SAFETY

UNLEVEL GROUND

 

THE DANGER: LADDERS AND UNEVEN GROUND DON'T MIX

 

Few, if any, job sites are perfectly level. To save time, operators often improvise unapproved leveling methods like bricks, boards, or rocks that are unstable and unsafe. And any uneven ground can be very dangerous. On an ordinary 28-foot ladder, 1-inch out of level at the base puts you 19 inches off center at the top, putting the operator completely outside the footprint of the ladder. Even if he doesn’t over-reach (which he will probably do), it takes very little force to destabilize the ladder when you’re that far off center. This kind of situation often leads to the most catastrophic falls.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

Ratcheting outriggers on each side provide the Little Giant SumoStance extension ladder with a full 8” of vertical adjustment in 3/8 inch increments for use on sloping or uneven ground. Built-in bubble levels help operators keep the rungs level and the ladder at the proper lean angle. Patented SumoStance outriggers double the ladder’s base width, increasing side-tip UNLEVEL stability by over 600%.

 

 

TIE-OFF RULES

 

THE DANGER: COMPLYING WITH 3 POINTS OF CONTACT

 

Most industries now require ladder users to use fall protection while using a portable ladder or to work in a guardrail-enclosed platform or scaffold while working above ground. In many cases, operators find it difficult and even impossible to comply with these rules and avoid delays or dangerous dangerous improvised situations on the job.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The adjustable Safety Cage’s guardrail system and large, stable working area prevent over-reaching and allow operators to work in full compliance without fall protection. The Cage’s mobility and adjustability also make it quick and easy to move and adapt to each new task. The Cage is a much faster, more efficient, and cost-effective solution than a powered lift or scaffold system.

 

 

FACING YOUR WORK ON A STEPLADDER

 

THE DANGER: TWISTING AND STRADDLING ON A STEPLADDER

 

To get closer to their work, most operators turn the stepladder sideways to get close to their work surface. Although this gets you closer, it also makes you twist or straddle the ladder unsafely. This practice results in operators pushing the ladder away from the work surface, which will result in a serious fall.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The Little Giant Select Step® is one of several Little Giant safety products that allows the operator to use the ladder in the 90-degree position, which allows the operator to face the work surface with his feet on a solid rung and to apply force from a much FACING YOUR WORK more stable foundation.

 

 

 

OVER-REACHING ON A LADDER

 

THE DANGER: OVER-REACHING CAUSES THE WORST FALLS

 

It is human nature to over-reach rather than climb down and reset the ladder. Even a mild over-reach can easily shift the operator’s weight outside a ladder’s center of gravity. Once the operator is outside the center of gravity, it takes very little to destabilize the ladder. These kinds of falls, especially falls from extension ladders, are the leading cause of ladder-related fatalities.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The Little Giant SumoStance™ features leveling outriggers that double the base footprint of the ladder so the operator cannot feasibly reach outside the ladder’s base footprint. Load testing has shown that the SumoStance outriggers increase the ladder’s side-tip stability up to 600%, making it almost impossible to inadvertently tip this ladder.

 

 

HANDLING INJURIES CARRYING HEAVY EQUIPMENT

 

THE DANGER: STRAINS AND SPRAINS

 

Handling injuries to the neck, back, shoulders, and legs account for the majority of ladder-related incidents and commonly carry an average total cost of at least $75,000.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

Little Giant engineers its ladders to be the lightest industrial-grade ladders in the world. Little Giant’s Tip & Glide™ Wheels elimate the need to carry the ladder from place to place, reducing the incidence of handling injuries.

 

 

WRONG SIZE STEPLADDER

 

THE DANGER: USING THE WRONG SIZE STEPLADDER

 

Using the wrong size of ladder is one of the leading causes of ladder accidents. Operators will often reach a little too far or step a little too high rather than climb down and look for an appropriate ladder. Most operators will break OSHA and ANSI rules by standing on the top rung or top cap of a stepladder, which often puts them in an unstable, unsafe position.

 

THE SOLUTION

 

The Select Step™ offers multiple solutions in one, easy-to-adapt model, thereby eliminating the need for several types and sizes of ladders on the jobsite. Little Giant® removed the top rung, which was really only a sticker holder, and, thus prevented operators from accessing the top cap at all. Operators can quickly adjust the Select Step to the proper height. The Select Step is several stepladders in one, providing users with right size of ladder for every job in one lightweight, type IAA – 375 lb rated stepladder. The Select Step also provides a comfortable standing platform that offers heel-to-toe foot support at the top recommended step.