Anyone can fall off a ladder
Posted on 20th Feb, 2012 | By Lorretta Tatham
Anyone can fall from ladders when working at height and even safety professionals are vulnerable.
Every care should be taken to ensure falls are prevented – including checking ladders for inconsistencies, ensuring workers are properly trained in working at height and that the right equipment is always used.
Around two million ladders are used in the UK every day.
Within industrial businesses, construction in particular, falls from height is the leading cause of death and serious injuries.
When people fall from industrial ladders they accelerate until they hit the ground or object.
This results in serious fall injuries like head trauma, broken bones, spinal cord damage or death.
Such fatalities, which dramatically impact on people’s lives, could have been prevented if the employers and companies involved followed simple legislation.
Employers are responsible for providing the correct ladders of working at height equipment for the job. They are also responsible for employee training and implementing safety measures and procedures.
However, employees also need to take some responsibility. They should make sure they use the right ladder for the job and follow their training and the rules that are put in place.
Employees are sometimes too lazy to follow simple ladder safety rules, such as using a harness.
For more information visit the training pages.