Product involved: Aluminum Ladder
What happened: At a rock climbing gym, a person was using an aluminum stepladder to change routes on the wall. The worker changed some holds, and proceeded to work on holds that were located to his right, approximately two to three feet away. He had to lean far to the right to access these holds. At some point his center of gravity passed outside of the stability triangle of the ladder, and the ladder leaned to the left due to this as well as the padded floor surface, causing him to begin to fall. As he fell, his weight, motion, and reaction caused the ladder to tip to the left. He fell on top of the ladder, causing some deformation.
Injuries: none due to padded floor
Recommendations: Try to stay as close to the ladder's center as possible, preferably within the ladder rails per manufacturer recommendations. A firm surface will also help prevent the ladder from tipping.
OSHA/Standard violations?: no
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