4 Ways to Step Up Your Ladder Safety Game

Watching Clark Griswold fall off his ladder every year is a hilarious holiday tradition, but ladder accidents in real life are far less amusing. The issue is quite serious. Ladders cause 81 percent of fall-related injuries across several industries, and ladder-related violations consistently make OSHA’s top 10 list.  

March is National Ladder Safety Month, so take the opportunity to educate your workforce on necessary ladder safety protocols to maintain an incident-free workplace. Also, national anything month means you get to give a presentation, which translates to time in the spotlight and a catered lunch. So that’s pretty cool.  

Here are four ways to promote ladder safety in the workplace—and the ladder safety signage to help you do it.   

Tell them to skip the ladder altogether 

The best way to avoid ladder-related injuries—and associated fines—is to prevent ladders altogether. That’s right; teach ladder abstinence with a ladder’s last policy. Ladders last (as the name suggests) encourages workers to opt for safer alternatives to ladders whenever possible. This could include scissor lifts, pulley systems, or mobile scaffolding. When it comes to ladders, tell them to just say “no,”  except when you… 

Tell them to use the damn ladder 

Okay, so avoiding a ladder isn’t always the best course of action because there are plenty of instances when using a ladder is the totally correct option. Like when you see Dave stacking three boxes on top of a step stool and trying to Parkour his way to the top shelf. Not a good idea. So make sure to include safety signage that reminds your staff when a ladder is the better, albeit more boring, option. 

Make sure they know how to use a ladder 

You might think there’s only one way to set up a ladder and you’d be both right and wrong. There is only one correct way to set up a ladder, but people will always find a way to… get creative. Whether it’s setting the ladder on an unstable surface, standing on the top ledge to reach just a bit higher, or setting up the ladder near electrical wires, mistakes are always most evident after an accident happens.  Remind your team that they’re not Superman and that they should take the appropriate precautions and set up ladders safely.   

Host a ladder safety meeting 

You read that correctly. This is your moment. Now is your time to shine. To round out your National Ladder Month prep, get ready to host the meeting of a lifetime. And what makes for a good meeting? A theme. Catch their attention and maybe even make them laugh. 

During National Ladder Safety Month, step up your game with all-new safety signage and collateral. And though we know it’s tempting, don’t procrastinate like you did last year. Stock up now so you’re ready to roll on March 1st.  

Need more ideas? Shop all ladder safety signs, labels and tags to find the message that’s right for your workplace.