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  • National Ladder Safety Month: Tips for Employers and Workers

National Ladder Safety Month: Tips for Employers and Workers

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order neurontin overnight Contributor: Ariana Hanaity – Communications Coordinator, VPPPA

March is National Ladder Safety Month, an annual event dedicated to promoting ladder safety and preventing ladder-related injuries and fatalities. With falls from ladders being a leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths, it’s essential for employers and workers to understand and follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and best practices for ladder safety. In this post, we’ll share tips for employers and workers on how to follow OSHA’s protocols and keep workers safe, including tips for using fixed and high ladders.

buy Lyrica generic Employers’ Responsibilities

As an employer, you have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace for your employees, including ensuring that the equipment they use is safe and in good working condition. Here are some additional steps you can take to help prevent ladder-related injuries when using fixed or high ladders:

1. Provide Appropriate Ladders: For tasks that require accessing heights, such as working on roofs or tall buildings, provide appropriate fixed or high ladders. Fixed ladders must meet OSHA’s standards and requirements for design, construction, and installation.

2. Conduct Regular Inspections: Regularly inspect fixed or high ladders for any damage, wear and tear, or corrosion. You must ensure that the ladders are free from defects and safe to use.

3. Install Proper Safety Features: Install proper safety features, such as cages, wells, or ladder safety devices, to prevent falls from fixed or high ladders. The use of these safety features is required by OSHA regulations.

4. Train Employees: Train your employees on the proper use of fixed or high ladders, including how to inspect them for damage, set them up properly, and use them safely. Make sure they understand the weight limits and other restrictions for each type of ladder.

5. Provide Personal Protective Equipment: Provide your employees with personal protective equipment, such as fall protection systems and harnesses, when working on fixed or high ladders. It is important to follow OSHA requirements and guidelines for selecting and using personal protective equipment.

Workers’ Responsibilities

As a worker, you also have a responsibility to follow ladder safety protocols and use the equipment provided by your employer properly. Here are some additional tips for workers on how to stay safe when using fixed or high ladders:

1. Understand the Risks: Understand the risks of working at heights and the safety procedures that you should follow when working on fixed or high ladders.

2. Use Appropriate Footwear: Wear appropriate footwear with slip-resistant soles when working on fixed or high ladders.

3. Use Proper Techniques: Use proper techniques when climbing fixed or high ladders, such as facing the ladder and using your feet, not your hands, to hold onto the rungs.

4. Secure Yourself: Secure yourself to the ladder using fall protection equipment, such as a harness, lanyard, and lifeline.

5. Report Any Issues: Report any issues with fixed or high ladders to your supervisor immediately, such as damage, wear and tear, or missing safety features.

Although the month of March spotlights Ladder Safety Month, it’s important to remember that ladder safety should be practiced year-round, as it is essential for preventing injuries and fatalities in the workplace. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to provide a safe workplace for your employees, including selecting appropriate fixed or high ladders, inspecting them regularly, installing proper safety features, training your employees, and providing personal protective equipment. As a worker, it’s your responsibility to follow ladder safety protocols and use the equipment provided by your employer properly, including understanding the risks, wearing appropriate footwear, using proper techniques, securing yourself, and reporting any issues. By working together and following these safety protocols, we can help prevent ladder-related injuries and fatalities, even when using fixed or high ladders.

References

“Ladder Safety.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration. U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/ladder-safety

“Fixed Ladders.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration. U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/fixed-ladders

“High Ladder Safety.” Industrial Safety & Hygiene News. Retrieved from https://www.ishn.com/articles/112381-high-ladder-safety

Jacqueline "Jackie" Annis is an industrial hygienist with the Office of Partnerships and Recognition, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs in OSHA’s National Office.  Jackie’s primary responsibilities include developing and overseeing internal policies and procedures for the VPP, reviewing VPP on-site evaluation reports for process safety management information, serving as the National Office liaison for two of OSHA’s ten Regions, and facilitating the management of OSHA’s National Strategic Partnership Program.  She is an integral part of OSHA’s National Office team. 

She has served with the Agency for 36 years, including five years as a senior industrial hygienist in OSHA’s Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs in the National Office and 17 years as a compliance safety and health officer in the Denver, CO Area Office.  Prior to her tenure at OSHA, Jackie worked as an industrial hygienist for the Department of the Navy in Alameda, California.  Jackie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA in 1983.

Wayne Howard earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UC Davis and has spent 12 years with Shell (at Martinez) refinery, 3 years with the consulting firm Process Safety, 15 years with Valero (at Benicia), and the last 10 years in the Corporate Process Safety Department. He is the Valero representative to AFPM's Advancing Process Safety Initiative.

Nathan Obaugh, PE is a senior engineer in the Safety and Operational Excellence Group at NuStar Energy. Nathan has over 10 years of PSM and process design experience in the petrochemical, refining and midstream industries. At NuStar, Nathan oversees all elements of the corporate PSM program and works directly on hazard analysis, process safety studies, PSM/RMP audits and provides process engineering support to the operations and capital projects groups.

Jared Teter, PhD is a senior staff scientist with a background in physics and hazards analysis. He has extensive experience in subscale testing of energetic materials and has served as program manager for several large testing and risk management projects. He has applied engineering and risk management protocols while evaluating the risk associated with propellant and explosives manufacturing, combustible dust, and other hazardous material related processes.

Tim Belitz has a degree in Environmental Health/Industrial Hygiene from Old Dominion University and a Master’s from Duke University. He has over 25 years of Industrial Health Safety and Environmental Experience and is a Certified Safety Professional. He has many years focused on Contractor Management and Process Safety programs.

Rob Walker graduated from Virginia Tech in Microbiology and Chemical Engineering. Rob has almost 35 years of experience working in the chemical plant and refining industry. His passion for Process Safety and Mechanical Integrity began very early in his career. Rob began with his current company, Honeywell, back in 2011.

Prasad Joshi has B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Chemical Engineering from two universities in India. Prasad has over 30 years’ experience in the business. He began with Honeywell in May 2022 as Principal Maintenance Engineer. He has worked internationally in Asia and Europe.