Fall injuries are still the leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths in the workplace, and around 43 percent of all falls between 2001 and 2011 involved the use of a ladder. Falling from a ladder can contribute to a serious number of injuries and result in any thing from minor scrapes to broken bones to head trauma.
How do these falls happen? Sometimes they’re a result of faulty equipment. For example, if a ladder has broken rungs or has become rusted, it has the potential to shatter or break apart, leading to a fall. Or, perhaps you did not place the ladder against the wall at the right angle, so it slipped out from under you. User error can be a cause of accidents.
Another possibility is that you did not have the right kind of protective equipment for the work you were doing. For instance, if you are working on scaffolding, it’s important to wear fall protection. This includes harnesses and other protective items that prevent you from falling to the ground even if you fall from the scaffolding itself. Failing to use the correct protective equipment can and does lead to serious injuries and deaths in the workplace.
Another reason some people are hurt in the workplace is because they don’t use the correct ladder or lift equipment for the job. Understanding the tools needed for a job, the types of ladders and scaffolding available and when your work requires which piece of equipment is key to safety. Your employer should properly train each employee on this information.
If you are hurt on the job, workers’ compensation covers your injuries in most cases. It covers lost wages in some cases and provides you with the compensation needed to get the medical care you need.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Occupational Ladder Fall Injuries — United States, 2011,” accessed March 17, 2017