Ladder Safety Training

Date:
Suzanne Reister Workers Comp
Program Manager
Paula Vanderpool Workers Comp
Program Assistant

Ladder Safety
WAC 296-876 Portable Ladders
Training
Ladder Care
Composition/Materials

Ladder Safety
Ladders manufactured before January 1,
2006 must meet the design and construction
requirements of ANSI (American National
Standards Institute).
Your ladder should have a label indicating it
meets these requirements.

Portable Ladder Safety Introduction

Ladders are important and essential tools that are
used widely in a variety of industries.
They help us move up and down and work at
different heights.
Portable ladders, in particular, are useful tools
because they can be readily moved or carried.
They are simply built and come in many sizes,
shapes, and styles.

Ladder Safety Condition/Inspection

Condition and inspection
Keep portable ladders in good, usable
condition.
Joints between steps or rungs and side rails
are tight
Rungs, cleats, or steps are not bent, broken or
split
All bolts and rivets are in place and secure
Hardware, fittings and accessories are
securely attached and working properly
Ropes are not frayed or badly worn

Ladder Safety Condition/Inspection

Moveable parts operate freely without grinding or
excessive play
Safety feet and other auxiliary equipment are not
excessively worn
Metal components are not corroded
There are no other faulty or defective
components

Ladder Safety

Ladders need to be inspected as follows:

WHEN THE LADDER IS:

DO THE FOLLOWING:

First placed into service and

periodically while in service

Inspect the ladder for visible defects,

including, but not limited to:
-Working parts
and
-Rung or step connections to the side rails

Damaged by impact
or tips over

Visually inspect the ladder for dents,

bends, cracks or splits
Check:
Rung or step connection to the side rails
Hardware connections
Rivets for shear damage
All other components

Ladder Safety
Ladders need to be inspected as follows:
Exposed to excessive
Heat such as a fire

Visually inspect the ladder for

damage
Test for deflection and strength
characteristics
Using the in-service use tests
contained in the appropriate ANSI
Exemption:
Job-made ladders

Storage
Ladder Storage
DO
Store ladders in dry, well ventilated areas with moderate
temperatures.
Store ladders either vertically or horizontally with supports at
each end and in the middle.
Identify unsafe ladders with tags.
Remove defective or unsafe ladders from service immediately.
DON'T
Don't store anything on a ladder.
Don't paint wooden ladders with paint, only with clear
preservatives, as paint can hide wear on the ladder.

Portable Ladders Use/Abuse

Although they are easy to use, they are
often misused or abused, causing
serious injuries and deaths. These
deaths and injuries could have been
significantly reduced or eliminated
with proper care and use.

At least one of these per year, is a fatality.

Varieties of Ladders
To prevent injuries while using
portable ladders, you need to know
what kinds of ladders there are and
how to use them properly.
There are various types, shapes, and
sizes of ladders to help you accomplish
your tasks.

Varieties of Ladders
Two Way Step Ladder

Platform Ladder

Extension Ladder 2 person job

Orchard Ladder

Combination Ladder

Self-Supporting Ladders
Portable self-supporting ladders can stand up
on their own.
Standard stepladders have a front section
with steps for climbing and a back section
with two rear legs, which give them their
stability.
They must be set up on firm, level
surfacessuch as floors, platforms, and
slabs.

Self-Supporting Ladders
The standard stepladder is non-adjustable
and has flat steps and a hinged back.
It must have a metal spreader or locking
device strong enough to securely hold the
front and back sections in the open
position.
The back section is cross-braced and you
must not use it for climbing.

Self - Supporting
The ladder may also have a bucket
shelf which must be able to support a
load of 25 pounds.
Standard stepladders are usually
intended for use by only one worker at
a time, unless otherwise specified on
the manufacturers' or other labels.

Non Self-Supporting
Non-self-supporting ladders must be leaned
against a stable structure strong enough to
support the weight of the ladder, user, tools,
and materials being used by the worker on
the ladder.
They are intended for use by only one
worker at a time.
Commonly used non-self-supporting ladders
include single ladders and extension ladders.

Non Self Supporting

Single ladders are nonadjustable and
must never be tied or fastened
together to form a longer ladder.
Sectional ladders, which consist of two
or more sections, are designed to be
combined together to function as a
single ladder

Portable Ladders - Falls

You don't have to fall far to get
hurt.Workers injured in falls from
ladders are usually less than 10 feet
above the ladder's base of support.

Reasons for Falls

Why do people fall from ladders if they are so
easy to use?
Setting up on an unstable or slippery base surface is
a primary reason ladders fall over.
Falls involve portable ladders that move, tilt, or
shift while a worker is climbing, descending, or
performing a task.
Standing on the top two rungs, which explicitly has a
warning label DANGER, do not do!

More Reasons for Falls

improperly getting onto or off of the ladder
loss of balance
setting up the ladder improperly
overreaching by the user
misstepping or a slipping of the foot while
climbing or descending

More Reasons for Falls

Being bumped by a Cart or other
object
Having a vehicle run into or bump you.
People not paying attention to where
they're walking.

