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A man places a ladder on a small table for a couple of feet of additional height, falls, and suffers a fractured skull and leg.
A 19-year-old man spray painting is electrocuted when the metal ladder he was moving hits a power line.
Two tales of people working with ladders, who, if they had used proper equipment and proper care, could have avoided serious injury.
Annually, more than 50,000 people are injured, some fatally, when they used either the wrong ladder or incorrectly used the right ladder.
The National Safety Council says some of the most frequent causes of accidents involving ladders are using a broken ladder, improper climbing procedures, improperly securing the ladder, contacting power line, and selecting the wrong ladder for the job to be done.
Proper ladder selection is the first step in reducing such accidents. Most ladder manufacturers provide instructions as well as warnings for the consumer to follow in selecting the proper ladder. Ladders designed for household use should not be used in the workplace. Conductive metal ladders should not be used when electrical equipment is to be used.
O.S.H.A. is developing standard which could change the design of ladders provided in the workplace. It would require a stabilizing support for the ladder.
Safety tips for using a ladder:
- Make sure all employees are trained in the proper selection and use of all ladders.
- Inspect each ladder before use. Test all working parts.
- Always use the right ladder for the job. Contact the manufacturer if adequate instructions are not available.
- Never stand on the top three rungs of a straight ladder. Always place straight ladders at the manufacturer's recommended angle with the wall.
- Place the ladder so that it has a firm footing. Do not place ladders on boxes, barrels, or other unstable objects to obtain additional height.
- Carry small tools or other work materials in your clothing or attached to a belt. Do not carry large objects up or down a ladder - use a hand line.
- Never over-extend your body on a ladder. Move the ladder to where the work can be completed without reaching.
- Keep steps and rungs free from grease, oil, paint, snow, ice, mud, or other slippery substances.
- Be sure that a stepladder is fully opened and its spreaders are locked before you climb it. Never climb higher than the second step below the top of the stepladder.
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