Ladder-related serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) have decreased by 21% over the past five years, according to the latest Ladder Safety Training and Citations Survey from the American Ladder Institute (ALI).
The survey, conducted by ALI’s Education and Outreach Committee this past spring, gathered insights from 350 ladder safety training managers and professionals. The 35-question survey included questions about the frequency and types of ladder citations, training availability, and preferred methods of ladder safety education.
The results show that 18% of respondents reported ladder-related incidents in the past two years, a figure which is unchanged from the last survey. Respondents also commented on the types of incidents that had occurred in the past two years. The leading causes of these incidents include incorrect ladder setup (33%) and using the wrong ladder for the job (30%).
Where Companies Stand
Ladder safety violations continue to rank among OSHA’s most frequently cited workplace hazards. However, compliance has steadily improved:
- 87% of respondents are aware that misuse of ladders ranks among OSHA’s top ten most cited violations, an 8% increase since 2018.
- 70% of organizations reported zero ladder-related OSHA citations in the past 12 months, an improvement of 2% since 2020.
- Despite this progress, 63% of respondents believe human error is still the primary cause of ladder-related citations, up from 61% in 2020.
These trends suggest that while many workplaces are making strides in compliance, worker behavior and decision-making still play a critical role in reducing accidents and citations.
Training Makes a Difference
One of the strongest findings in the 2024 survey is the clear link between training and workplace safety. Nearly all organizations (98%) continue to provide some form of ladder safety training. This number has remained high across multiple surveys. However, the way companies approach training is shifting:
- 35% of companies now pay for safety training, up from 28% in 2020.
- 64% require workers to complete annual ladder safety training refreshers, compared to 62% in 2020 and 58% in 2018.
- In-person training and online courses remain the most popular formats for ladder safety training.
The American Ladder Institute (ALI) emphasizes the importance of continued training, stating in a press release, “ALI believes that continuous safety training is the best way to empower workers to make the right decisions when using ladders.”
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