WRITTEN BY GARY SMITH, APARTMENT BUILDING MANAGEMENT WORKERS COMPENSATION SELF INSURED FUND
Let’s examine some key statistics involving falls from ladders to better understand our exposure to injury.
Falls remain a leading cause of unintentional injury mortality nationwide, and 43 percent of fatal falls in the last decade have involved a ladder. Among workers, approximately 20 percent of fall injuries involve ladders1.
A 15-year study on nonfatal ladder-related injuries in the United States shows that ladder-related injuries are on the rise. During this study that took place from 1990-2005, there was a 50 percent increase in injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments.2
On average, work-related ladder falls result in one death and more than 180 nonfatal injuries every two days in America3.
One of the best ways to prevent falls from ladders is to make use of the 100 percent FREE educational and training resources made available by the American Ladder Institute’s (ALI) ladder safety training website4 at http://www.laddersafetytraining.org/. This training outlines safe ladder practices in all applications, such as construction/painting, building and custodial services, warehousing, power, manufacturing, chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, and at home.
Follow these simple steps to complete the online training:
1. Register for FREE. The online ladder safety training is 100 percent free. If you are a Training Manager, you can register employees within your organization as well.
2. Select a Ladder Type (stepladder, single and extension ladder, articulated ladder, and mobile/platform ladder). Choose from any of the American Ladder Institute’s library of safety training modules. Take a pretest to see what you know.
3. Watch and Learn. Watch media-rich training videos that demonstrate safer ladder practices.
4. Take the Safety Test. Successfully complete the final safety test to earn your certificate of completion.
Also, additional online resources are available at the Ladder Safety Training website that include:
- Written Ladder Safety Information – Materials such as choosing the right ladder, explaining the twelve (12) ladder varieties, proper ladder care, and ladder standards are available.
- Downloadable copy of the Ladder Safety Checklist is available.
- Trainer’s Toolbox – These materials are designed especially for Trainers and Training Managers. Free tools are available for signing up your organization’s trainees.
Should you require assistance with preventing falls from ladders in your workplace, please contact Gary Smith, CRM, at (517) 338-3367 or gary.smith@yorkrsg.com.
Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Occupational Ladder Fall Injuries — United States, 2011, at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6316a2.htm.
- National Institutes of Health Publication: Ladder-related injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States, 1990-2005, at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17478268.
- American Ladder Institute (ALI) at http://www.americanladderinstitute.org/
- ALI’s Ladder Safety Training at http://www.laddersafetytraining.org/