Werner, the synonymous brand of ladders and other climbing and fall protection equipment, announced introducing an entirely new visual safety system across its product line, including Werner step ladders, ‘Leansafe,’ extension and podium ladders. 

The new visual safety system, described in an August 31 news release, was recently recognized by Occupational Health & Safety magazine as a winner in the “High Visibility” products category and will be recognized in the November/December issue of the publication, the company said. 

The new design enhancements, rolling out now through 2024, provide simple on-product safety cues that Werner says will make it easier to choose the right ladder, use it correctly and communicate the importance of safety to everyone on the work site.

“We’ve been on a two-year journey that has culminated in introducing new iconography and a visual color scheme that has never been done in our industry,” said Michael Melton, vice president and general manager for Safe Access Climbing at WernerCo. 

“These significant changes are based on years of planning, including in-the-field, purchaser and end-user research, which have led us to develop this new, innovative system to help customers better understand ladder safety and application use,” Melton added.

Visual Colors and Easy-to-Understand Symbols

Werner plans on using specific colors and symbols to convey critical information about ladder application and use, continuously promoting safety on the worksite. 

The new initiative will include standardized rail and label colors for duty ratings, high visibility yellow on ladder tops and bottoms, and an iconographic product and safety labeling system for more uncomplicated, multi-lingual communication. The new visual safety system began rolling out in July 2023 and will continue through 2024. The four key pro-focused user enhancements will include:

Duty Rating Rail Color and High-Impact Labeling

Standardized colors for precise and consistent duty ratings and more prominent, visible duty rating labels make it easy for users, safety directors and procurement teams to choose and identify the right ladder onsite and at purchase. The new duty rating color and labeling has been added to step and extension ladders. 

High Visibility Yellow on Ladder Caps, Tops and Feet

Yellow, a primary color that symbolizes caution and visibility, is the brightest color in the spectrum and is widely used for safety. The high-visibility ladder tops will provide long-range and roofline visibility for pros working at height. In addition, high-visibility feet on step ladders draw peripheral vision to ladder feet to avoid kicks or trips. These visual cues signal safety across the jobsite.

Universally Understood Iconographic Product and Safety Labeling

New iconography provides simpler, multi-lingual communication needs. Specific iconography was developed to provide a visual-based system to communicate to users in any language. These visual icons needed to be easy to see and digest, even at a glance. This new labeling system also links to additional materials as needed using QR codes for multi-language video access and other content for real-time training. 

Enhanced Ladder Top Designs for Step Ladders 

New ladder tops on the 6200, 6300, and NXT series will provide unique tool storage solutions for fiberglass step ladders where professionals need it most. These ladder top enhancements include a patented holder for impact drivers, carabiner tether points to reduce dropped object injuries, lock-in connection receivers for a wide range of accessories, and tool inserts for various professionals’ most used tools. 

These new design and communication changes are critical to creating and ensuring safe working environments. Werner climbing products and platforms will begin to transition to support this new initiative, including hundreds of product models/SKUs. Werner said customer orders will not be disrupted during the transition period because this is a rolling change, and the model numbers remain the same. 

For more information, visit wernerco.com.