Gravity rules
Gravity always wins if you challenge it while working 
on a ladder.  Here's how to play by its rules.

by Clair D. Urbain

Using a ladder seems to be a rather straight-forward task.  Few tools are as simple as a ladder, yet it’s alarming how many people get into trouble using one.  Consider these 1998 statistics:
• Ladder use violations rank 21st in the top 25 OSHA violations.
• Falls are cited as the No. 2 cause of injury and the No. 3 cause of death in industry.

A high percentage of these accidents can be attributed to improper ladder selection, use or care.

Most of these accidents could be avoided if users would recall their days in physics class and remember that gravity is ever-present, and if you change your balance in high places, it wins.  Yes indeed, gravity rules.

“We find that ladder safety and inspection is one of the most overlooked areas of safety in plants,” says Mike Doerfler, national accounts manager at ladder manufacturer Bauer Corporation.  “Ninety-five percent of the accidents are caused by people.  Very few result from the ladder itself."

Three things govern safe ladder use: Selection, inspection and use.  Here’s what to consider in each of these categories.

Ladder selection
Make sure the ladder complies with regulations and is built for the job you intend to do.  OSHA and ANSI provide standards for ladders in industrial and commercial applications.  Check the ladder label for the appropriate ratings.

Ladders also have duty ratings.  Type I, IA and II duty ratings are recommended for ladders in industrial applications.  Lower ratings, such as Type III, should not be used in professional work.

Match the duty rating to the total weight of the load which includes the weight of the person, clothing, tools and materials.

Duty ratings offer a general guide to ladder performance.  It’s based on test loads when the ladder is new.  It doesn’t signify design, safety or durability, so when selecting a new ladder, look at duty rating only as a capacity guideline, not a quality guideline.  Base your ladder selection on its construction and how it will be used.

Ladder inspection
1) Look over the ladder before you climb it, every time.  Look for missing, loose or damaged components.  Check that all working parts move properly and all connections are secure.  Pay close attention to spreaders, extension ladder locks, flippers and safety shoes.  Jumping on a ladder to test it can damage it and creates a fall hazard.

2) Formally inspect the ladder every three months.

Formal inspections, with completed inspection forms, are kept on file and are used by some agencies.  Iowa State University uses such information for its ladder inspections; you may want to add other inspection criteria that reflect ladder hazards and wear areas in your facility.

Painted ladders are dangerous because the paint can hide cracks or other damage so never paint a ladder.  If the ladder is damaged, tag it with a safety tag that warns, “Dangerous/Do not use” and remove it from service.  Use factory-authorized replacement parts for repairs; destroy ladders that can’t be fixed.

Ladder use
Listen up, folks, because it’s how workers use ladders that causes the vast majority of the accidents.  Leading ladder manufacturers offer the following advice for safe ladder use.  Most of these are plain common sense, but deserve repeating because they can help reduce accident chances.  You may even get a chuckle out of some of them.

1) Be sober and healthy.  Getting high on ladders gets extremely dangerous if you’re high on drugs or alcohol.  Even non-prescription medication can affect your responsiveness, so read the label warnings.  If you are distracted or upset about something, your chances of a slip or fall skyrocket.  Finally, if you are sick or injured, stay off of ladders.

2) Secure the work area.  Make it off-limits to pedestrians and keep the work area clean so you won’t trip or slip.  Lighting plays a key role in safety; make sure your work area is well-lit.

3) Select the right ladder for the job.  Step, extension, scaffold, manlift?  Wood, fiberglass or aluminum?  Use fiberglass ladders if there is even a remote chance of coming in contact with electricity or overhead power lines.  Use a ladder that’s the right size; not too short or too long for the job.

4) Ladder setup: Keep ladders on the ground; do not place them on any makeshift support for greater height.  Don’t use an extension or step ladder in a horizontal position.  They are not designed for bearing loads horizontally. Instead, use scaffolding or a manlift.

If you must work on uneven terrain, use leveling devices engineered to be used with your ladder.

4a) Extension ladder setup:
• Don’t carry an extension ladder in an extended position or use them upside-down or tie two ladders together to make a longer one.

• Check for overhead clearance and ensure no live electrical wires are nearby before extending the ladder.  Have a fellow worker block the ladder feet with his or her soles or push the ladder up to the wall of the structure.  Walk the ladder up, rung by rung, with your hands.  To avoid lifting injuries, keep knees slightly bent and your back straight.  If the ladder is too heavy, get help.

Once the ladder is at 90 degrees to the ground, slide the base of the ladder away from the structure to achieve a 4:1 ratio of height to setback distance.  Raise extensions from the ground by placing one foot on the bottom rung of the base section for security.  If possible, stake ladder feet to minimize chances of slippage.

If you need to climb on top of the structure, make sure the ladder extends three feet above the top edge of the structure.

Readjust the setback distance from the structure as needed to maintain the 4:1 ratio, then firmly place the ladder against the structure.  A quick test to measure setback distance is, with your toes against the ladder feet, stand erect and extend your arms straight out.  The palm of your hand should rest on the rung nearest to your shoulder level.

Use the spur plates on the ladder feet (if so equipped) on penetrable surfaces.  The spur plate should be flipped back toward the user.

If you must work in windy conditions, tie down the ladder at the top.  Hoist work items on a rope instead of carrying them up the ladder.

The highest you dare go on an extension ladder is fourth rung from the top.  Any higher, make sure you have wings.

Finally, (duh!) don’t use a ladder as a lever, brace support or hoist.

4b) Step ladder setup and use:
• Open step ladders fully and make sure both spreaders lock.  Climbing a closed step ladder propped against a wall can slide away from the wall.

• Don’t move a ladder with material on it, don’t climb on the back side of a step ladder, don’t sit or stand on the top of a step ladder, don’t stand or put body weight on the pail shelf and don’t ever step higher than two steps down from top of the step ladder.  That’s a lot of don’ts, but those practices are some of the most common causes of step ladder accidents.

5) Climbing and working on the ladder:
• One person per ladder, please.

Some ladders, such as the mechanic’s two-way step ladder, can accommodate two users, but almost all models don’t.  Think about this: Even with heavy industrial ladders, the weight limit is about 300 pounds.  If you can find two average guys in a plant whose combined weight does not tip the scales at over 300 pounds, you’re working in the Keebler Elf Factory.  Besides, who wants to have their face you-know-where when the guy above you stops climbing and you keep going?

• Wear non-slip sole shoes whenever working on ladders.  Before climbing, make sure the ladder locks fully engage over the rung before climbing and double-check for solid footing.

• Climb facing the ladder.  Don’t skip steps or hurry.  Never climb from one ladder to another.

• Stay in the center.  Keep your body centered on the ladder while working; never let your belt buckle pass beyond either ladder rail.  Have someone hold the ladder, if possible.  Be very careful when pushing or pulling on anything while on the ladder and don’t climb off the ladder side: it may push away.

• Move your ladder at ground level; don’t walk it from on high.  Climbing ladders is hard work, but don’t let saving a little sweat tempt you to try to walk your ladder to the next location.  That bouncing while you are on the ladder is a great way to damage it. It also doesn’t appreciate it much and could buck you off.

• Be kind to your ladder.  Never throw or drop a ladder.  Treat it like you’d like to be treated. Never use a ladder exposed to fire, rain, acids or caustics.  Corrosion can compromise a ladder’s strength when you need it most.

This article appeared in the April/May 1998 issue of MRO Today magazine.  Copyright, 1998.

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