Workers Need Ladder Safety Training Now to Prevent Fall-Related Injuries During the Holidays

November 1 to January 31 is peak season for fall-related injuries. To prevent off-the-job injuries over the holidays, employers should discuss ladder safety with their employees. In an article published in www.SafetyXChange.org, Bongarde Media Managing Editor Barbara Manning Grimm explains what ladder safety talks should cover.

Stamford, CT (PRWEB) November 21, 2006 -- November is a fall month in more ways than one. According to a recent study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, November is peak season for falls from ladders, accounting for an estimated 30 emergency room visits per day in the province of Ontario alone. And in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5,800 persons were treated for fall-related injuries in emergency departments each year from 2000 to 2003 during the holiday season (from November 1 to January 31).

"Of course, ladder safety and ladder incidents -- whether they happen at work or at home -- are a major concern throughout the year," says Glenn Demby, Editor-in-Chief of SafetyXChange.org. "But it's particularly timely to conduct safety talks on ladder safety during the holiday season when employees will be using ladders not just at work but at home to clean gutters, string up Christmas lights and such."

Barbara Manning Grimm, Managing Editor of Bongarde Media, agrees and in an article published on November 14, 2006 in www.SafetyXChange.org, she spells out what safety supervisors should cover in their ladder safety talk.

"The first step in doing any job correctly and safely is pre-planning," says Grimm. "In the context of ladder safety, that involves selecting the ladder that's appropriate for the job. So a safety supervisor's talk should start out with a discussion about which ladders to use for which tasks."

The Importance of Choosing the Right Ladder

Ladders must be of the right:

- Length (it's important for workers to understand that the ladder length and the maximum working length or highest standing level are not the same);
- Strength (for example, some lightweight ladders are only designed to hold a maximum of 200 pounds);
- Type (it's important for workers to understand the differences between, say, step and extension ladders); and
- Materials (for example, metal ladders should never be used near electrical power sources).

The Importance of Inspecting Ladders

Ladders must be inspected before being used. In ladder safety training, employees should be trained to:

- Check the shoes -- all of them! First, workers should check their own shoes. Warn them not to wear leather soles because they're often slippery and unsafe and to ensure that their shoes are free of mud, grease, oil and snow. Tell them that if they're working with electrical equipment, they need to make sure there are no nails or screws lodged in the soles of their shoes. Once they're done checking their own shoes, workers need to check their ladders' shoes. Ladders should have non-skid safety feet and be in satisfactory condition. Warn workers not to use a ladder whose safety feet are loose or worn.

- Inspect the ladder, including the side rails for flaws and cracks, and the rungs for looseness. A twisted or distorted aluminum ladder (especially a long one) is extremely hazardous and should never be used.

- Check for sharp edges on side rails or rungs. These can usually be filed down. But if extensive repairs are required, they should always be done by a qualified service person.

- Check pulleys and extension locks on extension ladders to ensure that they're functional and in proper working order. Ropes should be replaced if they show signs of aging or wear.

- Watch for dents, rust or corrosion. Some chemical compounds such as potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonia are known to corrode and weaken aluminum over time.

- Look for loose rivets and fastenings and other signs that the ladder needs replacing.

To read more on what employees need to know about ladder safety on and off the job, including 10 tips for safe ladder use, visit www.safetyxchange.org and look for the Ladder Safety articles in the Best Practices section of the Knowledge Center.

About SafetyXChange.org

After just one year, SafetyXChange.org has had unprecedented success in attracting large numbers of loyal members and fostering a dialog to promote fresh thinking and insight on safety issues. Presently, approximately 20,000 international members participate in the forum, receive the free daily e-newsletters and access more than 400 free articles and Tools in the Knowledge Center. Additional information about SafetyXChange is available on its website at www.safetyxchange.org.

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