5 Steps to Reach Zero Falls From a Ladder at Work

It took a routine lightbulb change to spark a lightbulb moment.

For several years, Oshkosh Corporation and its brands had been working towards eliminating falls from a ladder at work in its proactive pursuit of the highest level of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

The company had made positive progress in improving workplace safety through implementation of its robust Safety Management System.

But then, a preventable injury from a ladder fall last year led Oshkosh to say “no more.”

“That's where we just drew a line in the sand and said we are going to try to prevent this from ever happening again,” says Adam Croskey, safety director for global manufacturing at JLG Industries, an Oshkosh Corporation company. 

Ladder falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only that, but their use increases ergonomic stress on the body and can impede job site productivity.