Ladders Last

07/06/2018

Worker safety is a serious topic that often falls between the cracks. While functional and lightweight, ladders are a leading cause of injury among construction workers due to their inherent instability, small work platform, and physically demanding requirements. Our goal is to reduce falls from ladders with a ladders last mentality, meaning ladders are the last elevated work option that should be considered on jobsites.

The bottom line? 100% of ladder falls are preventable. The Hy-Brid Lifts PA-1030 compact scissor lift aims to do just that.

"FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY"

- Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016

"EACH YEAR...MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE ARE TREATED AND 300 PEOPLE DIE FROM LADDER-RELATED INJURIES"

- CDC, National Center for Health Statistics

"THE ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST OF LADDER INJURIES IN THE U.S. IS $24 BILLION"

- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Ladders vs. Scissor Lifts: Safety

There's a number of reasons why push-around scissor lifts are safer than ladders, the first being physical exertion. Repeatedly climbing a ladder day in and day out while carrying tools and materials for the job at hand is exhausting. How long before a hand misses its grip? A foot to miss a rung? The chances are all too high. The PA-1030 push-around scissor lift reduces user fatigue by eliminating repetitive climbing up and down ladder rungs. Workers can elevate larger and heavier materials, and the tools to transform them, with this mobile elevating work platform. Unlike ladders, the PA-1030 work platform offers a built-in tilt sensor to alert operators of potentially dangerous situations. Auto-locking front casters prevent unwanted wheel and caster rotation, while a robust scissor stack and oversized pins reduce scissor sway, providing greater operator confidence in all elevated positions. Additionally, the PA-1030 scissor lift provides more platform workspace for tools and materials compared to ladders and reduce the chance of accidently knocking something off the work platform. After all, safety matters whether you're working at height or on the ground.

Ladders vs. Scissor Lifts: Productivity

There's no way around it. Ladders are a hassle to set up. Contractors can quickly push around and relocate the PA-1030 scissor lift without disassembling, then reassembling scaffolding or cage podium ladders. This ladder alternative even offers maintenance-free AGM batteries and an integrated hydraulic system, so the lift spend less time being repaired and more time being utilized. The PA-1030 push-around scissor lift platform is also outfitted for maximum worker productivity with an easy access parts tray and tool shelf.

A LARGER WORK AREA MEANS MORE WORK CAN BE DONE WITHOUT REPOSITIONING AND MORE TOOLS AND MATERIALS CAN BE BROUGHT UP, INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY.

	PA-1030	8 ft Step Ladder	8 ft Podium Ladder	12 ft Step Ladder	12 ft Podium Ladder
Working Height	16 ft	12 ft	12 ft	16 ft	16 ft
Length	51 in	54.75 in	55.8 in	79.38 in	80.56 in
Width	29.5 in	28.25 in	31.25 in	35.25 in	38.38 in

Enclosed Cage Podium Ladders vs. Push-Around Scissor Lifts

Ladder manufacturers responded to increasing safety concerns by adding ladder safety features like cages, podium steps, and outriggers. However, ladders are still fundamentally flawed for prolonged elevated work. Here's why:

Climbing up & down ladders increases fatigue
Small ladder work areas limit tools & materials that can be safely carried in one trip
Cage ladders take longer to break down & safely set up
Folded ladders are difficult to maneuver through narrow halls & tight entry angles
Cage ladders offer fixed safe working heights

Push-Around Scissor Lift Footprint vs Ladder Footprint