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General Industry Requirements for Fiberglass Ladders

Many jobs require the use of ladders. Aside from the traditional materials, wood and aluminum, fiberglass is also commonly used by manufacturers. Requirements exist for their specifications and for the way they are employed on the job.

  1. Identifying Regulators

    • While the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) offers standards for wood and metal ladders, it does not supply them for fiberglass models. However, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) does have regulations.

    ANSI Oversight

    • ANSI provides requirements for five essential features of fiberglass ladders. They are "electrical, corrosion resistance, outdoor weathering, structural integrity and thermal conditions." Additionally, ANSI requires certain methods of using the ladder and for testing it. Manufacturers must mark the ladder in such a way as to illustrate the design and construction is in compliance with regulation.

    Considerations

    • ANSI refers to fiberglass ladders as "reinforced plastic ladders." They must be constructed out of a thermosetting polyester resin compliant with commercial standards. Other regulations provided by ANSI depend on the size and length. Even if your fiberglass ladder is constructed out of the right materials, it will be subject to various other maximum height requirements and duty-ratings.

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