Ladder hazards certainly arrived with the first prehistoric ladder constructed from a dead tree trunk leading up to a cave dwelling. While portable ladders have changed since then, gravity has not, so making sure workers are trained to use them properly is crucial. All it takes to prove it is a brief look at the statistics.
A recent National Safety Council (NSC) study cited some 300 ladder-related deaths and more than 130,000 non-fatal accidents every year. According to the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights (CPWR), as many as 92 percent of all falls each year from sloped roofs launch from the eaves, where ladder access ways are commonly established. As with most construction site incidents, a key root cause of many ladder-access accidents involves the transfer of loads to and from the rooftop. The act and conditions of an employee stepping onto or off a ladder at height should be one of the roofing contractor’s most serious safety concerns.