Falls from ladders are one of the top reasons for injuries in many professions. They are a major problem in construction, for instance, an industry already well-known for its fatal fall risks.
In many cases, these falls happen and they are in no way the worker’s fault. Maybe a ladder is defective or was damaged. Maybe it was set up by someone else, and the worker believed that it was safe. Maybe it was just bad luck, or it was due to something like weather conditions. There are a lot of reasons for falls and injuries, but there are also steps that workers can take to increase their own safety. It’s important for them to know what they should do, and the following tips can help.
How to stay safe
Of course, the tips listed below don’t guarantee that a fall won’t happen, but they can certainly help. Workers should:
- Pay attention to the weight limit on the ladder
- Never climb with tools or materials in their hands
- Maintain three points of contact at all times
- Use the ladder one at a time, never having multiple workers on the same ladder
- Never climb on the back of the ladder, but only on the actual rungs
- Never rush or hurry while working on a ladder
- Climb down and move the ladder to the side, rather than leaning if something is out of reach
With these tips and a general focus on safety, workers can help to reduce their injury risks, but accidents are still going to happen. Those who have been hurt on the job need to know exactly what legal steps to take to seek proper workers’ comp.
