Skip to content
Free sample
Español

SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 19

Stepladders have their own rules

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, December 19

Stepladders have their own rules

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 19

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

Open a stepladder all the way and lock the spreaders before you climb. Never use the top or the top step as a step. Do not climb the back cross-bracing unless the ladder has steps on both sides, and never lean a closed stepladder against a wall to climb it. (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(13))

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.

PRINT AND EDIT

365 safety moments, $29

One moment for every day of the year in the same format as this one: the hazard, the action, the question and the source talk with its citation. Print a page a day or show a slide.

  • 365 safety moments, one per day
  • Dated PDF calendar, a page a day
  • PowerPoint with one slide per moment
  • English and Spanish
  • Each moment links back to its cited toolbox talk

Instant download. 30-day refund, no questions.

Free 52-week toolbox talk calendar (PDF)