January 4, 2012

Every year, falls from ladders cause a significant number of serious—often very preventable—injuries in the workplace. With ladders, like many things related to workplace safety, a little knowledge can go a long way toward preventing accidents.

Here's some information about five types of portable ladders to help you prevent some common ladder mistakes from injuring your employees.

Year after year, many employers and workers are making the same safety mistakes over and over again--often with costly, and even deadly, consequences. Learn all about OSHA's Top 10: How To Stay Off This Infamous List in 2012 with this 90-minute webinar. » Learn more

1. Stepladders: Stepladders require level support for all four sides of their rails and should never be used on uneven ground. The highest standing level (usually about 2 feet from the top) must be marked on the ladder--employees should note this level when planning work and select ladder length accordingly, never working above it. And remember that the bucket/pail shelf on a ladder is not generally designed to hold the weight of a person and should not be used as a step.
2. Single ladders: Single ladders require only two level ground support points in addition to a top support. Ladder levelers may be used for equal rail support on uneven surfaces. The top of the ladder must extend at least 1 to 3 feet above the top support point. If it does not, a different, longer ladder should be used.
   
   Single ladders should be erected as close to a pitch of 75 1/2 degrees from the horizontal as possible for optimum resistance against the bottom of the ladder sliding out, optimum ladder strength, and optimum user balance. To achieve this angle, place the base a distance from the wall or upper support equal to one-quarter the length of the ladder side rails.
   
   Single ladders are only meant for use by one employee at a time--multiple people require multiple ladders.
3. Articulated ladders: An articulated ladder is a portable ladder with one or more pairs of locking hinges that allow the ladder to be set up in several configurations. There is no standard locking hinge design, but each lock must visibly indicate whether it is locked or unlocked. Employees should never attempt to unlock or reposition any of the hinges while standing on the ladder.
4. Combination ladders: A combination ladder is a portable ladder capable of being used as a stepladder, single ladder, or extension ladder. Like articulated ladders, there is no standard for locking mechanisms on combination ladders, so it is important that employees become familiar with the proper operation of the locking mechanism and make sure all the joints are locked before using the ladder.
5. Extension ladders: Extension ladders are built with either two or three adjustable telescopic sections. The maximum extended length depends on the number of sections as well as the duty rating (from light to extra heavy duty) of the ladder--users must know not just the ladder length but also the ladder rating to determine the length to which it may safely be extended.
   
   Extension ladders are often equipped with a rope and pulley system to assist the user when extending the fly sections. The rope must have a minimum breaking strength of 560 pounds. It is important to make sure the extension rope is tracking correctly in the pulley prior to use.
   
   If an extension ladder has previously been used as a single ladder, users must properly reassemble the sections to ensure that the interlocking guides or brackets are engaged before further use.