March is National Ladder Safety Month

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Each year more than 100 people die in ladder-related accidents and thousands more suffer debilitating injuries.

This is the third year that the American Ladder Institute (ALI) is participating in National Ladder Safety Month which runs February 24 – March 31, 2019. The movement is dedicated to the promotion of ladder safety both at home and at work.

ALI believes that ladder accidents are preventable through better safety planning, training and continuous innovation in product design. According to their website, the goals of National Ladder Safety Month are to:

• Increase the number of ladder safety training certificates issued by ALI
• Increase the frequency that ladder safety training modules are viewed on www.laddersafetytraining.org
• Lower the rankings of ladder-related safety citations on OSHA’s yearly “Top 10 Citations List”
• Decrease number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities
• Increase the number of in-person ladder trainings
• Increase the number of companies and individuals that inspect and properly dispose of old, damaged or obsolete ladders

To achieve these goals ALI has developed FREE training resources on their website www.laddersafetytraining.org. The site is a tool for the proper selection, care and safe use of all ladders, including stepladders, single and extension ladders, articulated ladders, and mobile ladders. It’s easy to use – simply register (Free), choose your ladder type, watch the training videos and take a test to see what you have learned.  The ‘Ladder Safety Leaders’ section on the website allows you to compare your scores with those of others around the country while you earn your Ladder Safety Certificate.

ALI has also designed a section especially for Trainers and Training Managers. Free tools are available for signing up your organization’s trainees. To access these tools, simply check the Trainer Toolbox when signing up.

With the weather systems that have been pummeling us for the last few months, this could be an excellent activity for your crews to participate in on bad weather day.

Learn more about National Ladder Safety Month.