Ladder Safety

“Ladders are tools,” the American Ladder Institute says. “Many of the basic safety rules that apply to most tools also apply to the safe use of a ladder.”

Extension ladders typically have two sections that use brackets or guides to make them adjustable, allowing workers to perform tasks at various heights. However, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety warns, extension ladders are not self-supporting and require “a stable structure that can withstand the intended load.”

A 16-year-old worker died after his ladder came in contact with a power line.

Heads up, workers: Power lines can be serious and potentially fatal hazards when proper safety precautions are not followed.

Ladder jack scaffolding is used often in construction because it's inexpensive, portable, easy to put up and take down, and can fit in narrow places. To create a ladder jack scaffold, triangle-shaped brackets – known as ladder jacks – are attached to portable ladders, which are used on each side of a ladder jack scaffold to form a means of support for a platform, according to a fact sheet from OSHA.

Whether you’re decorating a co-worker’s office to celebrate a birthday, stringing lights during the holidays or changing a lightbulb, stepladders are handy tools to have on hand at work. But just because stepladders seem simple to use doesn’t mean they’re risk-free.

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, OSHA statistics show, and falls from ladders account for roughly one-third of those fatalities. In 2013, ladders were the source of injury for 5,900 cases involving days away from work and 76 deaths in the construction industry, according to the 2016 edition of the National Safety Council chartbook, “Injury Facts.” These injuries and deaths are preventable.

Ladders may look similar but they are not all the same. Take the extension ladder, for example. Extension ladders generally have two sections that operate in brackets to allow for adjusting the ladder’s length. OSHA notes that these types of ladders need a stable structure to hold loads, as they are not self-supporting.