5 Simple Steps to Save Lives During Ladder Safety Month
March is Ladder Safety Month, an annual public awareness campaign presented by the American Ladder Institute (ALI) and sponsored by NAHB. It’s the perfect time to review your safety policies and procedures for using one of the most common — but dangerous — pieces of equipment on a jobsite.
ALI estimates 81% of construction-related fall injuries treated in emergency rooms involve a ladder. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 500,000 people are treated and about 300 people die from ladder-related injuries each year.
Ladders also present a financial risk to home builders as ladder-related violations are among the most-cited transgressions flagged by OSHA. There were more than 2,500 written OSHA violation citations related to ladders in 2024 alone.
ALI is focusing its 2026 campaign on the seemingly small, but crucial, steps needed to prevent falls and drops:
- Choosing the Right Ladder
- Check Before You Climb
- Set It Up Safely
- Climb Safely, Work Safely
- Safe Steps with Stepstools
By sweating the small stuff every time, workers can keep themselves safe when using ladders. ALI has step-by-step guides for ladder safety covering these steps and more.
NAHB also offers resources for ladder safety and fall prevention, in addition to the video below.
Every time a ladder is used on a jobsite, a risk is taken. It's up to home builders to mitigate that risk as much as possible by urging workers to focus on the small things before, during and after using a ladder.
