This week is National Safety Stand Down Week and we will be highlighting some safety tips in regards to fall hazards.

Today we are going to focus on a tool that most field employees use multiple times a day, and that is ladders.

Step Ladders

Because we use them so often, it is extremely easy to become complacent or very comfortable when working on step ladders.  However, we need to respect a 4 or 5 foot fall hazard just like we do 20 foot fall hazard.  Many serious and even fatal falls occur from falls occurring from 5 feet and below.  If I had to guess, I would bet over 70% of field employees have had a mishap on a step ladder at least once in their career.  Everyone knows what is right and wrong when using step ladders; example, everyone knows not to use the top step, but in the moment when we haven’t planned ahead and identified that we need a 10 foot step ladder instead of the 8 foot step ladder we are forced with a decision.  In this moment we need to make the right decision by going to get the 10 foot step ladder.

Please view this OSHA pamphlet on step ladders.

Extension Ladders

Fall hazards are very serious, even a trip and a fall forward can lead to serious injuries, lost work time, and be very expensive.  The average fall in the construction industry cost nearly $100,000.

Extension ladders are a tool that most service and construction employees use on a regular basis.  There are many hazards associated with extension ladders, please review the attached Fact Sheet (review as a toolbox talk) and apply the principles when using extension ladders.

Please view this OSHA pamphlet on extension ladders.

For more information on how IFS works to ensure our employees safety, contact Mike Schwaller at 636-680-2100

https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/