ASHLAND UNIVERSITY

LADDER SAFETY

JANUARY, 2006

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specify safety codes and standards that must be met by ladder manufacturers.

The Code of Federal Regulations 29, Part 1910, section 25 and 26 prescribes rules and establishes the minimum requirements for the construction, care and use of wood ladders and portable metal ladders, in order to ensure safety under normal use conditions.

To get maximum serviceability, safety, and to eliminate unnecessary damage of equipment, good safety practices in the use and care of ladder equipment must be employed by the users.

The following rules and regulations are essential to the life of the equipment and the safety of the user:

• Ladders must be maintained in good usable condition at all times.
• Thoroughly inspect ladders prior to each use. Discard unsafe ladders.
• Use the correct length ladder for the job. Do not place ladders on unstable bases to obtain additional height.
• Non-conductive ladders shall be used whenever there is a potential for contact with electricity.
• A ladder shall extend at least 3 feet above the point of support, at eave, gutter, or roof line.
• Stepladders must include a metal spreader or locking device of sufficient size and strength to securely hold the front and back sections in the open position and the bottoms of the four rails are to be supplied with insulating nonslip material for the safety of the user.
• If a ladder is involved in any of the following, immediate inspection is necessary:
  1. if a ladder tips over, inspect the ladder for side rail dents or bends, or excessive dented rungs; check all rung-to-side-rail connections; check hardware connections, check rivets for shear.
      
  2. if ladders are exposed to grease or oil, equipment should be cleaned of oil, grease, or slippery materials.

Fixed ladders

For rules pertaining to fixed ladders, such as; ladder design, design stresses, clearances, ladders with cages or baskets, hatch covers, landing platforms, ladder safety devices, grab bars, etc., see The Code of Federal Regulations 1910.27, Fixed Ladders.