Falls from elevations are a persistent hazard found in all occupational settings. A fall can occur during the simple act of walking or climbing a ladder to change a light fixture, or as a result of a complex series of events affecting a worker 80 feet above the ground.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), scaffolding incidents result in more than 4,500 injuries and 60 deaths each year. Almost 30 percent of all workplace deaths from falls involve scaffolding or ladders.
When a stringent ladder and scaffolding safety program is adopted, implemented, and assessed in a timely manner, the number of claims and the cost associated with the injuries incurred during an incident can be easier to manage.
Federal regulations and industry consensus standards provide specific measures and performance-based recommendations for fall prevention and protection. However, persistent unsafe practices and poor safety culture across many industries result in steady fall injury rates year after year.
Photos illustrating some exposures that result from scaffold and ladder falls can be found on the Safety Focus: Falls From Scaffolds and Ladders page on the ALMA member resource website.
Falls from Scaffolds
Scaffolds are defined as temporary elevated platforms and their substructures that are used for supporting workers or materials or both. Scaffolds vary greatly in type, size, material, and function and are used in a multitude of work settings. Factors associated with falls from scaffolds include improper maintenance or erection/dismantling procedures, incorrect methods for mounting or dismounting, missing ladder gates or access openings, overloading, absence of guardrails, scaffold component failures, defective personal protective equipment (PPE), or absence or improper use of PPE.
Falls from Ladders
Although many ladder-related injuries result from misuse -- such as an improper extension ladder lean angle against a wall causing it to slip outward, the use of a damaged ladder, or failing to lock a step ladder’s spreaders -- many ladder incidents occur due to design or manufacturing defects. Many stepladders are excessively flexible, which can lead to falls due to a racking instability. Additionally, some extension ladders are equipped with poorly designed rung locks. Both of these defects can cause climbers to fall. Other defects can be introduced during manufacturing, such as material flaws or improperly seated rivets.
Fixed ladders can also be an issue. Metal ladders rust and deteriorate after being exposed to products and the elements. Workers may not see the deterioration and use the ladder. Once pressure is applied, the deteriorated ladder breaks away from its anchor points.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency that enforces safety and health regulations in the United States, has set forth requirements to protect workers from fall hazards in all industries. These requirements are set by requiring employers to develop and implement comprehensive fall protection programs including safe access to work at heights while using equipment generally used in the maritime industry such as ladders, scaffolds, or any other elevated platforms. The intent of this requirement is to eliminate falls from elevated surfaces. These requirements are mandatory and must be implemented anywhere fall hazards exist.
Specific OSHA rules for both shipyards and marine cargo handling facilities are listed on the Safety Focus: Falls From Scaffolds and Ladders page on the ALMA member resource website.
Successful reduction of fall injury and fatality rates requires continued concerted efforts of regulators and industry leaders, professional associations and labor unions, employers and employees, safety professionals, and researchers in enhancing the work environment, implementing new effective fall prevention and protection technologies, and improving the work safety culture through continuous education of the workforce.
In addition to helping you have greater control of safety outcomes, a ladder and scaffold safety program also reduces financial losses associated with fall injuries. Most importantly, being able to provide a safe work environment helps provide long-term stability to the most important assets of a business: its employees.
As part of our monthly Safety Focus initiative, the ALMA member resource website has a page providing safety resources related to falls from scaffolds and ladders. Resources include: