OSHA Ladder Requirements

The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set forth guidelines for ladder safety in order to protect workers who use ladders during the course of their professions. These guidelines ensure worker safety by setting parameters for the ladder’s various features, such as the weight the ladder can support, angles of self-supporting ladders, and other basic safety measures.

Load Support

• According to OSHA, foldout ladders and leaning portable ladders must have the strength to support four times the maximum the ladder can hold. There are two exceptions to this: extra-heavy-duty metal or plastic ladders only must be able to hold 3.3 times the maximum.

Angles and Rungs

• Leaning ladders, otherwise known as non-self-supporting ladders, must be supported by leaning against a wall or other stable structure. According to OSHA, in order to secure this type of ladder, about a quarter of the length of the ladder should equal the horizontal distance from the top support to the bottom of the ladder. With wood ladders, that angle should be 1/8 the length, according to OSHA.

  Ladder rungs, cleats, and steps have to be spaced “parallel, level, and uniformly” when someone is using the ladder. The rungs should be spaced 10 to 14 inches, according to OSHA. Rungs should also be skid-resistant, secured, and made so a worker’s foot will not slip off.

Other Guidelines

• Employers and employees should take precautions such as keeping ladders away from materials employees may slip on, such as oil and paint. OSHA also stipulates ladders should have locking devices and be kept in areas that are clear of other hazards. There should also be a platform separating more than one ladder at a scene, and ladders should never be connected to form a longer ladder, according to OSHA.