Several warehouse workers have suffered serious injuries when the mobile ladder stands they were on collapsed under them. Workers falling from these stands often land on a concrete surface, so even a short fall can be dangerous. Some of the reasons for these ladder failures were bent frames, damaged casters, metal corrosion, overly worn parts, cracked welds, or inadequate makeshift repairs.

Safe work practices:

• Do a visual safety check of each stand before you use it, and pull it out of service if you find any defects or damage.
• Ensure that all mobile ladder stands are maintained in safe operating condition.
• Ensure that each mobile ladder stand is fitted with a label that displays information on maximum load rating, proper ladder use, and maintenance instructions.
• Ensure that each mobile ladder stand complies with the minimum requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard A14.7-1991, Safety Requirements for Mobile Ladder Stands and Mobile Stand Platforms.