BLS describes jobs best suited to those who like climbing ladders, ropes, scaffold
Posted March 9, 2018
A recent article in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) The Economics Daily spotlights jobs that require climbing. The statistics show that in 2017, 18.7 percent of all jobs required workers to climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds. Almost all the jobs among municipal firefighters and electricians required climbing, and many jobs related to construction and telecommunications also required climbing.
Using data from the Occupational Requirements Survey, the BLS listed the percentages of jobs that required workers to climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds in 2017 as follows:
| Job | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Municipal firefighters | 99.6 |
| Electricians | 99.5 |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | 98.3 |
| Municipal firefighting and prevention supervisors | 96.9 |
| Construction carpenters | 96.9 |
| Carpenters | 96.6 |
| Painters, construction, and maintenance | 96.6 |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers (not including line installers) | 96.0 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | 93.1 |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | 91.0 |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | 89.3 |
| Plumbers | 88.1 |
| 1st-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 84.2 |
| Heating and air conditioning mechanics and installers | 84.1 |
| Construction and building inspectors | 81.6 |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the BLS reports on the percentage of jobs in 2017 that did not require workers to climb ladders, ropes, or scaffolds. Among the jobs that required the least climbing are nurses, human resources specialists, and computer programmers.
J. J. Keller's Ladder Safety for General Industry Training helps learners understand OSHA ladder safety requirements under the Walking-Working Surfaces rule.
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