Workplace Access Safety - The Safety & Numbers Blog, presented by IAS

What We Found: Ladder Safety & Top 10 2014 OSHA Violations

At the Safety & Numbers blog, we spend a lot of time writing about work safety, fall protection, industry news, small business safety policy, etc. etc. etc. The truth is though, we typically gather our information from the same place you do… the worldwide web. We just try to package it in digestable morsels and hit the high notes to keep you informed on the go.

So today I am happy to introduce a new blog post category for your enjoyment… ‘What We Found Today’ is intended to cut through the muck and get right down to the business of sharing information that is valuable to you. Without further ado, here is What We Found Today, October 30th, 2014, featuring ladder safety, OSHA News & ANSI guidelines.

New ALI Ladder Safety Website with Training & Interactive Quiz

Have you visited AmericanLadderInstitute.org lately? The site has a new design and content, with updated links to OSHA documents, ANSI A14 documentation, an Online Store, and — of great interest to this blog — a Ladder Safety Training website complete with a Safety Quiz. The Ladder Safety Training site provides training resources complete with Videos and interactive features such as posting the most recent Top Ladder Quiz scores. And it’s free to register!

2014 Top 10 OSHA Violations finds 2 of the Top 3 in Construction

OSHA recently published the Top 10 OSHA violations in fiscal year 2014. As expected, Fall Protection in Construction held it’s rein on the top position with 6,143 violations. The second highest violation category was Hazard Communication (which we touched on regarding the importance of hazard assessments earlier this month). Scaffolding in Construction came in 3rd with 4,029 violations.

To review the complete Top 10 List for OSHA Violations, visit Safety.BLR.com

ANSI Ratings Explained… for Ladders

We’ve mentioned in previous posts that IAS’s Trucker ladders are rated ANSI Special Duty Type IAA. That may mean a lot to you or that may mean very little, which is why we found this link explaining the ANSI rating system for ladders of particular value. Of course, IAS’s trucking work platforms are also ANSI rated for 3 man / 3,000 lbs. We haven’t found a helpful link for that so you’ll just have to contact us so we can let our technical experts explain.

With that we will leave you to enjoy the Halloween holiday and stay OSHA safe at work.

Fortune 500 Contractor Provides Testimonial for Trucker®

IAS produces access ladders for a wide variety of customers across the country. IAS products are safe, durable and convenient for applications ranging from contractor work safety to boat boarding at the lake. This versatility has earned raves from safety minded contractors and mobility challenged individuals alike.

Here are two examples of testimonials for work safety and optimal accessibility.

Fortune 500 Trucker Ladder Testimonial

Trucker® ladders are designed for simple and safe access to any truck trailer. This safety manager at a Fortune 500 construction contractor and long time IAS customer has great things to say about Trucker® trailer access ladders.

I have utilized your products on jobs I have worked on for the past 4 years, once we started using your Trucker and Drop Deck ladders we realized the great benefits and quality the IAS products provided. Since using your products our yard bosses and operators have asked for them by name.

Any time I show up on a new job, your ladders are one of my first purchases. Our truck loading and unloading procedures now call for your ladders specifically, they are in such high demand they have to be assigned to crews and locked in the storage box at the end of each shift. I couldn’t ask for a better product as far as safety, quality and ease of use.

Thanks for a great product,

Patrick from Georgia

Very Impressed Tooner Ladder Customer

The Tooner I Ladder is designed for safe and convenient access to pontoon boats. This customer was especially grateful for the accessibility and safety of the stairway ladder design with a rope available to assist with ascending up and out of the water.

I hope that you had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Just so you know, we are very impressed with the ladder and it’s quality. I had a skydiving accident 5 years ago, and injured my spinal cord. I have limited mobility, and this ladder now allows me to go into the water and enjoy the lake with everyone else. Seems like a small thing, but it’s HUGE to me.

Again, Thank you

Craig from Florida

Comparing Flatbed Access Platforms for Fall Protection

Safety & Numbers blog sponsor Innovative Access Solutions, LLC produces portable flatbed truck access platforms for fall protection safety. The IAS platform is a new and innovative approach compared to other available flatbed fall protection options. With this in mind we are happy to help promote and review the advantages of a lightweight, portable platform as compared to bulky traditional wheeled systems.

