Slips, trips and falls rank only behind motor vehicles as the leading cause of industrial deaths in North America. Many of these fatalities involve stairways. Here's an example from the oil and gas industry: Several years ago, a storage tank was taken out of service for repair work, which was to include the tank's stairs. The method employed was to work from the ground to the top, removing every second step and the vertical supports so access to the tank could be maintained while the stairs were repaired. The supports were in a condition that required modifying the job method so two steps […]