Ladder Safety
General info only. These talks don't replace your company's safety program, your site rules, or OSHA rules. Follow those first, and ask your safety lead if something here doesn't match.
Start here
Ladders are on every job, so we stop thinking about them. That's when people get hurt. Let's go over the basics.
Key points
- Inspect the ladder before you use it. Look for cracked rails, loose rungs, missing feet, and bent parts. Tag out a bad one.
- Pick a ladder tall enough for the job, so you aren't standing on the top or the top step.
- Set an extension ladder at about a 4 to 1 angle: 1 foot out at the base for every 4 feet up.
- When you use it to reach a roof or deck, the ladder should stick out about 3 feet past the edge.
- Keep three points of contact going up and down. Two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand.
- Don't carry tools in your hands while you climb. Use a belt or a hand line.
- Stay centered. If you have to lean out, get down and move the ladder.
- Keep metal ladders away from power lines and live electrical work.
Bottom line: Taking 30 seconds to move a ladder is faster than a trip to the hospital.
Talk it over
- What ladder on site right now needs a closer look?
- What is the right angle for an extension ladder, and how do you check it?
- When would a lift or scaffold be a better choice than a ladder?
Before you wrap up: have everyone sign the sign-in sheet, write today's date and the topic, and note any questions or hazards the crew brought up. Need a sheet? Use the free toolbox talk template.
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