Version 2.1 of the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Ladder Safety Application, a mobile application developed by DSFederal, is now available on iOS 11, as well as Android. The Ladder Safety app, developed in collaboration with NIOSH, was designed to address the large number of home and work-related ladder accidents, which have accounted for thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths.
Working closely with customer stakeholders and subject matter experts, we developed NIOSH’s first-ever mobile application. By using smartphone technology, including the phone's internal gyroscope, the app measures ladder position, providing instant audio, visual, and vibration feedback that enables users to correct their ladder set-up and ensure ideal positioning. The app also offers an extensive knowledge base, with fingertip access to information derived from industry standards, government regulations, peer-reviewed journal publications, and NIOSH best practice documents. The app won the Federal Health IT Innovation Award in 2015, and downloads have exceeded 200,000.
The newest version of the Ladder Safety App was developed in response to Section 508 compliance issues that arose from the rollout of Apple’s iOS 11. Version 2.1 is 508-compliant, compatible with iOS and Android-powered devices, and free.
Because of the recent cold snap, many homeowners have delayed taking down holiday lights and decorations. By downloading the free, easy-to-use Ladder Safety App, they can do the job safely.