Introduction

Do you know how to keep your ladder from sliding off the roof?

Everyone from professional contractors to DIY homeowners must keep ladder and roof safety top of mind to avoid dangerous injuries and death. This is the case whether you’re cleaning gutters, putting up or removing holiday lights, repairing a roof or conducting a home inspection.

What’s more, optimizing safety while using a ladder to work on a roof is crucial for avoiding hikes in insurance costs.

Improper ladder use can result in the ladder sliding, becoming imbalanced or tipping over. You are vulnerable to falling from a great height, which can result in injuries such as a broken limb or neck. Proper ladder use is critical for preventing accidents and ensuring safety at home and on job sites.

Key components of ladder safety and roof safety awareness include full understanding of ladder safety tips. Business owners in particular need to integrate ladder safety best practices into their routine maintenance and construction work.

Common Causes of Ladder Accidents and How to Avoid Them

Here are some of the most common causes of ladder accidents on roofs:

• Failing to maintain three-point contact, such as two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot as you ascend or descend a ladder
• Carrying items such as tools or a can of paint in your hands while trying to climb the ladder
• Climbing onto the top step of the ladder, which is counter to best practices and manufacturers’ usage guidelines
• Rushing the job to the point where you are acting without caution using a ladder
• Placing a ladder on unstable footing or soft ground, which makes it unstable
• Tying one ladder to another to extend their reach
• Exceeding the ladder’s weight capacity, as specified by the manufacturer
• Using a ladder that is damaged, such as broken or missing rungs

Following best practices and safety protocols can help you avoid ladder slippage and falls.

How to Mitigate the Risks of Ladder Use on Roofs

Proper training and awareness can reduce the risk of ladder accidents by ensuring workers and DIY homeowners know how to correctly position a ladder and climb on it.

It’s best to undergo ladder safety training and become certified in ladder usage to reduce accidents. You should inspect and maintain your ladder regularly to verify it is undamaged and suitable for work.

To prevent ladder accidents on roofs, you should know how to maintain three points of contact, so you always have a firm grip with your feet or hands as you climb. Before work commences, you must place the ladder on a stable surface. You might need to use levelers or bumpers as you secure the ladder to keep it from shifting position or wobbling. Accordingly, when setting up your ladder for work, make sure to use a ladder stabilizer and safety equipment.

It's prudent to check the weather forecast, as you don’t want to climb a ladder during heavy rain or windstorms. If conditions don’t seem safe for using a ladder by yourself, you’ll want to have another person monitor your progress and help you keep the ladder stable.

Using Ladder Stabilizers and Safety Equipment

Best practices for securing a ladder on a roof
It’s important for employees and DIY homeowners to choose the right ladder for a specific task to maintain a safe working environment. For example, your ladder should be tall enough to reach the roof without you needing to step on the top rung.

You cannot resort to combining two short ladders to “make” a long ladder. Instead, when additional height is needed, select an extension ladder that enables you to safely adjust its length. When in doubt, consult the manufacturer’s documentation to ensure the ladder in question is suitable for your project.

For added safety, you will want to use a ladder stabilizer. People attach ladder stabilizers to the bottom or top of the ladder to add an extra measure of support, helping prevent the ladder from wobbling or tipping over. Some stabilizers come with adjustable arms, which is crucial for improving stability when placing a ladder on an uneven surface.

There are many different types of ladder-stabilizing devices on the market today. An ideal choice when working with extension ladders is the Ladder Latch Pro. DIY homeowners as well as construction workers, inspectors and other professionals find the Ladder Latch Pro to be their best option because it’s portable and convenient to use at an affordable price. Keep in mind that the Ladder Latch Pro is designed only for use with extension ladders.

How can a ladder be securely fastened to prevent sliding?

The Ladder Latch Pro (with a patent-pending design) connects your ladder to the edge of the roof using four points of contact. Weighing just 1.5 pounds, it’s suitable for employees to carry on the job site and for homeowners who need additional stability for their ladder.

The Ladder Latch Pro’s steel wedge slides between the gutter and the house, while a one-way hook keeps the ladder locked in place. In addition, there is a padded gripper bar that helps keep the ladder in position. To prevent lateral movement while working on the ladder, a stability strap provides a fourth point of contact for maximum security.

Proper ladder positioning techniques
Ladder positioning techniques have a major impact on your safety. You need to place the ladder on a stable surface at the correct angle.

• Position the ladder so the base is one foot away from the building’s wall for every four feet of ladder height.
• Use levelers or stabilizers to keep the ladder from moving, when placing it on uneven ground.
• For best results, use the Ladder Latch Pro to ensure the ladder remains safely in place.

