Working at height and ladder safety poster

Falls from height cause some of the most serious injuries at work, and a short fall from a ladder or a low platform can be enough. This poster sets out the US general industry rules and ladder practice in large type: fall protection where someone could fall 4 feet or more, guardrails before harnesses, a ladder base one foot out for every four feet up, side rails 3 feet above the landing, three points of contact, and never standing on the top step. Other countries set different trigger heights, so check your local rule.

Download the poster

The PNG is free to download now. The print-ready vector PDFs open after a short form, once.

Download PNG (300 dpi)2550 x 3300 px, prints at 8.5 x 11 in · 454 KB · no form

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The words on the poster

Working at height

A short fall from a low height can still kill. Plan every job.

Protect from 4 ft up 1.2 m and up: guardrails, covers or a harness.
Guardrails first Prevent a fall before you plan to arrest one.
Check the ladder each shift Damaged? Tag it out of use.
Set it at 1 in 4 Base 1 ft out for every 4 ft up.
3 ft above the landing Side rails 3 ft (0.9 m) past the top.
3 points of contact Two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand.
Face it, hands free Carry tools in a belt or lift them up after.
Not the top step Never stand on the top step or cap of a stepladder.

Harness? Trained users, a rated anchor and a rescue plan.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28 and 1910.23, OSHA Portable Ladder Safety QuickCard. US general industry rules.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the Working at height and ladder safety poster to work

1
Post it where ladders are stored and at mezzanines, platforms and racking.
2
Use it in a toolbox talk before shutdown or maintenance work at height.
3
Check every ladder against it once a shift before use, and tag damaged ladders out of service.
4
Pair it with the permit to work poster for non-routine work at height.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.

Sources and notes

The 4 foot trigger is the US general industry rule (construction work uses 6 feet). Other countries set it differently: Great Britain's Work at Height Regulations 2005 have no minimum height and require falls to be avoided or prevented wherever they could cause injury, and many Canadian provinces use 3 metres. Check the rule where you work before you print.