Ladders and Stairs – Leading Cause of Construction Injuries and Deaths

Construction work is dangerous to start with but when you add in the other elements of a job site, things can get particularly dangerous. Two of the most common causes of accidents on a construction work site are ladders and stairways. OSHA estimates that 24,882 injuries and fatalities reported each year caused by these two basic elements of a construction site.

Risks of Ladders

Human Errors

One of the reasons ladders have proved to be such a problem for workers is actually due to human decision. Using the wrong ladder for a job is one of the reasons workers fall or have the ladder collapse. There may also be many accidents caused by failure of workers to keep the ladder steady for those who are making the climb.

Defective Equipment

Another reason ladders pose a risk to workers is unless they are visually inspected before each and every use, ladders can have defects that cause them to malfunction resulting in a collapse or breakage.

Dirty Equipment

Workers can get all kinds of construction debris on their boots and transfer that material to the rungs of a ladder. This can lead to a worker slipping and falling from the ladder rungs.

Beyond Capacity

Ladders are supposed to come with warning labels describing the maximum weight limit a ladder can hold. Disregard for this limitations can lead to the collapse or caving of the ladder, causing workers to fall to the ground.

Electric Shock

Metal ladders placed too close to electrical lines can lead to the injury or death of workers should the metal connect with the wires and cause electrocution.

Risks of Stairways

Wet Areas/Debris

Again, construction sites tend to have a lot of loose debris lying around. When present on stairways, workers can slip and fall down the stairs. This is especially true if the stairs are bare with no safety treads installed and if construction materials are stored in and around stairways.

Lack of Handrail

Safety guidelines state that stairs having four or more risers that are more than 30 inches must be accompanied by one handrail. Lack of railing systems can lead to the slip and subsequent fall of workers using the stairs.

Faulty Stairs

Stairs may not be able to withstand the constant footfalls of construction workers and materials. Workers should be conducting safety checks to ensure there are no loose boards, exposed nails, or weak areas of the stairs.

Construction accidents can turn deadly. If you have been hurt on the job in a construction accident, you need to protect your rights for workers compensation. Contact our office by calling toll free 877-288-9191 to schedule an appointment. You can also use our online contact form for more information.

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