A simple, portable ladder
can be much more dangerous
than people think
By Stefan Dubowski
obert Green is lucky to be alive after he had
a terrible ladder accident in 2007.
Working in the maintenance department
of a large company, he was climbing a brand
new, eight-step portable ladder.
"I didn't even get half way up and the
ladder completely collapsed," Green recalls. "I came
crashing down."
The fall caused a serious right-shoulder injury that
restricted his movement substantially. Three of the ten-
dons had been torn from the bone.
Unable to work, he was placed on modifi ed duty until
his surgery, which involved transferring a muscle from his
back to his shoulder. After the operation, he could move
his shoulder more, but not as far as he used to.
His employer wasn't able to accommodate him, so,
at the age of 54, Green had to retrain for a new career.
Even so, Green considers himself lucky. Had he fallen
slightly differently, he would have broken his neck, doc-
tors told him.
Green's situation illustrates just how easy it is for
ladder accidents to happen, and the potentially disas-
trous results. But now that he runs Progressive Workplace
Safety — a St. Catharines, Ont., company offering health
and safety program evaluations, training and risk assess-
ments — Green has learned that ladder safety is a low
priority for too many organizations. It's as if managers
simply fail to see the risks, perhaps because people tend
to think ladders aren't especially dangerous.
"I often hear, 'I climb a ladder like this all the time at
home. What's the problem?'" Green says.
But there may be any number of problems, largely
stemming from the various assumptions people seem
to have about how to use these devices.
LIE #1:
There's no real need
to inspect a ladder before use
Few workers think twice before they step on a ladder,
