There are plenty of ladder safety products that companies can use to beef up safety and security in the workplace. If your projects require ladders, you need to ensure the safe use of that tool. Falls from ladders are one of the major causes of death and injury in job sites, especially for roofing companies. That’s why investing in ladder safety products is a must. One of the tools you’ll need is ladder safety gates. Here’s a guide to highlight the essential details that you need to know about them.
OSHA standards state the need to guard ladder ways, scaffoldings, stairways, and other possible openings. Ladder safety gates fulfill the OSHA requirements. By putting these self-closing gates at points where the ladder breaks, companies prevent falls and help employees keep to a safe distance from the edge.
In many workplaces, teams use chains and bars as well as sliding link tubes to access a roof by using a ladder or roof hatch. But misuse of these solutions is rampant, and those abuses lead to fatal outcomes, especially when users forget to check for damage or replace a component. That creates a gap that leads to a fall hazard. It’s a serious problem. Ladder safety gates, though, resolve the issue by filling in the gap. The gates automatically close behind the user, so it offers protection and keeps the user from falling over the edge. Partnering the safety gates with a fixed guardrail also improves the level of safety for workers even more. With a ladder safety gate, workers can perform their tasks and have worry-free safe access to the roof.
There are industrial variants of self-closing safety gates. They provide an excellent replacement for chains that you commonly see on railing systems at ground level. The gates provide adequate protection for the platforms, mezzanine floors, and even machine stairways. And because of the self-closing feature, they prevent unauthorized access into restricted areas of the job site or workplace.
Because these self-closing gates prevent fall accidents, they’re ideal for use in inspections and maintenance rounds. If your staff performs these tasks routinely, then installing these tools is a must. You’ll improve overall safety and security of your team. You’ll also prevent unauthorized entry that could lead to fatal accidents, compensation costs, and other on-site problems.
