Stepladder Safety Tips

The National Safety Council reports that falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries for all age groups and the second most common cause of accidental workplace deaths after highway accidents. Thousands of people suffer serious or fatal injuries from falling every year, and many of these falls involve stepladders.

Many people rely on stepladders at work, including construction workers, painters, and window cleaners, and these professionals typically use specialized, heavy-duty stepladders for their work. Private homeowners often purchase their own stepladders for home repairs like cleaning gutters and repainting interior rooms. No matter how an individual uses a stepladder, a few universal safety tips that anyone can follow can limit the risk of falling injuries.

If you are purchasing a stepladder for a specific purpose, make sure the ladder is tall enough and sturdy enough to handle your weight as well as the weight of any tools you’ll need while working. Most stepladders feature a small shelf that extends away from the steps near the top of the ladder, and this is where you would store a paint can, your drill or screw gun, or other tools while you work. Most ladder manufacturers will clearly mark this shelf as “not a step” and include a weight limit, so make sure to keep this in mind while you work.

Most ladders for household use and some light commercial work have load limits of 200 to 250 pounds, while special duty and extra heavy-duty ladders for construction work and other industrial applications can support 350 pounds or more.

You may need to use a stepladder indoors on a carpeted floor or outside in the grass. You should always try to set up your ladder on dry, sturdy surfaces, but if you need to set up your ladder on any type of soft or potentially slippery surface, place a sturdy board under the legs of the ladder for extra stability.

Make sure your stepladder is completely open before climbing. Locking struts between the legs of your stepladder keep it locked into place as you climb, so make sure to engage the fasteners on these struts for the most stability. If you attempt to climb a ladder without fully extending the legs, it may snap closed as you climb and send you tumbling to the ground. Additionally, never attempt to climb on the support struts for additional height.

Some stepladders can convert into extension ladders, so you can reach even higher places. However, an extension ladder does not have the same amount of stability, and you must use extra caution when placing and using them. A good rule of thumb is to place the bottom of your extension ladder about one foot away from a wall for every four feet you need to climb. If you need to extend your ladder to reach 12 feet off the ground, the bottom of the ladder should be about three feet from the wall.

Never rest the upper portion of your ladder against unstable surfaces like windowpanes or unfinished drywall. Additionally, if your ladder cannot extend to the full height you need to complete your work, never attempt to place anything under the ladder for additional height, such as a box, barrel, or any other object.

Ladder accidents can happen in the home or at work for several reasons, but when negligence or a defective product causes an accident, victims need to know their options for legal recourse. If you believe a ladder injury occurred due to a defective product, you could pursue a product liability claim against the manufacturer. If a negligent coworker or supervisor created the hazard that caused your injury, you might have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. An experienced attorney can help you determine your best options after a stepladder injury.

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