Ladder Safety Tips — Part 2

One way to eliminate a long list of potential problems is to use only the right ladder for the job. It begins with the company’s management. For an electrical contractor:

• Do not buy aluminum ladders. Fiberglass is the best choice, even though fiberglass ladders are expensive. Buy the industrial-grade ones, as they have stronger construction.
• If you have wooden ladders, do not allow them to be painted or stained because those paints or stains may be electrically conductive and will likely be slippery.
• Incorporate ladder planning into project planning. Determine how many of what length of ladders will be needed concurrently on the project. Compare that against your inventory of ladders not already reserved for other projects at that time. If you buy additional ladders to make up for a deficit, then you eliminate dangerous “make do with what you’ve got” ladder use in the field.
• Remove from service and destroy any ladders that are mechanically defective. Does it seem like a waste to discard a ladder because of a broken rivet when you have the ability to replace that rivet? If so, consider what kind of stress was put on the ladder for that rivet to break. Does it make sense to risk your life trusting a ladder that probably has other damage you simply can’t see?