Every business owner is responsible for the safety of employees. Programs must be incorporated to teach how to create, use and maintain a safe work environment. One area of concern for every business is the proper use of ladders. If every employee is taught ladder safety and its correct use, company accidents can be prevented.
Some basic common sense rules should be applied whenever you're working on a ladder, whether at work, home, or up at the cottage.
1. Only one person on a ladder at a time! This may sound simple, but there are people who feel they can help lift an item if they are both on the ladder.
2. Before you take that first step on the ladder, make sure it is locked in place. It should be stable, without slipping or collapsing when a person in climbing. When finished, be sure the ladder is locked or put away to insure the safety of the next person.
3. Use the right ladder for the job. If the ladder is too short, an accident can occur from falling items or an employee being knocked off the ladder. The ladder should reach to the item needed for easy lifting and movement.
4. If an item is too heavy to bring down a ladder, leave it. For heavy items use the proper heavy equipment to lower the item to the floor. It is easy to become off balance when trying to move heavy items from above and down a ladder. If both hands are needed to bring the item to the floor, then it is too heavy to bring down a ladder by one person.
5. Have a spotter at all times the ladder is in use. A spotter can help lower items, do a final check for ladder safety, and prevent falling with early advise of weight shifting and by stabilizing the ladder from below.
Although using common sense while working on a ladder will hopefully help you avoid accidents, it is no substitute for a professional Ladder safety training course. We would suggest that you consider our new Ladder Safety Training course to ensure that you are fully compliant will all Provincial or Federal regulations. Training the relevant employees also proves due diligence in the unfortunate instances when a ladder accident, however minor, may occur.
