When putting up holiday decorations, always use the proper step stool or ladder to reach high places. Don’t stand on chairs, desks or other furniture.
If you have to use a step ladder near a doorway, lock or barricade the door and post signs so no one will open it and knock you off the ladder.
A straight or extension ladder should be placed one foot away from the surface it rests against for every four feet of ladder height.
When you climb, always face the ladder and grip the rungs to climb – not the side rails. Always keep three points of contact on the ladder whether two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand.
When climbing, keep your hips between the side rails and do not lean too far or overreach. Reposition the ladder closer to the work instead.
Use ladders with slip-resistant feet and wear clean, dry and slip-resistant shoes when climbing a ladder.
When using ladders outdoors, get down immediately if high winds, rain, snow or other inclement weather begins.
Winds can blow you off the ladder and rain or snow can make both the rungs and the ground slippery.
| The above is an excerpt from the article, “Holiday Safety Tips.” For more information, please visit www.nsc.org. |
