For rental property maintenance ladder safety training should include four employees: one on the ladder and two to three on the ground.
By Paul Bergeron
Considering that approximately 200 people each year die on a ladder and nearly 2,000 are injured while on them each day, a focus on safety training becomes critical for construction teams, according to Little Giant Ladder Company.
This was a focus at the HappyCo Summit in May in Austin, which was attended by 180 maintenance technicians.
There are multiple e-learning and online training opportunities available for ladder safety, according to Paul Rhodes, founder of Directional Maintenance Services.
“But is there a focus on any application beyond ‘checking a box,’ completed as part of an insurance company’s application? I would say, ‘No.’”
Rhodes said that for a short period, he worked in a community that removed all ladders taller than 6 feet so they could get a better insurance rate. This is an example of a common problem, he said.
“This wasn’t a big deal overall, except when working in apartments with floor plans that had raised ceilings,” he said.
For that service, the company called a vendor.
Per OSHA regulations, organizations are mandated to train their employees who utilize ladders in their daily job roles and responsibilities every year,” according to Kyle Slamans, Little Giant, Industrial Source. His firm offers online training.
Maintenance Team’s Work Is ‘Limited’
Management makes decisions to limit the work an on-site team can do for good reasons, Rhodes said.
“The challenge for the team is to complete the remaining tasks without incurring additional costs, because the additional spending on a contractor was not considered in the original decision,” said, citing that onsite teams are then incentivized to create a workaround, so they stay within budget.
This can mean they use a less safe or improper method to complete the required work.
For maintenance team members, it’s rare for an extension ladder to be thoughtfully deployed, Rhodes said. Ladder use should include four employees: one on the ladder and two to three on the ground. Fall protection on the ground is also necessary.
Rhodes said that techs frequently stand on the top two steps of a stepladder to avoid going back to the shop to fetch a taller ladder if one’s available.
“A ladder is an item that isn’t considered until needed, then it’s used and put away,” Rhodes said.
Check Ladder’s Grade
Most maintenance technicians have not checked the ladder’s grade to determine whether it will hold their weight or undergone a thorough safety inspection, said Rhodes, who added that a ladder rated 1AA is required. A 1AA ladder grade has an extra-heavy-duty industrial rating, supporting a total capacity of 375 pounds, including the user, clothing, and tools.
Little Giant ladders use a versatile, flexible design with safety in mind. The product includes features such as ground cues to ensure its users know when to step off their ladders.
About the author:
Paul Bergeron is a freelance writer focusing on the rental housing industry.
