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SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 15

Inspect it before you climb

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, December 15

Inspect it before you climb

We use ladders so often that it is easy to stop thinking about them. A ladder fall can start with one quick choice: grabbing the wrong ladder, skipping the setup, or reaching too far. Even a short fall can cause a serious injury.

SAFETY MOMENT

December 15

The hazard

We use ladders so often that it is easy to stop thinking about them. A ladder fall can start with one quick choice: grabbing the wrong ladder, skipping the setup, or reaching too far. Even a short fall can cause a serious injury.

The action

Check the ladder every time before you use it. Look for cracked, bent or split rails, broken or missing rungs or steps, loose parts, worn feet, and grease or mud. A portable ladder with structural defects must be marked as defective or tagged "Do Not Use" and withdrawn from service until it is repaired. (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(16))

ASK THE CREW

What would make you take a ladder out of service?

Takeaway: Pick the right ladder, check it, set it up right, and keep a hand on it every time you climb.

From the talk: Ladder safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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