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Denying the Existence of Gravity

Oct. 5, 2021
Think about how you can help management, and yourself, get up to speed on safety requirements for elevated work.

Each year, 300 people in the United States die from a ladder fall. And it’s usually from less than 10 ft. More than 164,000 people get emergency room treatment for injuries sustained from a ladder fall. That’s just ladders; 25% of fatal falls are from scaffolding.

Last year, OSHA issued 11,172 citations to employers for failing to meet the requirements for four categories of elevated work (all four were among the top 10 violations). These are not citations against individual employees for working unsafely. These are citations against companies for failing to do their share of the safety job as required by federal law.

Because of OSHA resource limitations, these numbers have a “tip of the iceberg” aspect. Is your company a safety slacker for working at elevation? Is it willing to literally let you be the fall guy? If your company is not doing its part, think about how you can help management get up to speed. And if your company is doing its part, are you doing yours?

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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