Ladders are a crucial but dangerous aspect of construction and many types of work. Every year, a significant number of ladder related accidents occur countrywide while on the job.
We have compiled a few safety tips to help keep you and your workers safe.

1. Use Common Sense
Often injuries occur when workers disregard their common sense to get projects completed.
Ie.
• Do not use the top or top step of a stepladder as a step.
• Ladders shall be used only for the purpose for which they were designed.
• Portable/fixed ladders with structural defects shall either be immediately marked in a manner that readily identifies them as defective, or be tagged with “Do Not Use” or similar language. Defective portable/fixed ladders shall be withdrawn from service until repaired.

2. Take care of your equipment
Frequently check to make sure that ladder and ladder add-ons are clean, sturdy, and functioning properly.
Ie.
• Ladders shall be maintained free of oil, grease, and other slipping hazards.
• Ladders shall be inspected by a competent person for visible defects on a periodic basis and after any situation that could affect their safe use.
• Ladder repairs shall restore the ladder to a condition meeting its original design criteria before the ladder is returned to use.

3. Understand the limits of the equipment
Ladders are useful tools, but they’re simple tools with limitations. Knowing where your ladder is strong, where it is weak, and how much weight it can handle goes a long way towards preventing an accident.
Ie.
• Ladders must not be loaded beyond the maximum intended load for which they were built, nor beyond their manufacturer’s rated capacity.
• Do not tie or fasten together ladders to create longer sections unless the ladders are specifically designed for such use.
• Ladders shall be used only on stable and level surfaces unless they are secured to prevent accidental displacement.
• Ladders shall not be moved, shifted, or extended while occupied.