16d • 🔎 Case Studies
"It's Just a Ladder!" - Two Case Studies Part One
Today I decided to mix it up a little and give two examples of why being aware of OSHA Ladder standards isn't a choice.
Case Study 1️⃣: On a Tuesday morning in July, a contractor, let's call him Mike, arrived at a residential job to clean exterior windows on a two-story house. He set up his 21-foot aluminum extension ladder and started working his way around the building.
Sometime mid-morning, the ladder became unstable. Mike fell backwards from approximately 20 feet. He landed on concrete. Hard.
A coworker found him face-up on the ground, still clutching the ladder rungs in both hands. Unfortunately, he died from his injuries that day.
🔎What the Investigation Found
When investigators arrived, they discovered several critical failures:
❗The ladder wasn't long enough. To safely access the second-story windows, the ladder should have extended at least 3 feet above the roof line or landing point. This ladder didn't. This is OSHA's #1 cited ladder violation—1926.1053(b)(1).
❗The ladder wasn't secured. Extension ladders used for roof or elevated access must be tied off at the top and stabilized at the base to prevent displacement. This ladder was freestanding.
❗The ladder was set up at too steep an angle. Extension ladders should be positioned at a 4:1 ratio—for every 4 feet of height, the base should be 1 foot from the wall. Investigators determined this ladder was over-extended and placed at an unstable angle.
❗Mike's footwear had no tread. His work shoes were worn smooth, which likely contributed to losing footing on the ladder rungs.
❗There was no written hazard analysis. The company had no documented safety procedures for ladder work, no pre-job risk assessment, and no fall protection plan.
The Hidden Risk: Working Alone
Here's what made this tragedy even worse: The contractor was working alone.
Had there been a second person on-site, they could have:
- Stabilized the ladder from the bottom
- Noticed the improper setup angle before anyone climbed
- Called for help immediately when he fell instead of finding Mike lying undiscovered
Working alone with ladders is legal in most situations—but it's a massive risk multiplier.
What This Cost:
Mike's family lost a husband, father, and income provider. His business ceased operations immediately. His clients were left mid-project. And because Mike was an independent contractor without proper insurance structure, his family faced financial hardship on top of grief.
From a pure claims perspective, the average fatal ladder fall costs $1.19 million in workers' compensation alone—not counting legal fees, business interruption, or pain and suffering damages.
But here's the part that haunts me: This was 100% preventable.
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"It's Just a Ladder!" - Two Case Studies Part One
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