Ladders Last – A Policy That Can Save Lives
27 May
Turner Construction, one of the largest building firms in the USA, has a policy called 'Ladders Last', which aims to cut the incidence of ladder-related falls, injuries and deaths in the workplace. It is based on the idea of prevention, rather than protection. The main focus is on finding alternative access methods as the first choice, rather than the use of ladders by default. Staff are required to get written permission to use a ladder for a job, thereby promoting the use of safer access options such as scaffold towers and work platforms.
Options such as permanent or temporary stairs are encouraged, especially where long term access is needed. Personnel lifts and hoists are another way in which people can reach high places without climbing. Warehouse steps and other sturdy, platform based step ladders are suggested for use where access is required to many locations on the same site. These access methods have safety cages and guard rails, protecting against the risk of falling from the top of the ladder. There are many different styles and designs of work platforms and stairways, so there are not many cases where a ladder is the only access option.
The manoeuvre and handing of traditional ladders can also lead to injuries such as sprains and back problems, so if the access equipment can be wheeled and has an automated set up, such as hydraulic lifts and permanently erected scaffold towers, then the risk of these injuries is greatly lessened. This combined approach to height access is engineering out the risk of injury by engineering in safer methods and removing the known risks in working at height. By selecting the right and safest equipment for the job the dangers become less of an issue, and productivity can increase.
Technological advancements in securing ladders has also helped when there is no other option than to use a ladder. Claw-like attachments at the top of extension ladders allow them to grip securely to a pre-fixed anchor point so they do not move when in use. Outriggers and stabilising legs also reduce the risk of ladder slip on an unsecured extension ladder. The 'Ladders Last' policy also encourages ladder users to think hard about the surface their ladder is on, stating that uneven ground can cause ladders to be unstable at the top. Instead of levelling the feet with mats or other props, a trench should be dug on the higher side allowing the ladder to sit evenly on the ground surface. Where this is not possible, ladders with adjustable built-in legs and outriggers are the solution, if a ladder needs to be used at all. By taking advantage of clever design, ladder users put themselves at a lower risk of the most common ladder accidents and injuries.
Other companies are starting to adopt the same policy, seeing that the cost of having injured personnel is far greater than the cost of investment in better access equipment and staff training. By preventing the possibility of the most common ladder-related accidents these companies are seeing better productivity and a drop in workplace injuries. Some of these companies have set a limit on the height of acceptable ladder use, going as low as six or four feet before the user must be attached to a fall arrest system or use another access method with guard rails. It is initiatives such as this which will make a difference to the amount of injuries and fatalities caused by incorrect and dangerous ladder use, where alternative access methods are available.