Ladders can be found on most industrial worksites here in Illinois and Indiana, where they help workers in various ways. There are fixed ladders which are affixed or attached to a building or wall. There are mobile ladders that can be moved as needed around the jobsite. And there are portable ladders, and in their various sizes and shapes and functions they may be the most dangerous ladders of all.
The biggest danger, of course, is that someone can fall from a ladder and suffer serious bodily harm. The risk is clear on our construction sites; however, the danger of work accident fall fatalities involving ladders is present on most industrial sites. For more, read Ladder Accidents: The Very Real Danger of Death from Falling off a Ladder on the Job.
Some may debate whether a ladder is a tool or a piece of equipment; however, most agree that portable ladders that can be carried around the workplace are tools that can make all the difference in a day’s work. Portable ladders not only help get the job done but they are intended to help keep workers safe from injury in fall accidents.
What is a Portable Ladder?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) differentiates portable ladders from other types of industrial ladders as those that are easily carried or lugged around the jobsite. They can be self-supporting or not (like those ladders that lean against a wall). Portable ladders have side rails. These rails are joined by things like rungs or steps. They are convenient, easily stored, and relatively inexpensive tools for the jobsite.
From the American Ladder Institute comes the following definition of a portable ladder:
A ladder that can readily be moved or carried, usually consisting of side rails joined at intervals by steps, rungs, cleats, or rear braces.
The National Safety Council (NSC) explains that portable ladders can be made with aluminum, wood, glass fiber, reinforced plastic, or steel. They come in all sorts of designs, such as single ladders; two and three section extension ladders; sectional ladders; trestle ladders; and extension trestle ladders. A common characteristic of all portable ladders is a base of parallel or flared legs, with rungs that are round or oval-shaped, parallel, level and uniformly spaced on 12-inch centers, with the exception of step stools. For more, read Portable Ladders, Data Sheet 665, published by the National Safety Council in April 2016.
Examples of portable ladders include the basic stepladder found in a warehouse or on a construction site. However, different industries have different types of portable ladders which are designed for the specific needs of the worker.
On our local agricultural worksites, for instance, there will be tripod ladders. Landscape workers may find tripod ladders helpful, too. These are a unique type of portable ladders described by OSHA as having a “…flared base and a tripod pole that provides support on soft, uneven ground. In addition, these ladders have no spreader bar or locking mechanisms to hold its front in place or to stabilize the ladder. For a tripod orchard ladder to function properly and remain stable, the ladder side rails and tripod pole must slightly penetrate the ground.” They are to be used only for their intended purpose: there is a huge risk of fall accidents if a tripod ladder is used on a level ground or standard surface because of its inherent stabilization features.
Dangers of Portable Ladders in Serious Work Accidents
While portable ladders are very popular on most worksites here in Illinois and Indiana, workers need to know how fast they can be seriously injured in a portable ladder work accident involving things like electric shock or electrocution; falls off the ladder to the floor; or injuries sustained in a failure of the tool itself.
- Falls can happen when the portable ladder is not equipped with non-skid feet while the worker is tasked with working in an area that is wet or has a very smooth surface.
- Other tool design failures (or failures in upkeep and maintenance) that can cause portable ladder accidents involving a fall or other injury include: cracks in the hardware that make the ladder unstable; damaged ladders; and faulty or broken locks.
- Electricity can cause serious bodily injury or death to a worker using a portable ladder if that ladder is made of metal which will allow the live current to connect with the victim. Electric shocks can cause falls. A sufficient amount of voltage can cause an electrocution death.
For more, read Ladders: The Most Dangerous Tool on the Construction Site and Ladder Safety and Worker Fall Accident Dangers In Illinois and Indiana.
Employers’ Duty of Care for Portable Ladders: OSHA Regulations and ANSI Standards
Both federal regulations and industrial standards educate employers and others with possession, custody, or control of aspects of the worksite in keeping workers safe from harm in portable ladder accidents. Federal regulations in Illinois and Indiana will be overseen by our OSHA State Plans. For more, read Workplace Safety and OSHA Regulations in Indiana and Illinois.
OSHA Standard 29 CFR §1917.119(a)
Federal regulation 29 CFR §1917.119(a) explains its scope and applicability as applying to all portable ladders, including job-made ladders for temporary use, unless otherwise specified. The standards vary for (1) manufactured portable ladders and (2) job-made portable ladders. Some of these federal regulations incorporate by reference certain industrial standards.
Workers have a right to expect that all portable ladders on their jobsite are provided to them after compliance with these federal safety regulations have been met by those in control of the jobsite and its components.
Industrial Standards for Portable Ladder Safety
While industrial standards are not laws, they are important for workers who are injured on the job. These standards can help explain the breach in the duties of care and safety on the worksite when the accident happened, and what parties failed in their responsibilities to keep the workers safe from portable ladder injuries.
One of the primary sources of industrial standards is the American Standards Institute. For instance, for workers in Illinois and Indiana there is reference to be made to ANSI A14.2-2007, which is the American National Safety Standard for portable ladders made of metal.
Portable Ladders and Worker Injuries in Indiana and Illinois
Workers have a legal right to be protected from portable ladder accidents on the job. They should know that in Illinois and Indiana, those signing their paychecks and others with legal safety duties should be doing things like:
(1) making sure portable ladders have proper safety labels (including weight limits);
(2) inspecting all portable ladders prior to being provided for any use by any worker for things like weak rungs or cracks in wooden rails;
(3) training workers in the proper use of the various portable ladders on the site (such as how to place a ladder on a surface to ensure stability before climbing); and
(4) making sure the portable ladder is not subject to recall (in which case, it should be labelled “do not use” and removed from the workplace).
Falls from ladders are of particular concern for safety agencies and those advocating for worker victims and their families. Portable ladders are popular. They are widely used on most of our worksites. Sadly, their dangers can be underestimated or disrespected until a severe accident happens, with its victim suffering catastrophic injuries or even death as a result.
For more, read:
- Fall Accidents on the Job: Industrial Workplaces and Great Danger of Fall Injuries
- Construction Falls: Scaffolds and Ladders Can Cause Serious Accidents
- Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury (WR-TBI) Dangers Facing Industrial Workers in Illinois and Indiana
- Industrial Housekeeping and Construction Site Accidents
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims for On-the-Job Accidents.
Working with a stepladder, extension ladder, or tripod ladder is commonplace in our factories, steel mills, warehouses, agri-business, and construction sites. These portable ladders come with serious risks of injury. Please be careful out there!
