A ladder, Van Bree says, is a tool. And you need to use the right tool to get the job done correctly and safely.
It seems simple enough a concept, but putting that into practice has long been a challenge. Consistently, four of the top 10 most common OSHA violations are related to working at heights:
- General fall protection requirements,
- Ladders,
- Fall protection training and
- Scaffolding.
Read more: A Focus on Fall Protection
Fortunately, Van Bree says progress is being made. Thanks to training, education and other efforts like National Ladder Safety Month, a campaign from the ALI, there has been over a 20% reduction in reported ladder accidents over the last five years.
"We do surveys as part of National Ladder Safety Month, and the suggestion that we're getting is that this is making a difference," he says. "[March is] the start of the construction season, the spring time, the spring cleaning around the home. All of those things are really starting to bloom, pun intented, and we want to make sure that we get people to slow down just a little bit and think and plan [how] to do their work safely."
Learn more National Ladder Safety Month, new innovations and Van Bree's personal ladder collection by listening to this latest episode of the Talking EHS podcast.
