The numbers
Ladders account for roughly a fifth of all fall injuries at work and are consistently in OSHA's top ten most-cited standards. The injuries are rarely from great heights — a six-foot fall onto concrete is enough to end a career.
Pick the right ladder
- Duty rating must exceed your weight plus tools and material. Type IA (300 lb) is the minimum for most trade work.
- Length: an extension ladder must extend 3 feet above the landing. A stepladder should let you work without standing on the top two steps.
- Material: fiberglass around anything electrical. Never aluminum near power lines or live circuits.
- Inspect before every use: cracked rails, missing feet, bent rungs, or a stuck extension lock means tag it out.
Set it up right
- 4-to-1 rule: one foot out from the wall for every four feet of height.
- Firm, level footing. No blocks, buckets, or pallets to gain height.
- Secure the top or have a second person foot the ladder.
- Stepladders fully open with spreaders locked — never leaned closed against a wall.
Climb it right
- Three points of contact at all times: two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand.
- Face the ladder going up and down.
- Belt buckle stays between the rails. If you have to lean, come down and move the ladder.
- Tools go up on a belt or a hand line — not in your hands.
Wrap-up
If the job needs you to reach, lean, or carry, the answer is a different ladder or a lift, not a bigger stretch.
