Work Injuries Involving Ladders

Whether you work in the construction industry in Maryland, in retail store stocking, warehousing, painting, maintenance, roofing, chimney cleaning and installation, landscaping, or another service profession that requires job tasks to be performed above ground level, you likely spend a significant amount of time using ladders. While many workers use ladders on a routine basis without ever sustaining an injury, ladders remain a leading cause of nonfatal and fatal work injuries in a variety of occupations and industries. Many ladders are portable, and some are fixed. Some have handrails and some do not. Regardless of the type of ladder, a worker can suffer a severe fall-related injury that can necessitate a workers’ compensation claim.

What should you know about ladders and work injuries in Maryland? Consider the following information from our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers.

Understanding Ladder Injury Risks on the Job 

Doing any kind of work on ladders is dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 22,000 workers are injured every year while using ladders, and ladders result in more than 100 workplace fatalities annually. The professions that have the highest rate of ladder injuries are construction, maintenance, repair, and other small businesses in service work.

What causes so many ladder injuries at work? The CDC cites the following as the most common causes of falls from ladders that result in both fatal and nonfatal injuries on the job:

• Extension ladder set up at an incorrect angle (these ladders are supposed to have an angle of about 75 degrees, and setting them up at other angles can result in the ladder slipping, or the worker falling from the ladder);
• Inappropriate type of ladder used for the job task (as we noted above, there are many different types of ladders available, and it is critical to use the right ladder for the job);
• Damage or structural problem with a ladder that was never identified because the ladder was not properly inspected;
• Ladder used improperly by the worker (such as overreaching, going over the weight limit, standing on a rung that is not designed for standing, using excessive force, or carrying items up and down the ladder); and
• Lack of ladder safety tools and ladder training (employers must provide appropriate ladder safety training to ensure that workers properly use ladders in a safe manner).

Common Injuries Caused by Ladders on Job Sites 

The most common types of injuries result from falls from ladders, although as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emphasizes, workers can also be injured when tools or objects fall from a ladder and strike them (struck-by injuries). These types of accidents — falls and struck-by incidents — common result in the following types of harm:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
• Broken bones;
• Sprains and strains;
• Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and paralysis;
• Back and neck injuries;
• Contusions; and
• Lacerations.

Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney 

Were you injured in a ladder accident at work? You may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. One of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can speak with you today and can begin assisting you with your workers’ compensation claim.

Sources:

cdc.gov/niosh/falls/ladder/index.html

osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.1053