F ixed ladders are often the only means of access to roofs, pits, silos, all types of towers, platforms, chimneys, tanks, ship masts and other limited-access areas where the installation of stairs is not feasible. Fixed ladders are sometimes intended to be used for access to and also work from the ladder but this is only acceptable if provided with a guardrailed work platform alongside and swing gate to step through with proper fall protection for hands free work. The use of work positioning harness equipment in such locations is not recommended because the purpose of the ladder design is only for access in the current standards. 2. This data sheet discusses the hazards of ladders permanently attached to structures and the procedures and devices necessary to protect from these hazards. For design requirements, refer to American National Standard A14.3-2002, Safety Requirements for Fixed Ladders and to appropriate indus- try, Federal (EM 385-1-1), state and local regulations. 3. A fixed ladder can consist of individual rungs, each separately attached to a side rail, which are attached to the structure in a permanent way such as by welding or bolt- ing. Structures include buildings, towers of all kinds, tanks and other equipment upon which the ladders are located, such as chimneys and pits. Another type of ladder has rungs or cleats secured inside side rails of metal round tubing, square tubing or other shapes or fiberglass or wood. They are attached to the structure by brackets, in full length or sections, or by fastening devices from the side rails to the structure. 4. Climbing protection devices, also known as ladder safety systems, when installed and designed for use with fixed ladders, are intended to prevent the ladder user from falling more than 18 inches. Cages are intended to provide a feeling of securi- ty while climbing and there is no reliance on the ability to arrest a fall. Hazards 5. The major hazard in the use of fixed lad- ders is falling with the result of likely severe injury or death. OSHA/BLS has Fixed ladders and climbing protection devices 1 Figure 1. This climber is using a full body harness with frontal D-ring and snaphook connection to the climbing sleeve on a flexible cable-type carrier. (Photo courtesy of Miller Fall Protection, Sperian Fall Protection, Inc.)
National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 recorded 26 fall deaths from fixed ladders during an 11-year period. Fall hazards are either design or training related. Design- related hazards are: Non-uniform spacing of rungs attached by methods other than drilling each side rail and welding the rung on each side; rungs other than round; fail- ure to provide horizontal grab bars for extension side rails (including roof hatches) and failure to provide 7 inches of toe space behind rungs. Training-related hazards are: Carrying objects such as papers, tools and equipment; holding side rails; leaning too far to the side of the ladder and failure to use three-point contact which optimizes lower risk factors. 6. Other hazards include: a. Scratch and puncture wounds from burrs on the ladder, corrosion, poor splices or foreign materials that are not a part of the ladder b. Incorrect climbing procedures, such as sliding the rails or failure to use installed fall protection systems 7. The fall hazard can be offset by installa- tion and proper use of available climbing protection devices (Figure 1). 8. Other hazards can be minimized by properly documented maintenance, proper training of personnel and by review of prop- er design prior to installation of fixed lad- ders (Figure 2). Selection of personnel 9. Some individuals experience a feeling of instability or panic when climbing ladders and can become disoriented. Others become frightened and suddenly aware of the fall hazard and freeze on the ladder. In such instances, the climber must be talked down, assisted and sometimes forcibly removed from the ladder. Persons with such tendencies should be disqualified as potential fixed ladder users unless their fears can be overcome by training. The higher the ladder, the higher the risk. 10. Potential ladder users must be physi- cally capable of the exertion required. They should be medically certified to be free from a history of heart disease, vertigo, seizures, fainting spells or other physical impairments that might make climbing par- ticularly dangerous. Climb deliberately and without haste. 2 Figure 2. Three-point contact must always be used when climbing ladders, using two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand to maintain prudent contact with the ladder at all times. (Illustration courtesy of Construction Safety Association of Ontario.) Note: Ten feet is the trigger height for fall protection on sup- ported scaffolds. National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 Never run up or down a ladder and never slide down a ladder. Never jump from a ladder. Check footing before alighting from a ladder. Wear shoes with heels and keep footwear clean. See Training section to meet 1926.1060. Design and installation 11. The design of fixed ladder systems must be under the supervision of a quali- fied, registered structural engineer or archi- tect skilled in safe design of fixed ladders. 