Industrial ladders and steps are commonly used on construction sites to access elevated areas and hard-to-reach locations. It is crucial for workers to use ladders correctly to prevent accidents occurring to others as well as their own safety.
To ensure safety and efficiency, best practices should be followed. From inspecting equipment before use and maintaining three points of contact to avoiding overreaching and limiting time spent on the ladders, we have put together our guide on best practices for using industrial ladders and steps on construction sites.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Inspect Equipment Before Use
It goes without saying, always check the equipment before use! This is a rule that applies to any type of job that involves employees working with potentially dangerous equipment. Industrial ladders can be very tall, so the last thing you want is to climb up it, to find out something has gone wrong with one of the steps, halfway up.
When inspecting the industrial ladders and steps, check for any damage on the feet or base, ensure the ladders are free of any substances which could have come in contact with, during transportation and check the hinges and locks for any damages.
Maintain Three Points of Contact
When you are climbing up or down a ladder, always maintain three points of contact (two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand). Following this rule provides stability and reduces the risk of falling. When using ladders, avoid carrying heavy tools or materials in your hand, instead use a tool belt.
Avoid Overreaching
You may be surprised to hear that overreaching is one of the most common causes of ladder accidents. When at the top of a ladder, people tend to overreach, instead of climbing down and repositioning the ladder. When you are overreaching, your balance will not be right, which can cause the ladder to lose stability or for you to lose your own balance. A good rule to follow is to keep your body centred between the ladder’s side rails and avoid leaning too far to either side. If you can’t reach the work area comfortably, climb down and reposition the ladder instead of stretching beyond your limits.
Limit Time Spent on Ladders
Climbing up and down ladders can be tiring and if done too much, can cause concentration levels to go down, which is when the risk of an accident increases. When using industrial ladders and steps try to limit the time spent on them by a single individual. Instead, rotate or server ladders for shorter-duration tasks.
Use Ladder Accessories for Added Safety
There are a myriad of accessories that you can buy to make your industrial ladders safer. A standard accessory is a tie-off, which is used to secure your ladders to a fixed structure, to prevent it from moving when in use. Ladder mitts are used on the bottom of the ladder to improve grip and ladder stabilisers are used to help stabilise your ladder.
Safety Training Sessions
A standard practice that a lot of construction sites will have is training courses on ladder safety. Having a good training course on ladders and steps is important as it will prevent injuries and ensure your team is using them correctly. Alongside having a training course, regular refresher courses should be offered as they can help reinforce safe practices and keep safety top of mind.
Training courses could be done online or face-to-face in a classroom-like environment. Both have their pros and cons. Online courses are good as you can do them in your own time and in the evening after work or morning before work. The main benefit of a face-to-face session is that you can ask questions to the trainer on the spot and interact with the equipment.
Store and Maintain Ladders Properly
Storing and looking after ladders properly will not only extend their lifespan, but it will also ensure they remain safer over time. When putting the ladders away, ensure they are stored in a dry, secure area and that they are out of the way of busy foot areas (to avoid the risk of people tripping over them). Regularly clean and inspect them and replace any damaged parts as and when required. Never use a ladder that hasn’t been inspected before use.
There are so many different best practices for using industrial ladders and steps on a construction site. We hope our guide has given you some useful pointers and practises that you can apply moving forward.
What recommendations would you suggest for maintaining best practices for industrial ladders and steps on a construction site? Which of the above tips did you find most useful and why? Is there anything missing in our guide that you think we should be adding? Let us know in the comment box below, we look forward to hearing from you.
