According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of all slip and falls from ladders occur at the top of the ladder, resulting in 24,000 injuries and over 100 deaths each year in private industry.  Slip resistant ladders could help lower this number.  Generally non-slip ladder rungs must be installed into new ladder construction.  What do you do if you have existing slippery ladders and you don’t want to completely replace the entire ladder?  Non-slip ladder rung covers are available.  They can be applied to existing slippery ladder rungs creating a safe climbing surface. 

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Based on an article by members of the Alliance Program Construction Roundtable, through the OSHA Alliance Program, fall fatalities in the construction industry are more prevalent than they should be.  Out of a total of 433 fatal falls for 2006, 68 were from ladders.  These falls could be the result of ladder rungs without a slip resistant coating.  Portable and fixed ladders are a necessity to the construction industry, making slips and falls a possibility on a daily basis.

The following statistics make it apparent why slip and fall prevention on ladders is crucial.  When falling from a ladder, by the time you react, your body will be four feet below where you fell.  A realistic reaction time for a human is one second. In one second, under the force of gravity, a body will fall 16 feet. Using a reaction time of .5 seconds, on the higher side, your body center will travel four feet downward.

Non slip metal ladder rungs and covers are a permanent sturdy solution to slips and falls.  Slip resistant ladder rungs can be easily incorporated into building and designing new ladders, and are also designed to be easily retrofitted over existing dangerous ladder rungs.  Non slip ladder rungs and covers are a small cost in comparison to the costs of an injury or even worse, a fatality. Architects can help eliminate fatalities by specifying slip resistant ladder rungs to be incorporated into new projects to ensure the safety of pedestrians and workers. Construction site managers are also responsible for equipping personal portable ladders used to complete jobs with slip resistance, and keeping employees safe.

Alliance Program Construction Roundtable. “Prevention of Fall Fatalities and Injuries in Construction”