Ladder Accidents, Citations Show Decline

Courtesy American Ladder Institute

 

Ladders Injuries Decline, Bringing Citations Down

  • Ladder-related accidents and incidents are on the decline, with a 21% decrease from 2020 to 2024, according to the American Ladder Institute.
  • The group’s recently published 2024 Ladder Safety Training and Citations Survey found that when they did occur, the most-common ladder-related incidents involved the ladder being set up incorrectly, followed by using the wrong ladder for the job.
  • Almost a third of the 350 survey respondents indicated they haven’t received any ladder-related OSHA citations/violations from OSHA in the past 12 months. Those citing zero citations have increased by 2% since 2020, according to the report.
    READ REPORT

 

Tourist Rail Operator Told to Rehire Worker Fired Over Safety Concerns

  • Pennsylvania tourist railroad operator Strasburg Rail Road Co. has been ordered to reinstate and compensate a former employee who OSHA said it wrongfully terminated for raising safety concerns.
  • An OSHA probe found that the company fired the worker after they refused to issue locomotive and conductor licenses to a management member who lacked the necessary qualifications. 
  • OSHA said the dismissal violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act’s protections for employees who report safety or regulatory concerns.
  • The reinstated worker will receive $161,114 in back wages and interest, $10,000 in compensatory damages and $50,000 in punitive damages. 
  • Strasburg Rail Road is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the U.S., operating five steam locomotives for tours through Lancaster County’s Amish Country.
    READ MORE

 

Massachusetts, NSC Team on Distracted Driving Course for Public Sector Workers

  • Ahead of national Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, the National Safety Council and the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards are offering a free, three-part webinar series to educate and equip public sector professionals on reducing the risks of distracted driving. 
  • The series, to be held on Feb. 12, March 12 and April 9, 2025, offers focused, technical training.
  • Participants will take part in a webinar series built around NSC driver and fleet online certification courses, led by a NSC instructor.
  • “Through this series, we’re not only addressing the behavioral side of the issue but reinforcing a Safe System Approach — an inclusive framework that considers all factors to reduce and eventually eliminate crashes altogether,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy at NSC.
    READ MORE