Ladder Safety Toolbox Talk

In September 2023, a construction worker in Brighton, Massachusetts, fell about 27 feet and died while carrying materials and climbing to a ladder jack scaffold. OSHA found the ladder side rails did not extend 3 feet above the landing, debris was piled at the foot of the ladders, and there were no guardrails or fall arrest systems. The contractor, cited for fall hazards twice before, faced one willful and 10 serious violations and $88,721 in proposed penalties.

Source: OSHA

1. Check the ladder before every use: feet, rungs, locks, rails and labels. If it is damaged, tag it out and get it off site.
2. Use Type I, IA or IAA duty rated ladders only, and non-conductive fiberglass ladders anywhere near electrical work.
3. Check the duty rating on the label covers you, your tools and anything you carry up. A Type I ladder is rated for 250 pounds, IA for 300 and IAA for 375.
4. Set extension ladders at 1 in 4: one out at the base for every four up, which is about 75 degrees.
5. Extension ladders must stick out at least 3 feet above the landing and be tied off or secured at the top.
6. Secure the bottom too: tie it, use a stabilizer, or have someone foot it while the top is tied. Never stand it on bricks, offcuts or a pallet to make up height.
7. Keep three points of contact while climbing. Carry tools in a belt or haul them up on a line, not in your hands.
8. Face the ladder going up and coming down, and clean mud or grease off your boots and the rungs before you climb.
9. Keep your belt buckle between the stiles. If you have to overreach, climb down and move the ladder.
10. Never stand on the top cap or top step of a step ladder, or work off the top three rungs of an extension ladder.
11. Open step ladders fully with the spreaders locked. Never lean a folded step ladder against a wall and climb it.
12. Set up on firm, level ground, clear of doorways, traffic, plant and power lines. One person on a ladder at a time.
13. Do not paint, patch or join ladders. Paint hides cracks, and homemade repairs fail without warning.
14. Stop using a ladder outside in strong wind or heavy rain. A gust can move the ladder, or you, without warning.
15. Ladders are for short, light jobs. If the task is long, heavy or needs both hands, use a platform ladder, scaffold or aerial lift instead.

1. Who checked their ladder before using it today, and what did you look for?
2. Which job on this site right now would be safer from a platform than a ladder?
3. Where do damaged ladders go, and who do you tell?
4. What should you do if you can only reach the work by leaning out past the stiles?
5. How is the bottom of your ladder secured today?

• Run it next to a real ladder you use on this job, not in the site office.
• Set the ladder up badly first (wrong angle, untied, too short) and ask the crew to spot what is wrong.
• Walk the 1 in 4 rule with a tape measure so everyone sees what 75 degrees looks like.
• Point out two jobs on this site where a platform would be safer than a ladder and agree who will organise it.
• Finish by doing a pre-use check out loud, then record attendance on the sign-in sheet with the date and topic.

OSHA's ladder standard says ladder side rails must extend at least 3 feet above an upper landing. Workers must face the ladder when climbing, keep at least one hand on it, and not carry anything that could make them lose balance. A competent person must inspect ladders for defects, and nobody may stand on the top or top step of a stepladder.

Source: OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.1053