Advantages of a Portable Flatbed Access Platform

As mentioned above, the IAS flatbed access platform is an innovative approach to fall protection for loading/unloading, tarping, and maneuvering around flatbed trailers. The platform is composed of lightweight aluminum and equipped with CNC billet mounting hooks, making it ideal for fall protection at offsite locations, on stationary trailers, and where space is limited or time is of the essence. The IAS flatbed access platform is ANSI rated to 3 man / 3,000 lbs making it versatile and durable. IAS platforms also provide a safety rail that is easily removable for convenient stow away and mobility. The IAS flatbed access platform is standard at lengths of 4′ and 8′ and can be customized to meet specialized requirements.

Compared to Traditional Flatbed Platform Systems

The majority of available flatbed access platform systems are wheeled or rolling platforms. These systems are ideal in certain applications. Truck fleets with high shipping volume, available space at their facility, and a sizable work force will appreciate the traditional wheeled flatbed access platform system. These systems typically provide space for a truck trailer to pull in between two parallel platforms which sandwich together on each side of the trailer deck. Traditional systems are generally expensive and less flexible.

Choosing the Best Fall Protection Option

When deciding on the best fall protection flatbed access platform for your company’s needs, we recommend considering available capital/workforce, the importance of mobility, and whether a bulky wheeled system will suit your needs. The IAS flatbed access platform is mobile and portable, preventing the need to have a system consuming space at each site. Being lightweight and modular, it is also easier to mount at any location and with fewer available workers. And the IAS flatbed access platform is ideal for specialized applications such as stationary flatbed trailers, contractor truck fleets, and industries including construction, mining and energy.

Choose the 4′ Work Platform with Safety Rail or 8′ Work Platform with Safety Rail

Whichever flatbed access platform you choose, always remember the importance of fall protection risk management even at limited heights. Investing in basic fall protection safety equipment such as a flatbed trailer work platform will ultimately save money and hardship in the long run when compared to workers comp claims, lost worker time, and indirect work injury costs.

Celebrating 15 Years of The Trucker® (…and Still Trucking!)

In 2014 Innovative Access Solutions (IAS®) is excited to celebrate 15 years of The Trucker® Series, made possible by a focus on safety and customer relationships. We would like to thank our loyal customer base for helping us achieve the goal of making The Trucker® an established and respected name in fall protection safety, and we invite you to contact the IAS® sales team to learn more.

The Trucker® Series through the Years

September 1999 — The Trucker I 6900 flatbed trailer ladder introduced

2004: The original Cast Aluminum mounting hooks changed to CNC Billet Aluminum, an ‘unbreakable’ hook that added durability and improved safety to The Trucker I

2007: Roll Tarp Trucker was introduced, designed to provide access to Tarp Trailers

2007-2009: With the brand strengthened as a result of the ‘unbreakable’ mounting hooks and having developed several strong relationships with large established businesses, Trucker® began to take off. Drop Deck Trucker was introduced and the four step ECO Trucker was developed and ANSI rated @ 375 lbs.

2010: The 4 Step Trucker ladder was created for access to crane trucks and taller trailers

2011: As The Trucker® grew, Storage and Mounting Options were developed

Ladder Storage Racks were developed in Upright and Shelf variations
The Utility Trucker was introduced as a mounted ladder option that pivots up 180⁰
A Steel Mounting Bracket was developed for mounting ladders without pockets

2011-2012: Mobile Flatbed Work Platforms with Safety Rails were engineered as a custom product request and became a standard product in use at several Construction, Transportation, and Manufacturing companies

October 2011: The 4’ Platform designed and ANSI rated at 3-Man (3000 lb.)
August 2012: 8’ Work Platform designed and ANSI rated at 3-Man (3000 lb.)

2013: All Trucker Series ladders were ANSI rated at 375 lbs. Type IAA Special Duty, the highest available Extra Heavy Duty rating for specialty ladders

2014: This year The Trucker® Series was granted an official trademark, new products are in development, and we are looking forward to 15 more years and beyond!

Today The Trucker® Series of ladders, storage racks and work platforms is capable of equipping most any truck fleet or stationary truck with fall protection equipment that is convenient, versatile and durable. This growth is in large part a result of relationships with customers that were willing to share their workplace access safety goals.

Celebrate with the 15 Years of Trucker® Promotion

Part of the power of customer relationships comes from a willingness to share the wealth and spread the word. With that in mind, we are offering a 15% Discount off a single Trucker® Ladder or Storage Rack. Simply apply the following Coupon Code prior to September 30, 2014 to join our celebration and save.