12. Anyone responsible for the design, construction and installation of fixed ladders must be familiar with the provisions of the American National Standard A14.3-2002, Safety, Requirements for Fixed Ladders: In addition, review the applicable regulations promulgated in the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as well as Federal Administration, (EM385-1-1 (11/03) Corps of Engineers App. J), state or provincial and local regulations. 13. The minimum open width for a rung length, 16 inches, is required in Standard A14.3-2002 and is of particular importance for ladders equipped with acceptable climbing protection devices to allow foot space. Rungs must be 3 4 inch or 1 inch in diameter depending on likelihood for corro- sion. Side rails should be 1 2 inch by 2 1 2 inch- es so extension side rails need not be supported for stability. Horizontal grab bars are necessary for momentary grabbing the rung or equivalent if the foot slips. Side rails should be bar stock but never angle iron or channel that cannot be gripped effectively under fall conditions. 14. A fixed ladder must never be installed in a manner detrimental to personnel who may be on the underside of a ladder when climb- ing. Reverse climbing slopes are prohibited. 15. Fixed ladders (at least the extension side rails) must extend a minimum of 42 inches above the landings they serve. They should be equipped with horizontal grab bars in case the feet slip from the rungs so the hands can be used effectively. According to U.S. Army EM 385-1-1 4(d): Horizontal grab bars shall be provided to facilitate grip. Grab bar diameters shall be spaced by a continuation of the rung spac- ing. Grab bar diameters shall be the equiv- alent of round rung diameters. 16. All roof access ladders with point of access at an elevated location should have a cage and/or ladder safety devices to deter or protect against falls (Figures 3 and 4). Ladders with a length of climb of more than 24 feet must have a cage or climbing protection (Figure 4). The cage must start 7 to 8 feet above the ground or the platform 3 Figure 3. A typical elevated platform ladder has a guardrail and a fall protection system such as a self- retracting lanyard mounted above the platform. (Courtesy Sellstrom/RTC.) National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 landing where the ladder begins. CFR 1910.27(d)(ii) regulations are similar cages or ladder safety systems at 20 feet. 17. Provide adequate illumination to safe- guard personnel where necessary. A mini- mum lighting intensity of five foot-candles is suggested per IES Chapter 29, 9 th edi- tion. Install lamps so they do not glare. All lighting fixtures must be guarded from van- dalism, electrically insulated and grounded. 18. Where environmental conditions are oily, icy or wet, completely enclose fixed ladders if possible. Note: Some manufactur- ers of climbing protection rail systems pro- vide a heating wire to melt ice on the rail 19. If fixed ladders are on structure exteri- ors accessible to the public, the bottom 7 to 8 feet must be excluded from public access. A fence with locked gates may be feasible, or the unguarded portion made removable and used only as needed such as many transmission or telecommunica- tion towers. 20. At the base of each fixed ladder, there must be a warning sign to prohibit use by unauthorized personnel. 21. Warning! Fixed ladders must not be installed within reach of existing electrical conductors nor should new electrical con- ductors be installed near a fixed ladder. Long tools or jets of water may cause grounding and warnings may be needed if the hazards are analyzed carefully and can- not be eliminated. 22. Item 7.3.1 of the Safety Requirements for Fixed Ladders reads as follows: The safety sleeve shall be above the top for proper dismount and subsequent access. 23. Acceptable types of climbing protec- tion systems are as follows: a. A rail or wire cable fixed to the ladder, on which a sleeve travels. Rails provide more stability and are less easily dam- aged by wind vibration. Cable stays are required every 40 feet apart to avoid wind vibration contact damage. Workers may fail to reinstall them properly lead- ing to broken cable wires that could affect the smooth operation of the climb- ing protection device. b. A sleeve fastened to the climbers full body harness by snaphook and/or a 4 Figure 4. This fixed ladder has a cage. Note: There must be a platform for every 50 feet of ladder, as given in ANSI A14.3-2002 shall be of a type which can be operated entirely hands-free by the person using the ladder safety system. It shall permit the person using the ladder safety system to ascend or descend without having to continually manipulate the safety sleeve. Note: Some climbing protection devices may stick due to lack of oils particularly low temperature sili- cones in cold icy weather or from ambient dust and dirt around sliding or rotating parts. (Courtesy Sellstrom/RTC.) National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 short connector; the