Our jobs often include working on ladders. Fumigators spend many hours sealing buildings prior to releasing poisonous fumigants in a grain bin or seed warehouse. A ladder isn’t always the best way to work up high. Ask yourself these questions first:

1. Will I have to hold heavy equipment or other items while standing on the ladder?
2. Will I have to use a longer, more unstable ladder to reach the area?
3. Am I going to have to work from the ladder for a long period of time?
4. Will I have to lean away from the ladder to reach the spot that needs attention?

If you answer “yes”, consider using something other than a ladder to work at the site. A lift ladder, a boom lift, a scissor lift, or a ladder with a working platform would be a safer choice.

• Don’t use a ladder if it is bent, greasy, missing a step, or if the spreader bars do not have a locking mechanism.
• Don’t use a free-standing ladder, like a stepladder, in its closed position.
• Don’t use a stepladder on uneven ground, on ice, or on top of boxes or other objects.
• Don’t carry tools or any-thing in your hands when climbing a ladder. Wear a tool belt or hoist items in a bucket after you reach the top.
• Face the ladder when climbing.
• Maintain 3 points of contact with a ladder at all times. That means two hands and one foot when climbing.
• Don’t lean away from a ladder when working or reaching. Keep your weight centered between the side rails.

(fumigationzone.com)