Apply COUPON CODE: 15YEARS at The Trucker® Online Store

Fall Prevention Through Design: A Case Study from ASSE

Putting safety first applies not only in day to day operations, but also in the planning stages of new projects, investments and expansions. In 2012 ANSI/ASSE created a consensus standard to promote this mentality. Prevention Through Design as a concept in work safety began in the 1940’s and today has gained enough momentum and regulatory support to provide several models that prove its effectiveness. A recent article at ASSE.org charts the effectiveness of engineering safety controls in the design process while considering the defeatability of safety hazard risk.

The most effective controls include elimination, substitution and engineering solutions, each ideally suited to be planned in the design phase of new projects. Doing so will provide safety, productivity, and cost benefits. In fact, the cost of implementing fall prevention through design can be thousands of times less expensive than the same solution integrated post completion. Compromised solutions are often less effective, leaving hazard risks and associated costs.

Fall Prevention Design Case Study

The ASSE article provides a case study from a petrochemical organization building a new offshore platform. The company had experienced the challenges of implementing fall prevention after the design stage and instead chose to hire a fall protection consultant early on to assist the engineering design team. The combined expertise resulted in fall prevention safety measures that focused on productivity and risk abatement. The process consisted of the following steps.

Kickoff Meeting with Design team
Virtual Fall Hazard Risk Assessment
Design Team Workshops
Specification Binder for Hazard Abatements
Follow-Through During Construction Process

The benefits of foreseeing and engineering fall prevention through design are long term: safety advantages, productivity gains, and ultimately lower costs. The case study resulted in hazard risk controls addressing elevated platforms, floor openings, ladders, and stair guardrails, helping to prevent the need for PPE and optimize processes, equipment placement and usage. Indirect long term benefits included ‘less equipment purchases, less training and fewer elements to manage.’

Innovative Access Fall Prevention Design

Contacting a consultant while engineering an offshore platform was effective for the company from the ASSE case study. The consultant costs were compared favorably to erecting scaffolding, the cost of which would have been required to address just one of the safety risks post-completion. Innovative Access Solutions is available to contribute similarly during the design or redesign stages at your organization. IAS has worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as SMB businesses to design solutions that provide long term cost and productivity benefits and accomplish your safety goals. IAS designs ladders, platforms and fall prevention equipment and has provided solutions for a range of industries. For a brief review of our access solutions, visit us at IAScustom.com. Or call (800) 388-6884 to schedule an appointment with our team.

OSHA Alliance and Fixed Ladders or Stairways for Fall Prevention

The OSHA Alliance Program is a cooperative effort to leverage resources related to safety initiatives, communication, and training. OSHA Alliance includes ‘unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses, and educational institutions’ that promote work safety and support OSHA’s strategic goals. Alliance members must be committed to working closely with OSHA and establishing teams or individual workers to facilitate the cause, while maintaining and growing knowledge and a safe work environment. In addition to internal safety benefits, Alliance members are able to maintain progressive dialogue with OSHA and other champions of work safety. To learn more, contact your OSHA Regional Office.

OSHA Ladder Fall Prevention Campaign

One of OSHA’s ongoing strategic goals is to mitigate risks and increase knowledge regarding falls from ladders. Fall incidents are the leading cause of deaths in construction and present a wide range of potential work hazards. Considering the variability of material, application, and objective for ladders and stairs, it is not surprising that OSHA produces a significant amount of standards and guidelines for fall protection safety. In addition to OSHA’s ongoing Ladder Fall Prevention Campaign, requirements and resources that support this cause are provided by specialized organizations such as ANSI and MSHA (Mining Ladder Safety).

OSHA Alliance Solution: Fixed Ladders or Stairways

The OSHA Alliance Program has produced a summary solution document as a resource for preventing falls from ladders in construction work environments. This Construction Safety Design Solution recommends specifying fixed ladders or stairways early on to eliminate the hazards and risks associated with portable ladders and to ensure proper ladder or stairway specifications for access to upper levels. The document also provides links to applicable OSHA regulations and ANSI standards for detailed information. Visit OSHA Alliance member Prevention through Design for more work safety resources.

Custom Fixed Ladder or Stairway Design

Innovative Access Solutions has been producing fixed ladders and stairways for construction, manufacturing, maritime, energy, and other industries for many years.

Information about how IAS can help support your work safety initiatives is available at IAScustom.com, or click the above images to browse our custom design gallery.