ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. –
It's that time of year again, where everyone will be hanging up Holiday decorations, either indoors or outdoors.
Each year, more than 150,000 people visit emergency rooms because they were injured while using ladders.
Please read these Safety Tips for using Ladders.
· Use the right kind of ladder for your task, and make sure it complies with specifications of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and that it is listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Most homeowners need a stepladder and a straight ladder (usually an extension ladder).
· Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label attached to the ladder.
· Make sure your ladder is tall enough. For stepladders, obey the "Not a Step" markings on the top steps and the shelf.
· Check over your ladder before you trust it. Looks for damaged rungs, steps, hinges and braces. If damaged, repair it or replace it. Antiques are nice, but not when it comes to ladders.
· Make sure you can lock the spreaders on stepladders in place.
· Extension ladders should have "safety feet" that stabilize the ladder and keep it from slipping.
· Set your ladder on a solid surface and keep it level.
· Open stepladders fully.
· Straight, single or extension ladders should be set up at about a 75-degree angle. This means the base should be one foot away from the vertical surface for every four feet of height (to the point when the top of the ladder will rest).
· Never lean a ladder against an unstable surface, such as a tree limb.
· Always face the ladder when climbing. Carry tools in a tool belt or a bucket that you can raise and lower with a rope from the ladder.
· Make sure your shoes aren't slippery.
· You can put non-skid on the rungs of an aluminum ladder.
· Hold on with one hand while working on a ladder. Don't reach too far to the sides or behind you.
· Don't climb higher than the second step from the top on a stepladder.
· Don't stand on the three top rungs of a straight, single or extension ladder.
· Only one person should be on the ladder at a time.
· Tables, boxes, and chairs aren't ladders.
· Don't put ladders on barrels, boxes, concrete blocks or other unstable bases. The ground under the ladder should be level and firm. Large flat wooden boards braced under the ladder can level a ladder on uneven ground or soft ground. A good practice is to have a helper hold the bottom of the ladder.
· At last three feet of the ladder should extend over the roofline or working surface.
Be sure all locks on extension ladders are properly engaged.
· Do not place a ladder in front of a door that is not locked, blocked or guarded.
Keep your body centered between the rails of the ladder at all times. Do not lean too far to the side while working.
· Never leave a raised ladder unattended.