Ladder Safety

A crew talk on choosing, inspecting, setting up, and climbing ladders, covering the 4-to-1 rule, three points of contact, and when a ladder is the wrong tool for the job.

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Falls & elevated work · 29 CFR 1926.1053

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and plenty of those falls start on a ladder. Ladders feel so routine that crews stop thinking about them, and that is exactly when people get hurt. A fall from six or eight feet can end a career or a life, so today we slow down and get ladders right.

Key hazards

• Setting an extension ladder at the wrong angle so the base kicks out or the ladder tips backward
• Using a damaged ladder with cracked rails, bent rungs, or missing feet
• Standing on the top step or top cap of a stepladder to reach a little farther
• Carrying tools or material in your hands while climbing instead of using a hoist line or tool belt
• Metal ladders contacting overhead power lines or energized equipment
• Setting ladders on mud, ice, uneven ground, or on top of boxes or scaffolds to gain height

Safe practices

• Inspect every ladder before use. Check rails, rungs, feet, rung locks, and spreaders. Tag damaged ladders Do Not Use and remove them from service.
• Pick the right ladder for the job, with the correct duty rating for you plus your tools, and fiberglass anywhere near electrical work.
• Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle. For every four feet of height, move the base one foot out from the wall.
• Extend the ladder at least 3 feet above the landing and secure the top when you climb on or off at height.
• Keep three points of contact while climbing, two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand.
• Face the ladder going up and coming down, and keep your belt buckle between the side rails. Move the ladder instead of leaning out.
• Fully open stepladders and lock the spreaders. Never climb a closed stepladder leaned against a wall.
• Set the feet on firm, level ground. Never stack a ladder on blocks, buckets, or a scaffold platform to gain height.
• Barricade or guard the area when a ladder sits in a doorway or walkway.
• Keep ladders, especially metal ones, at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.

Discussion questions

• Where on this site are we tempted to overreach or stand too high on a ladder instead of moving it or getting a lift?
• Who inspected their ladder this morning, and what exactly did you look at?
• Are there tasks this week where a scaffold or scissor lift is the better call than a ladder?

If something goes wrong

• If someone falls, do not move them if there is any chance of a head, neck, or back injury. Call 911 and stay with them.
• Take the ladder out of service and tag it until it has been inspected, even if it looks fine.
• Report every fall, slip, or near miss to the foreman the same day so we can fix the setup before the next person climbs.

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