Stairways
Safe Work Practices
- Handrails should be used when employees are going up and down the stairs.
- All stairways need to be maintained in clean, dry and good condition.
- Running up and down the stairs should not be permitted.
- When on stairs, employees should not be distracted by phones, or other electronic devices.
- All points of access need to be kept clear
- Stairways having four or more risers must have at least one handrail and a stair rail system along each unprotected side or edge.
Ladders
Safe Work Practices
- Ladders are to be used only for the purposes for which they were designed.
- Ladders should be Inspected before initial use in each work shift, and more frequently as necessary, to identify any visible defects that could cause employee injury.
- Any ladder with structural or other defects should be removed from service and immediately tagged "Dangerous: Do Not Use" or with similar language until repair has been made.
- Employees should face the ladder as they move up or down with at least one hand grasping the ladder.
- Ladders are not to be loaded beyond the maximum intended load.
- Ladders are to be used only on stable and level surfaces unless they are secured or stabilized to prevent accidental displacement.
- No ladder should be moved, shifted, or extended while an employee is on it.
- Ladders that are placed in locations such as passageways, doorways, or driveways where they can be displaced by other activities or traffic should be guarded or otherwise protected.
- When on ladders, employees should be alert to their surroundings and not distracted by electronic devices.
Always maintain three points of contact when ascending and descending a ladder.