Friday, September 21, 2012

Safety: Ladders
Very Informative worth a read

LADDERS this is as 6 page PDF with Illustrations Very informative

INTRODUCTION
Every year in the Ontario construction industry more than 350 lost-time injuries are caused by ladder accidents. Many of these accidents involve falls resulting in serious injuries and fatalities. Falls from ladders are common to all trades and pose one of the most serious safety problems in construction. The following are major causes of accidents.

— Ladders are not held, tied off, or otherwise secured.
— Slippery surfaces and unfavourable weather conditions cause workers to lose footing on rungs or steps.
— Workers fail to grip ladders adequately when climbing up or down.
— Workers take unsafe positions on ladders (such as leaning out too far).
— Placement on poor footing or at improper angles causes ladders to slide.
— Ladders are defective.
— High winds cause ladders to topple.
— Near electrical lines, ladders are carelessly handled or improperly positioned.
— Ladder stabilizers are not used where appropriate

We should always consider and plan for the safest way of undertaking work that cannot be done on or from ground level or while standing on the finished floor of a building or structure. In some cases, the use of ladders may be required. However, when dealing with elevated work or when working at heights, itʼs important to first consider whether the use of scaffolding, work platforms or powered
elevating work platforms (PEWPs) is more appropriate and a safer alternative to ladders. If it is determined that a ladder will be used, then a risk assessment of the ladder work should be done.

This chapter provides guidelines for selecting, setting up, maintaining, and using ladders. Because ladders are frequently used in the construction industry, there are many thousands of hours of exposure to ladder hazards every week.

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