Ladder Safety

Why it matters

Falls from ladders send thousands of construction workers to the hospital every year, and most of those falls happen below 10 feet. The ladder feels routine, which is exactly why it deserves a talk. Two minutes of setup checks prevent most ladder injuries on record.

Hazards

• ⚠ Setting a ladder on soft, uneven, or slippery ground
• ⚠ Overreaching instead of moving the ladder
• ⚠ Climbing with tools in your hands instead of a tool belt or hoist line
• ⚠ Using a damaged ladder with bent rails or missing feet
• ⚠ Wrong angle: base too close or too far from the wall
• ⚠ Metal ladders near energized lines or equipment

Controls and safe practices

• ✓ Inspect before every use: rails, rungs, feet, spreaders. Tag and remove damaged ladders.
• ✓ Set the base on firm, level ground. Never on blocks, buckets, or mud.
• ✓ Use the 4-to-1 rule: one foot out at the base for every four feet of height.
• ✓ Extend the ladder at least 3 feet above the landing and tie it off.
• ✓ Keep three points of contact. Haul tools up with a line, not in your hands.
• ✓ Belt buckle stays between the rails. If you have to reach past, climb down and move it.
• ✓ Fiberglass ladders only around electrical work.

Crew discussion questions

1. Where on this site is the ground bad enough that a ladder needs a different spot?
2. Who checked their ladder this morning? What would fail ours?
3. What jobs today should use a lift instead of a ladder?
4. Where are tools going while we climb?

Applicable OSHA standards

29 CFR 1926.1053

More toolbox talks

• Fall Protection Basics
• Heat Illness Prevention
• Lockout / Tagout: Controlling Energized Circuits
• Trench and Excavation Safety
• Silica Dust Control
• PPE Head to Toe

Safety plans by trade

RoofingElectricalHVAC / MechanicalGeneral ContractorAll toolbox talks