HANDLING OF FIBERGLASS EXTENSION LADDERS IN THE WORK OF TELEPHONE TECHNICIANS

Abstract The purpose of this study was to obtain detailed information on the current ladder handling methods of telephone technicians. Forty-two experienced telephone technicians handled their fiberglass extension ladder on seven sites that were judged representative of actual work conditions by a joint employer–union committee. Each technician was asked to unload his ladder from the truck he uses in his daily work, to carry the ladder to the installation site, to raise it, and then to perform the reverse maneuver back to the truck. The technicians were asked to use the usual work methods. After completion of the handling activities, each technician was interviewed about various aspects of the maneuver he had just completed and on the usual work methods. In total, 49 runs were completed and videotaped. An equal number of interviews were conducted on the sites. In one of the runs, a technician caught his ladder in an overhead obstacle. The observations in this study lead to several results of practical importance. First, the ladder itself represents a risk factor for overexertion injury which cannot be eliminated form the technician's work in the short term but can be reduced through safer work methods. Second, the method currently used by telephone technicians to carry a ladder has many drawbacks which make it hazardous in the presence of several environmental conditions. Third, the method taught to and used by telephone technicians to verify the inclination of the ladder, the so-called Fireman's method, appears to be a risk factor for sliding-at-the-base accidents. Relevance to industry Handling of a ladder in varied and adverse environmental conditions is typical in the work of telephone technicians. A better knowledge and understanding of the work methods used and of the conditions in which the handling tasks are performed is an important step towards reducing the related injuries and improving safety of the handling maneuvers. The results of this study apply to users of fiberglass extension ladders, that is, construction workers, electricians, various power utility workers, and cable television installers as well.