total length of which should be 9 inches. Note: For har- ness connection at the chest, a 12-inch connection may be required for proper climbing if the manufacturer has tested for a 24-inch free fall. Make sure the con- nection does not twist the device so it locks too quickly. c. A roof hatch that opens onto a flat com- mercial roof needs to be strong enough for a security barrier and rigid enough to act as an anchorage point for fall arrest devices. Exterior extension side rails equipped with horizontal grab bars are required in the U.S. Army Safety Manual EM385-1-1 (11/03) standard for proper access and especially descent from the roof. Appendix J 3h: Openings shall be provided with elevated horizontal grab bars to facilitate access and exit from upper levels 24. The need for a flared upper extension side rail section depends on whether the climber has tools around his/her waistline on a tool belt. It is normally sufficient to have an 18-inch opening for persons to step through and little need for the 24 to 36-inch openings once required when cranes or hoists were not available for lift- ing tool boxes and equipment onto plat- forms overhead. 25. Install these devices according to the manufacturers instructions. Note: Climbing protection systems are intended for mainte- nance work and possibly operations in some applications where practical. These systems are only applicable for emergency escape when sufficient harnesses and climbing protection devices with connect- ing means exist in a secured and protected enclosure for a stated capacity. Remote climbing locations, such as telecommunica- tions towers should have secured and pro- tective containers at the base of each ladder with user documentation. 26. At a steady climbing speed, the sleeve slides up and down without hindrance. If the climber falls, however, a locking cam or friction brake is activated to automatically stop the fall. Climbing down too quickly often causes the sensitive climbing protec- tion device to lock causing unnecessary aggravation with the system. 27. The top side of the rail or cable (brack- et) must extend 3 feet above the top land- ing for proper dismount and subsequent access. 28. Sufficiently close distances are required to allow the climber to alight from the ladder and position behind a protective gate or barrier before disengaging from the climbing protection device, or to reattach the climbing protection device before step- ping onto the ladder. A ladder safety gate is required to provide protection on the plat- form and to allow detachment or reattach- ment to the safety device before the exposure of the opening is permitted. Users must hold different rungs in each hand as they climb in case corrosion has occurred. 29. Item 4.1.4.2 of ANSI A14.3-2002, Safety Requirements for Fixed Ladders, reads as follows: Ladder safety systems shall be used when the length of climb of a ladder or section ladders exceeds 50 feet in a single length of climb and rest platforms shall be provided at maximum intervals of 150 feet. Note: OSHA 1910.27(d)(2) states 20 feet without a cage and 30 feet with a cage, rest or landing platforms must be provided. Inspection and maintenance 30. Before general use is permitted, an inspection must be made and documented of every new fixed ladder installation to determine that it has been installed in accordance with the provisions of the American National Standards Institute and the applicable federal, state or provincial, 5 National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 6 and local regulations and the instructions climbing protection system manufacturer. A checklist containing the requirements in this data sheet is recommended. Inspect all ladders regularly, such as every six months determining the intervals between inspection by use and exposure but no period greater than 12 months. 31. A warning and sign shall be posted that a proper harness with a frontal D-ring and 9-inch connection shall only be used, and that full-body harnesses and 6-foot, shock-absorbing lanyards or their equiva- lent are prohibited for use with the climb- ing protection system. Periodic inspection of all fixed ladders, cages and climbing pro- tection devices, and the prompt correction of any defects are imperative to their con- tinued use. 32. Some hazards to look for during peri- odic inspections are: Loose, worn and damaged or corroded rungs or side rails Damaged or corroded parts of the cage Corroded or loose bolts and rivet heads, especially on the inside of metal stacks Damaged or corroded handrails and brackets on platforms Deteriorated masonry where fixed ladder anchorages are secured to a structure Defects in climbing device tolerances, including damaged snaphooks, loose or damaged carrier rails or cables Unauthorized parts in the system, such as incompatible snaphooks or connectors Smooth rungs in the center portion must be made slip-resistant Lack of horizontal grab bars in the area of extension side rails Objects and pipes within 27 inches of the climbing face of the ladder that may interfere with climbing Sufficient foot space either side of the carrier for safe climbing No