Two construction workers die per day in the US (average based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics), and falls on construction sites are the leading cause of death, accounting for 35% of deaths among private industry construction workers¹.

So it’s important that safely positioning an extension ladder just got easier, with the help of a free, interactive application (app) for mobile phone devices². The app’s visual and audio signals help workers set a safe ladder angle, not too steep (making it more likely to fall back or slide away during use) or too shallow (the bottom can slide out). Plus it supplies information on ladder selection, inspection, accessorizing, and safe use.

The mobile phone app is one of the resources that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) are offering to jump-start the national prevention campaign they launched a little over a year ago³. The campaign emphasizes 3 main ways to prevent falls:

• PLANNING the safe approach to a job involving working at heights
• having the RIGHT EQUIPMENT
• TRAINING workers on safe use of the equipment

And the agencies are bringing other 21st century media into play—Facebook, Twitter, a blog⁴—to get the greatest number of contractors and workers involved in local efforts⁵.

¹CDC – Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction
² Ladder Safety app
³ NIOSH, OSHA and CPWR Announce Re-launch of the National Campaign to Prevent Falls
⁴CPWR – Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction
⁵ Building a Local “Safety Pays, Falls Cost” Campaign