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A contractor employee fell from a ladder while climbing down it, landing on the ground and suffering a broken hip. The employee was hospitalized, and OSHA investigated the incident.
Ladder use and safety are seldom taken seriously enough. People assume that something as simple as a ladder does not require much training. However, the reality is that failing to properly train employees in the safe use of ladders is a serious problem. After all, falls from just a few feet can result in serious injury or death.
According to OSHA, 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019 (3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) ā€” on average, more than 100 a week or about 15 deaths every day. About 20% (1,061) of worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2019 were in construction ā€“ accounting for one in five worker deaths for the year. The average cost of a workplace fatality is $1,200,000 according to the National Safety Council.
For injuries, the statistics do not get much better. In 2019, the National Safety Council calculated the average cost of a workplace injury at $42,000. This represents an overall non-fatal injury cost to employers of around $171 billion. This number represents over 2,800,000 non-fatal workplace injuries.
Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in FY 2020
- Fall Protection, construction
- Hazard Communication Standard, general industry
- Respiratory Protection
- Scaffolding, general requirements, construction.
- Ladders, construction
- Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), general industry
- Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry
- Fall Protectionā€“Training Requirements
- Eye and Face Protection
- Machinery and Machine Guarding, general requirements
If your company has had a serious on-the-job injury or fatality, contact Propel Consulting for help in dealing with any OSHA investigations. More importantly, place a focus on preventing future reoccurrence by retaining us to assist you with your ladder safety policy development, and with safety inspections, risk management, and legal consulting.
