March is Ladder Safety Month

Springtime is almost here, and that means many Tacoma homeowners will be pulling their ladders out of the garage to clean the gutters, inspect the roof, and remove any debris that might have fallen during the winter storms.

The month of March has been designated as National Ladder Safety Month and now is a great time to review some basic ladder safety tips. At ACME Roofing, we adhere to a strict safety culture and would like to share some of the safety practices we perform to ensure that our roofers are safe at all times.

Here are a couple of safety tips that every Tacoma homeowner should review before stepping onto a ladder:

Inspect the Ladder

Before you set a single foot onto your ladder, you should visually inspect it for damage. Look for broken or rusted metal hinges. If the ladder is wooden, check to see if there is any wood rot present on or underneath the rails.

While aluminum ladders probably won’t rust, other metal parts such as hinges and screws can. If any metal part of your ladder is rusty, immediately discard it and buy a new one. Rusted metal parts could break and cause a catastrophic failure.

Set the ladder on the ground or up against the wall and give it a couple of shakes to see if it’s held together tightly. Look at each rung on the ladder and ensure that there isn’t any damage.

If the ladder has been stored outside for any period, you should be wary of it. In addition to rust-on-metal issues, UV rays from sunlight can damage wood and break down fiberglass. Damp weather can also cause wood to expand which will make it unsafe to use.

Additional Ladder Safety Tips

We have a few other ladder safety tips that are pretty self-explanatory:

  • Use the right size ladder for the job. If it’s too big, it could easily fall over. If in doubt, ask one of the experts at your local home improvement store.
  • Do not stand any higher than the 3rd rung from the top.
  • Don’t climb with any tools in hand. Have someone hand the tools up to you once you’re off the ladder.
  • Don’t wear flip-flops or slippery shoes with little tread left on the bottom.

Ideally, you should have someone present to help hold the ladder as you climb it. This will help stabilize the it if you begin to wobble or lose your balance.  They can also act as a proverbial safety net in case you happen to fall.

When climbing the ladder, keep both hands on each respective rail to help keep your balance. Make sure you ascend or descend rung by rung and don’t skip any — as that could cause you to lose your balance as well.

Roof Repair Experts in Tacoma

At ACME Roofing, safety is priority #1 for all of our employees. We also care about the safety of Tacoma residents and homeowners. The above simple safety tips can mean the difference between a successfully completed job and a trip to the emergency room.

We’ve been helping Tacoma homeowners repair and replace their roofs for well over ten years. If you think that you have tile/shingle damage, a water leak, or would like a quote on a new roof, give us a call at (253) 564-2292.