Safety equipment
Safety equipment gives you additional protection against ladder accidents. For example, you can employ ladder safety rails for enhanced stability, supporting transitions to and from the ladder and keeping you safer when descending.

Soft-touch bumpers not only keep the ladder from marring the building’s surface, but also they give additional stability and enhanced gripping ability as they contact walls and other structures.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) also plays a role in enhancing ladder safety. This includes always wearing non-slip shoes or boots and a helmet. Harnesses also help keep you safer during roof work.

Safety Equipment Checklist

Here’s a handy safety equipment checklist to consult before working at heights on roofs. Don’t start a job until you have the requisite equipment ready to go:

• Non-slip footwear
• Gloves
• Helmet
• Harness

Inspection Checklist for Ladder Safety

Using a checklist helps ensure that you remember to follow every protocol for maintaining safety when using a ladder. As a homeowner, review the checklist before starting any job requiring a ladder to access the roof.

To promote employee safety, it’s a good idea to introduce your ladder inspection checklist to new workers during the onboarding process and whenever anyone requires a refresher course in following best practices.

Before using a ladder yourself or allowing an employee to climb a ladder on a job site, you should conduct a thorough inspection. Here are the key elements to check during a ladder safety inspection:

• Check if the ladder is missing any parts or if items are loose, such as rivets, screws and bolts.
• Examine the ladder for dents, deformities and cracks on the feet, rails and rungs.
• If you notice any loose rungs or steps, repair them before authorizing the ladder for use.
• See if there is any grease, oil or other slippery substances on the ladder’s rungs or steps. Thoroughly clean the ladder to avoid a dangerous fall.
• Inspect the ladder for signs of corrosion or rust, as this can weaken its structural integrity. If damage makes the ladder unsuitable for repairs, you’ll need to use a substitute ladder that passes all items on your safety checklist.
• Inspect the shoes and feet of the ladder so they provide sufficient grip.
• Verify that the ladder stands securely on the ground and will not move around.
• Verify that you have a good ladder stabilizer system to prevent the ladder from wobbling or tipping.
• Check that each hinge and lock works properly and remains secure.
• Employ a ladder of sufficient height to reach the roof (remember that you should not tie two ladders together to make a longer ladder).

Conducting routine inspections is critical in identifying potential hazards. Following best practices to maintain ladders in safe working conditions should be a high priority for anyone who climbs ladders at work or at home.

As a rule of thumb, you should inspect ladders each time before using them. Regular ladder inspections are crucial for safety because otherwise, you might be entrusting your safety to a ladder whose steps or rungs are about to collapse. Also, the ladder could wobble, slip or tip over, resulting in a painful, debilitating injury or death.

Staying Safe While Using a Ladders on Roofs

Ladders are crucial pieces of equipment that people routinely use to access rooftops, but you do not want to become complacent when working high above the ground on a ladder.

With more than 500,000 ladder-related injuries occurring each year, about 10 percent result in the person’s hospitalization. Unfortunately, 300 ladder-related injuries are fatal every year. These sobering statistics highlight the need for anyone who uses a ladder to be trained in proper ladder usage and safety, for improved ladder safety fall protection.

This includes inspecting your ladder before each use, following a safety checklist. It’s also prudent to use a ladder stabilizer and other safety gear as the situation warrants. Once you’ve verified the ladder is in good shape, always maintain three points of contact (such as two feet and one hand or one foot and two hands) as you climb up and down the ladder. Of course, you should never hold tools or other items in your hands while using a ladder.

Remember that it’s never a good idea to step on the top rung of a ladder. Instead, select a ladder with sufficient height to allow you to reach the roof during a job.

For the sake of your own safety at home while working on DIY projects or for employees at work, it’s of paramount importance to follow best practices for ladder use on roofs.

To that end, many people have come to rely on Ladder Latch Pro’s solution, which was a 2024 People’s Choice Award Winner for Safety & Fall Protection at The Innovative Product Showcase and Awards Program, powered by the International Roofing Expo.

The Ladder Latch Pro connects your ladder to the edge of the roof using four points of contact. It’s designed to lock your ladder in place, assisted by a gripper bar against the gutter, and using a stability strap to prevent lateral movements. You won’t need to be concerned about damaging the gutter because the Ladder Latch Pro has a padded gripper bar.

While the Ladder Latch Pro certainly enhances safety, you still must follow best practices when climbing and descending your ladder.