Weekly Safety Tip - 11-03-08
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11.03.08
Ladder Safety -
The Jump Test
Ladder safety is critical and must be stressed frequently to keep crews thinking about working safely at all times. I have seen numerous injuries or near misses from step ladder legs sinking on soft ground while working on them.
Many times step ladders are used near the foundation of a home where there is mulch on top of soft ground. The ladder seems sturdy when you set it up in this location but as you stand, work and move around on the ladder the foot of the ladder will sink thru the mulch or soft ground causing the ladder to become un-level. If this happens quickly you can easily loose your balance and fall putting the installers at risk of injury and the home owner at risk of damage to their most expensive investment.
To prevent this, train all of your employees to do a jump test on the bottom rung of the step ladder every time they set the ladder up. Three or four good jumps on the bottom rung will ensure the ground is solid and the ladder will stay level while working on it.
