Make Safety a Top Rung Priority During Ladder Safety Month
The sixth annual Ladder Safety Month, presented by the American Ladder Institute (ALI), begins today, March 1. As spring building season kicks off and the world returns to normal, home builders should refresh their training on ladder safety.
Ladder accidents account for a huge percentage of home building jobsite injuries and OSHA citations. An estimated 81% of construction site fall injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involve a ladder. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 500,000 people are treated and about 300 people die from ladder-related injuries each year. The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries in the United States is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses.
Safety training on the proper use of ladders should be a top priority for home builders. Everyone on a jobsite knows the appropriate way to use a ladder, but with tight deadlines and now social distancing concerns, many don’t take the time to put safety first.
Training and Resources
ALI has a wide selection of ladder safety resources for use at home and on the jobsite, including a webinar series presented last year during Ladder Safety Month. NAHB also has numerous free materials for members to use in safety training programs for both onboarding and refreshers.
Watch the ladder safety video below and visit the ladder safety page on nahb.org for the video and other materials in Spanish and English. And be on the lookout for more ladder safety resources forthcoming in March. Ladder safety is a critical area for home builders to get right.
Let’s do all we can to promote the proper use of ladders on the jobsite.
For questions about NAHB safety resources, please contact Rob Matuga.
Latest from NAHBNow
Remodeling
Nov 02, 2026
Are ADUs Popular Among Today's Remodelers?
According to NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index, nearly a quarter of remodelers started an ADU project over the past twelve months; 24% indicated that they were building an addition for use as an ADU and 23% indicated that they were converting an existing space into an ADU.
IBS
Oct 30, 2026
From Mr. Wonderful to Counting Crows, IBS 2027 Brings Out the Stars
The NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) always features leading experts and luminaries from the housing and real estate industry. The sheer size of the event also attracts talent from other walks of life.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Nov 02, 2026
Private Residential Construction Slips as Remodeling Weakens
Private residential construction spending decreased in September 2026 driven by a steep decline in improvement (remodeling) spending. According to the latest construction spending data from the U.S. Census Bureau, private residential construction spending came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $848.8 billion in September, down 5.5% from the revised August estimates and lower by 8.9% from last year.
Economics
Nov 02, 2026
Interior Finishes: The Most Time-Consuming Stage of Single-family Construction
Interior finishes (drywall, interior doors, painting, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc.) take more time to complete—6.4 weeks, on average—than any other major stage of single-family construction, according to results from the latest NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey.
Economics
Oct 30, 2026
Student Housing Construction Rises in the Third Quarter
Private fixed investment in student dormitories rose 2.6% in the third quarter of 2026, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $3.8 billion. This gain marked a second consecutive quarterly increase, despite continued pressures from elevated interest rates. On a year-over-year basis, investments in dorms increased 1.1%.