If you work in the construction sector, your 2-foot step ladder is one of your more useful tools. After all, when you need to reach slightly above your head, you do not want to mess with a taller step ladder or extension ladder. You also can easily transport your short step ladder and place it in tight spaces.
Falls are the second-leading cause of all unintentional-injury fatalities in the U.S. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, falls killed more than 42,000 individuals in 2020 alone. Many of these falls were not from any height at all, while others were from only a foot or two. Accordingly, your short step ladder may not be quite as safe as you think it is.
No hand grips
Ladder-safety professionals recommend keeping three points of body contact with in-use ladders at all times. Because your short step ladder has no place for your hands, you only ever can have two points of body contact with it. This fact, of course, makes you less stable when working on your short step ladder.
No storage area
The taller step ladders you use probably have a pull- or foldout shelf where you can put your tools and other items. That is not the case with your 2-foot stool, unfortunately. Simply put, if you try to use the top of your short ladder to temporarily hold objects, you are at risk of slipping or stumbling and falling.
Even though your short step ladder seems harmless, a fall from it could change your life forever. Ultimately, by pursuing valuable workers’ compensation benefits, you have the means you need both to support yourself and to obtain necessary medical care.