Safety regulations: way overdone, in my book

I am essentially a bleeding-heart liberal. But at times, I consider myself a libertarian, especially where regulations are concerned. Of course, many regulations are valuable, such as those regulating financial institutions. But many go overboard. Take ladders. I went to the OSHA site for ladder regulations and counted more than 80. Some made me laugh out loud as I visualized the ladder users disobeying instructions. For example: “Ladders shall not be moved, shifted, or extended while occupied; When ascending or descending a ladder, the user shall face the ladder.”

As a result, ladders are littered with safety messages. Have you ever read those?  Who does? I am saving you the trouble by giving you a summary of what’s on our ladder:

• On the last step: "Danger. Do not stand at or above this level. You can lose your balance."
• On the right side: “Failure to read and follow instructions on this ladder may result in injuries or death; and, “Caution: Keep body centered between side rails. Do not over-reach. Set all four feet on firm level surface. Wear slip resistant shoes.” [Question: What four-footed creatures use ladders?]
• On the inside and outside of the rails are 21 instructions for proper setup and use—too numerous to mention, but here are two: “Use extreme caution getting on and off ladder;” and, “Never walk, bounce, or move ladder while on it.”
• On the back: “Do not climb back section.”
• On the drop-down shelf; “Not a step.”

I say, just leave me alone and let me take my chances and live dangerously like this guy.

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