Working at heights can be dangerous. According to OSHA statistics, the failure to properly prevent falls is the most frequently cited workplace violation. On top of that, some 81% of fall injuries treated in emergency rooms involve a ladder.
Ladder injuries from all causes also cost Americans some $24 billion in lost work and medical expenses annually, and cause around 300 deaths per year. In 2023, the latest year for which statistics are available, OSHA reported that falls, slips, and trips were the cause of 57 deaths in manufacturing operations and another 34 in transportation and warehousing, where ladders are commonly used in tasks like putaway and picking as well as for building maintenance.
March is National Ladder Safety Month. It’s a time when the ladder industry reminds workers in industrial settings to be aware of their surroundings and the need for safety when working at height.
As for how ladder-related accidents can be reduced or prevented, Mike Van Bree believes that proper training and good employee practices are the keys to maintaining safety with ladders. He is the director of product safety and engineering at Louisville Ladder Inc. as well as the current president of the American Ladder Institute (ALI). He recently spoke with DC Velocity Group Editorial Director David Maloney about the institute’s work and the need for safety when working with ladders in industrial operations.
Q: Could you talk a little bit about the work of the American Ladder Institute?
A: The American Ladder Institute is our industry trade association. The primary mission that all ladder manufacturers have in common is promoting ladder safety. ALI is also the ANSI (American National Standards Institute)-accredited developer for the suite of A14 standards that pertain to the different types of climbing equipment, including portable ladders and fixed ladders.
Q: March has been designated National Ladder Safety Month. Could you tell us a bit about that?
A: Yes, we’re actually hosting our 10th National Ladder Safety Month campaign this month, which is designed to promote awareness and the need for safety when working with ladders. We’re excited about that, and we see continued growth in awareness of this effort year over year. As an industry, we see the need for promoting the continuous awareness of ladder safety.
Q: How big is the problem? Do you have any data on injuries incurred when people are working at height?
A: OSHA reports that ladder safety violations are among the top 10 most-frequently cited workplace violations year after year, and those fines are pretty considerable. As an industry, we certainly know there are injuries, and investigations of these events show that they’re virtually all preventable if the safety instructions for the ladders are followed. That’s the mission of our association and the National Ladder Safety Month campaign.
Q: Whether they’re picking products from storage racks or working on elevated mezzanines, warehouse workers often have to use ladders to reach inventory. Sometimes these are fixed ladders, but we also often see the stairway kind of rolling ladders that are moved in and out of position. What can be done to keep workers who use this kind of equipment safe?
A: Those types of ladders that you mentioned are exactly the products we cover. The A14 suite of safety standards by and large help people to properly select the right tool for the job. Once they have the correct ladder, then they need to inspect it before doing anything—before they set it up and climb it. And once the ladder has been inspected, they have to do the proper setup based on the type of ladder. Is it a self-supporting ladder? Is it a fixed ladder? When the ladder has been properly set up, it’s ready to use safely. The key then is to climb attentively.
Q: What should people be looking for when they inspect a ladder to ensure it’s in proper working order?
A: It’s critical to inspect it for damage or missing parts. In the category of warehouse equipment, you’re often talking about casters. Are the casters allowing you to move the ladder safely? Are the release mechanisms on these mobile ladder platforms working properly? You want to make sure that there are no obstructions and that everything is functioning properly to release and allow that ladder to come into contact with the floor.
You also want to check all your connections, such as the welds and any securing fasteners. And finally, there’s the labeling. The products have labels that include all of the information pertaining to inspection, setup, and proper use. And that’s one of the unique things about ladders: While a lot of products require [users to consult] an owner’s manual, we work very hard to put the essential information right on those labels. So you want to make sure that they’re in good readable condition so that workers can avail themselves of that information as they’re setting up and using the ladder.
Q: Is it common for workers to use harnesses or restraints when they’re working on ladders at height?
A: Great question. Portable ladders are generally an exception to those fall-protection requirements. You often see harnesses and fall protection required when using electronic lifts and some other devices that allow you to work at elevation. Ladders—partly because of their portable nature—do not require hardnesses because you don’t have the anchor points available for the fall protection. Now, certain industries or circumstances can dictate differently, and you always want to follow your employer’s instructions or your industry-specific requirements, but generally speaking, ladders do not have the fall-protection requirements like those you’re describing.
Q: What are some other simple steps workers can take to ensure that they’re safe when working at height?
A: The steps for safe warehouse work with mobile ladder stands and mobile ladder stand platforms are really the same as for other ladders, such as step ladders and extension ladders. For example, you want to make sure you’ve got the right tool. Is it made out of the right material? Does it have the proper duty-rating? Those are all things you want to be attentive to.
But it doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve chosen the right ladder, you then have to inspect it, ensure it’s set up properly, and, in the case of rolling ladders, think about how it will be positioned. If it’s a warehouse ladder that you’ll be rolling to different locations, for instance, you want to make sure there are no obstructions to rolling and also no overhead obstructions, particularly electrical.
These rolling warehouse ladders are designed in two different ways. Some are forward-facing descent, which means you can walk down them like a stairway. Most ladders, however, are climbed facing the structure. So you need to make very sure that you understand what type of product you have and what the safe-use expectations are for that product.
Q: How can readers find out more about the activities of the American Ladder Institute and National Ladder Safety Month?
A: We have a couple of websites that I’d like to direct your readers to. The key one here, with National Ladder Safety Month being upon us, is laddersafetymonth.com, which has some excellent resources. There are flyers there and things that employers can utilize to help with their training efforts.
Then we also have laddersafetytraining.org, which will direct you right to our video-based safety training programs, including training for mobile ladder stands, mobile ladder-stand platforms, and step ladders. Within the last year, we have also introduced training for leaning ladders, for extensions, and for telescoping-type ladders.
I can’t stress enough how much content we’ve put on those websites over the past 10 years. There are also prior webinars that people could go back and listen to, for example. So there is just a wealth of information available. And if somebody spends a few minutes, I think they’ll find something that helps them to help their people focus on ladder safety.
