Step ladder safety must be practiced if you want to avoid injury when using a step ladder. First and foremost, you should never use a ladder unless you have secured it properly at home. Generally speaking, children pick up their parents and grandparents’ tendencies. The improper usage of a stepladder is one example of such routine.
Without proper caution, even using a stepladder can result in injury. Many of the 160,000 ladder-related injuries that are recorded annually are likely preventable if proper safety measures were used. Tragically, many injuries cause the user to become paralyzed or even quadriplegic.
Reflections on Ladders from My Own Life:
The next-door neighbor was using a 6-foot aluminum step ladder to paint the ceiling of his front porch. To prevent damage to the floor tiles, he placed a drop sheet under the ladder. When the ladder he was using to reach the roof gave way, he fell and fractured his spine, becoming him a paraplegic. He endured life in a wheelchair following numerous surgery, and he eventually passed away.
The few feet he fell didn’t prepare him or his family for the way his life would alter afterward.
Here, on the Extension Ladder, the ending is joyous. A roof plumber was fixing some leaks in my roof. His ladder was leaning against the house while he took a break for some tea in the morning. My little boy, who is just three years old, has taken to dressing like a boy. Once back from his break for tea, the tradesman looked up and noticed the young child ambling along the ridge capping. The contractor yelled to me and pointed gently above. We played it off as a game: the handyman climbed onto the roof, I coolly talked my kid over him, and then my son picked him up and took him down to safety. I looked at the tradesman, we both cursed, and then we both breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God that my son was unharmed.
For a wide variety of situations, including but not limited to the following, a ladder is an absolute necessity.
- at home – cleaning the gutters, painting, and changing the lightbulbs
- tradespeople, including but not limited to painters, carpenters, and electricians
- warehouse, for storing items and performing routine upkeep
Countless workplaces in industry and construction require skilled laborers.
Using ladders raises safety concerns due to the risk of falling.
Advice for Safely Using a Ladder:
1) Do not stand on the very top rung, as this can cause the ladder to sway.
Don’t overreach by keeping your belt buckle between the rungs of the ladder.
3. Try “walking” the ladder, in which you attempt to move it while standing on it.
Metal is a conductor of electricity, and so is the human body; therefore, it is dangerous to set the ladder under the cables. Take a ladder made of wood or fiberglass.
The foregoing story of my friend’s misfortune is a warning to you not to: 5).
uses under the influence of substances (including medicine) when wounded, fatigued, or otherwise impaired
My point is this: never, ever, ever leave a youngster alone with a ladder.
Advice for Safe Use of Ladders AT ALL Times:
1) Open the ladder all the way; a step ladder is not meant to be propped up against a wall and climbed.
Put the bracing in place and make sure they stay there.
3) Reach the top of the first rung, pause, and give the ladder a slight sway to test its steadiness.
Fourth, never let go of the ladder’s handrail and do not forget to wear sturdy footwear
5. Put away all instruments, including screwdrivers, chisels, hammers, knives, and paint, from the top of the ladder. It’s easy to lose track of what’s perched on a ladder; if the ladder is shifted, something heavy, sharp, or wet could soon come crashing down on you or your surroundings.
Seven) Have someone else around to work with in case of an emergency
If you use step ladders properly and follow these safety guidelines, you can avoid injury on the job.
