Page 49 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2019

pounds when it was made. If the rungs or side rails are bent, broken, cracked, or split, you don’t know what that ladder is rated for with the damage, so just don’t use it.
One step a lot of people miss during the ladder inspection is to check the ladder’s feet. They are made of a soft material and have tread like the tires on your vehicle. If the tread is worn, they should be replaced, just like your tires.
Ladders should be staked down or tied in place before they are used, but this rarely happens. Too often, the feet of the ladder are the only thing holding the ladder in place, so they should be kept in good con- dition. Remember, when climbed properly, a ladder in good condition will never be the cause of the accident.
3. Follow basic safety guidelines.
Ladders should be set on firm, level ground. Never use bricks or boards to level your ladder. Instead of building up the low side, dig out the high side for proper set- up. Aftermarket levelers can be added to ladders to help with leveling, and several manufacturers make models with integrat- ed levelers.
Always face the ladder when using it and maintain three points of contact as you climb up and down. Never carry any tool or equipment up a ladder that might cause you to lose your balance. Heavy tools and equipment should be raised using a rope or lift. These rules are to help the climber safely ascend and descend the ladder.
If you are working at height from a lad- der, make sure you lean your leg or hip into the ladder to maintain balance and contact with the ladder.
The most important rule of ladder use is to keep your body between the siderails. Never overreach. If you can’t reach some- thing without leaning outside of the side- rails, climb down and move the ladder over. Losing balance while overreaching causes almost all disabling or fatal accidents.
The American Ladder Institute (ALI) believes all ladder-related accidents are preventable. To reduce the numbers of ac- cidents and injuries involving ladders, the ALI is promoting Ladder Safety Month ev- ery March. National Ladder Safety Month is the only movement dedicated exclusively to the promotion of ladder safety at home and at work. During March 2019, National Ladder Safety Month will bring heightened awareness to the importance of the safe use
of ladders through resources, training, and a national dialogue. To get involved, join us at www.laddersafetymonth.com.
Dave Francis has been in the ladder busi- ness for more than 30 years. As a college student, he cleaned the offices of Little Giant Ladder Systems at night, and he has stayed with the company ever since. Working his way up the ladder (pun intended), Dave became the Director of R&D and holds five U.S. patents for improvements in lad- der design. He is now the National Safety
Director, with the sole purpose of prevent- ing ladder accidents and hopefully saving lives by promoting ladder safety training and innovations in ladder design. Dave has provided ladder safety to companies around the United States, including The Walt Dis- ney Company, Boeing, Comcast, and BP Oil. He is also the editor for www.Ladder- SafetyHub.com, a ladder safety blog. His goal is the same as yours, getting everyone home to their families at the end of the day. If you would like to get in touch with Dave, email him at dave@ladders.com.
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MARCH 2019 | Occupational Health & Safety 43
LITTLE GIANT LADDER SYSTEMS