Insider asked Formetco safety director Jim Poage, to talk about about the hazards associated with using a ladder when working on an out of home advertising structure.

Tell us about some hazards that concern you when people work on billboard structures.

Falls are a major issue, electrical hazards are one, and another is the proper use of portable ladders.

What is a preventable hazard associated with using portable ladders?

One is securing the portable ladder when accessing fixed ladders or decks.  A shifting ladder can cause a fall, or a ladder that falls to the ground can strand a worker on a deck, leaving them forced to call for help, or take a dangerous approach to getting down from the location.

What can be done to prevent this hazard?

In the past, the Gannett Variance spelled out a requirement to tie off a ladder at the top using a three-foot length of rope.  Other, OSHA standards call out portable ladders as requiring to be secured when climbing.  Most of these methods required climbing to the top of the ladder, then securing the ladder, which exposed employees to a hazardous condition when securing the ladder for a climb.  That’s why the Formetco Ladder Stabilizer is a unique solution to this problem.  It can be installed on a deck or other secure surface, and in a designated location, which prevents confusion on where the best place to set up the ladder would be.  When the ladder rung is set into the metal channel, it sets the ladder at the proper angle for the climb.  Once the worker has reached the channel that is holding the ladder in place, a security pin can be locked over the rung to prevent the ladder from falling out of the metal support channel.  All you have to do is reverse the process when descending the ladder.

Does Formetco have additional information on this product.

Yes, it does.  Contact me or any of the Formetco sales staff for more information.

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