According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ladder deaths accounted for 161 on-the-job fatalities in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That same year, there were 22,710 ladder-related workplace injuries, an injury stat that has remained relatively constant over the previous several years. The point is, ladder safety is a serious topic, with a staggering cost to business and even worse impact on families that lose loved ones.
March is National Ladder Safety Month, spearheaded by the American Ladder Institute (ALI). This, its seventh year, will focus on four key themes:
• Week One – Choosing Your Ladder
• Week Two – Safety Before the First Step (Inspection and Set Up)
• Week Three – Safety While Climbing
• Week Four – Safety at the Top
ALI believes ladder accidents are preventable with thorough safety planning, training, and continuous innovation in product design. The more people, organizations, and businesses that get involved, the wider the message spreads, and the more people learn about proper ladder safety.
ALI’s Ladder Safety Training site, makes safety training easy with an organized curriculum, a video and resource library, and free registration.
Because every life saved is precious, the goals of National Ladder Safety Month are to decrease the number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities, increase the number of ladder safety training certificates issued by ALI, increase the frequency that ladder safety training modules are viewed on the website, lower the rankings of ladder-related safety citations on OSHA’s yearly “Top 10 Citations List,” increase the number of in-person ladder trainings, and increase the number of companies and individuals that inspect and properly dispose of old or damaged ladders.
Every step matters. From step stools to extension ladders, make sure you’re putting the right foot forward. For more information on National Ladder Safety Month and its courses, click here.
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