Ladder Safety - Prevention

Make sure the ladder is not placed on ice,
snow, or other slippery surface unless the
ladder is prevented from accidental
displacement by:
Securing it
Providing the ladder with slip-resistant feet

Make sure ladders are not placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable
bases to obtain additional height

Ladder Safety - Prevention

Protect ladders that are setup in a location
where they could be displaced by workplace
activities or traffic by either:
Securing the ladder to prevent accidental
displacement
Or
Using a barricade to keep the activities or
traffic away from the ladder

Ladder Safety - Prevention

Protect ladders that are set-up in front of
doors that open towards the ladder by doing
at least one of the following:
Block the door open
Lock the door
Guard the door to keep it from opening
into the ladder

Ladder Safety - Prevention

Make sure ladders are not placed on boxes,
barrels, or other unstable bases to obtain
additional height
Place a straight ladder so the side rails are
equally supported by the top support, unless
the ladder is equipped with a single support
attachment
Make sure the top support of the ladder is
reasonably rigid and able to support the load

Ladder Safety - Prevention

Climbing and descending:
Have both hands free to hold on to the ladder, or at
least one hand.
Face the ladder when climbing or descending
Keep ladders free from oil, grease, or other slippery
materials
Keep the area around the top and bottom of ladders
clear.
Remove all items from ladder before moving it
Make sure single-rail ladders are not used

Ladder Safety Composition/Materials

Fiberglass
Aluminum/Metal
Wood
Besides having different ratings or load
capacities, ladders may be constructed of
various kinds of materials.Each material
has specific care, maintenance, and
storage requirements and may be
preferred for specific uses, or under
certain conditions.

Types of Composition
WOOD
Stability

better because it is heavier

Durability

less wears out faster

Strength to Weight Ratio good

Weather Resistance

not as good

Conductivity

non-conductive when
clean and dry

Types of Composition
FIBERGLASS
Stability

less because it is lighter

Durability

better material lasts longer

Strength to Weight Ratio high

Weather Resistance

better (not same conditions as wood)

Conductivity

non-conductive when clean and dry

(PREFERRED)

Types of Composition
ALUMINUM
Stability

less lightest of all

Durability

better

Strength to Weight Ratio high

Weather Resistance

better

Conductivity

conductive do NOT use near

exposed electrical sources/in a storm

Composition - Aluminum

Electrocution Hazard
This Ladder Conducts Electricity
Do Not Use Around Electrical Equipment
or other equivalent wording
Do not use a metal ladder when working
around energy sources.Metal ladders must
be labeled with a DANGER warning sticker
indicating:

What NOT to do:

Wood, metal, and fiberglass ladders may also

have some specific construction requirements.

For example:
Metal or Fiberglass
must have slip or skid-resistant feet AND
steps or rungs that are corrugated, knurled,
dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or
treated to minimize possible slipping

Ratings
Duty Rating Ladder Type

Use

Maximum
intended
load
(pounds)

Extra Heavy
Duty

IA

Industry,
utilities,
contractors

300

Heavy-Duty

Industry,
utilities,
contractors

250

Medium-Duty

II

Painters, offices,
light
maintenance

225

Light-Duty

III

General
household use

200

Ratings and Labels

Although there are many different kinds of portable ladders, they all
receive a rating based on their maximum intended or working load the total weight that they can safely support.This includes the
weight of the worker, tools, and materials.
Type I-AA - 375 lbs.

Special duty industrial use, such as CATV, utilities, contractors, and higher
capacity needs

Type I-A -300 lbs.

Extra-heavy-duty industrial use, such as utilities and contractors

Type I - 250 lbs.

Heavy-duty industrial use, such as utilities and contractors

Type II - 225 lbs.

Medium-duty work, such as painting, offices for building maintenance, and

light industrial use

Type III - 200 lbs.

Light duty work, such as household use

Ratings and Labels

These ratings must meet certain
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) standards and they must be
indicated on the duty rating sticker or
manufacturer's label.
ANSI requires that every ladder be
labeled with this information so users
can determine if they have the correct
type ladder for the task/job.

Information Contained on Labels

Besides their ratings, labels and markings
found on manufactured ladders contain
product information, such as:
Manufacturer's Name
Ladder's Model Number/Name
Month and Year of Manufacture
Ladder's Size/Length, Maximum Working
Length, and
Highest Standing Level

Help Yourself & Others

Before you use a ladder, check its rating to
see if you have the right ladder for the
job.Be sure not to subject the ladder to a
work load greater than its rated
capacity.And, always read manufacturers'
labels and follow their recommendations.
Do yourself a favor and avoid a fall and
injury to yourself. If you see someone doing
it wrong, say something!

Warning labels
Manufactured ladders have warning
markings and labels, such as "CAUTION"
and "DANGER," which are usually in red
or yellow.
They often also have"SAFETY" labels
which give information on how to use
the ladders safely.

What NOT to do:

QUIZ

Ladder Safety Quiz

You have to fall more than 15 feet from
a ladder before you get hurt.
Portable Ladder Safety
True

E
S
L
A
F
False

Workers injured in falls from ladders are usually

less than 10 feet above the ladder's base of support.

Portable Ladder Safety

Injuries involving falls from ladders
might be:
e from the
A) Reaching too far out away
v
o
ladder.
ab
e
h
B) Misstep or slip tof the foot while
f
o
climbing.
l
l
a
C) Setting up
the ladder on an
D
unstable or slippery surface.
D) All of the above.

A ladder is rated according to

t
r
o
p
p
u

A) its size
s
y
l
e
f
B) how it is to be used
a
s
n
a
cit can safely
t
C) the total weight that
i
t
a
h
t
support
t
h
g
i
e
w
D) the akind
of
material
it
is
made
of
l
t

h
t
(C)

o
t
e

Labels
You don't need to read any of the
labels on a ladder for information other
than to find out the ladder's Type.
True

E
S
L
A
F

False