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SAFETY MOMENT, DECEMBER 20

Pick the right ladder for the job

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Safety moment, December 20

Pick the right ladder for the job

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 20

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

Use a ladder tall enough to reach the work without standing on the top or overreaching. Check the label for its rated capacity, and remember that the load includes you, your tools and your materials. A ladder must not be loaded beyond its maximum intended load or the manufacturer's rated capacity. If you or the ladder could contact exposed energized electrical equipment, the ladder must have nonconductive side rails, such as fiberglass (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(12)). (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(3))

ASK THE CREW

Where on this site is it hard to set a ladder on firm, level ground, and how should we handle it?

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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