obstruction behind the ladder for seven inches at any location during the climb 33. Training: To meet 1926.1060: Proper climbing: use of flexible gloves with adequate friction Boots with steel or synthetic spine or shank and a well-defined heel Grasp rungs with full-hand rounded grip only, never side rails, to avoid cata- strophic fall consequences. Do not climb ladders with sharp edge rungs that could cut or injure the hands grip capacity in a fall or during repeat climbing usage. Climb with face toward ladder only. Step on rungs between the ball of the sole and the heel. Only hold one particular rung with a hand; grasp another rung with the other hand Do not sit on a ladder platform guardrail or stand up on a midrail. Practice three-point climbing with close observation of a supervisor or trainer. (Note: this is a counterintuitive tech- nique and must be regularly practiced with supervision) 34. Rescue: Tested climbing protection systems are certified to have survived a 500 pounds free-fall through 18 inches or the distance of free fall dictated by twice the connecting distance between the harness and the climbing protection device. The rea- son that 500 pounds was chosen for the test in the 1940s was based on rescue by a government climber who would piggyback under a stricken climber, lifting his connect- ing device to permit both climbers to descend. Thus two climbers at 250 pounds each would equal 500 pounds between attachments of the ladder to the structure. That concept has been abandoned in the past 20 years (but not the test) due to diffi- National Safety Council Data Sheet 606 Rev. August 2007 culty by trained climber rescuers. Thus pul- leys and rope rescue and self-retracting lan- yards have become more popular as tools for prompt rescue with suitable front or back D-ring suspension points. Where heights are several hundred feet, it is not enough to designate the local fire depart- ments that are often under-equipped and lack speedy provision of manpower. Hence rope access systems used by trained tech- nicians in a crew are becoming the option of choice throughout the world for climbing and emergency descent. 35. Scaffold ladders: portable, hook-on, attachable or integral frame access is per- mitted by OSHA 1926.451(e) with refer- ence to Subpart X for portable ladders. However, integral frame ladders must have horizontal members less than 16 3 4 inches apart and be uniformly spaced except between frames, at least 8 inches in length. No access using cross-braces is permitted. Fall protection is required over 10 feet for access and a competent person must determine feasibility for erection, moving or dismantling. Self-retracting lan- yards installed above shoulder height are recommended for tube and coupler attached ladders and integral frame ladders 36. Non-compliant Ladders: some struc- tures like grain silos offer door handles for climbing and an aluminum or concrete enclosure for grain pouring that can act as a cage. Others are 12-inches rung width for ladder access to railroad signals. Some water tower manufacturers and merchant marine shipbuilders provide diamond shape rungs on fixed ladders. Helicopter maintenance access to the rotor blades have recessed steps and grab bars. Scaffold ladder frames may not be classi- fied as a fixed ladder; likewise trailers and tankers for road and rail. Rebar mattes are similar to fixed ladders. Curved water tank bowl ladders and astronomy dishes with flat angles less than 70 degrees pose pos- ture and connection length problems for climbers. For all these types of climbing structures the answer may be back-up fall protection both before and after the lad- ders are standardized in respective industry standards. Step bolts are occasionally an alternative to ladders with offset or parallel steps consisting of bolts with heads to limit side slipping but pose a severe injury haz- ard if a faller catches a bolt under a body part, and are known to fail on transmission towers from time to time while climbing and should be proof-tested periodically. Sources of information American National Standards Institute, 25 West 43 rd Street, 4 th floor, New York, NY 10036. Safety Requirements for Fixed Ladders, A14.3-2002. U.S. Army Safety and Health Requirements Manual EM 385-1-1 (11/03). HSE Report on caged ladders: Preliminary investigation into the fall-arresting effectiveness of ladder safety hoops. HSE Research Report 258 (Safety Squared 2004), http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr258.pdf. Acknowledgment This data sheet was revised by the Construction Division membership, of the National Safety Council, 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL 60143. Copyright 2008 National Safety Council. All rights reserved. Although the information and recommendations con- tained in this publication have been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, the National Safety Council makes no guarantee as to, and assumes no responsibility for, the correctness, sufficiency or completeness of such information or recommenda- tions. Other or additional safety measures may be required under particular circumstances. 7