BAC Webinar Held to Raise Awareness of Ladder Safety

Each year in the US, more than 500,000 people are treated for, and about 300 people die from, ladder-related injuries. Unfortunately, many victims are tradespeople who thought they knew everything they needed to know about ladder safety.

In recognition of National Ladder Safety Month, on March 29, the International Union hosted a webinar to raise awareness about ladder safety among BAC members and signatory contractors. The presenters were both from the union and International Masonry Institute National Training Center.

BAC Executive Vice President Jeremiah Sullivan Jr. opened the webinar by introducing the two presenters — the IU Manager of Health and Safety Programs Liliana Calderon and IMTEF National Safety Director David Wysocki. “Information provided through this webinar is intended to serve as a reminder to be proactive and bring additional insight into keeping our members safe,” Sullivan said.

Calderon started the discussion with a list of the most common ladder accidents, including missing the last step when climbing down and overreaching. She then went over a few examples to show the importance of choosing the right ladder for the job.

Wysocki emphasized the importance of ladder safety training. “If you look at the most frequently cited federal OSHA ladder violations, most of them started with training. Employers must train all employees to recognize hazards related to ladders and instruct them how to use them,” Wysocki said.

Resources for ladder safety and checklists were provided including how to choose the right ladder, how to inspect a ladder prior to use, and how to set up the ladder for use. The recorded webinar is available at: https://bit.ly/3M4xitK.