Basic Ladder Safety Rules:

 All wood parts m ust be free from sharp edges and spli nt ers; sound and free from acc ept ed vi sual
inspection from shake, w ane, c om pressi on failures, dec ay, or ot her i rregul ariti es.

 Ladders m ust be m aint ained in good c onditi on at all tim es, the j oi nt betw een the st eps and si de rail s
m ust be tight, all hardw are and fittings sec urely att ac hed, and the m ovabl e part s shall operat e freel y

without binding or undue play.

 Met al bearings of loc ks, wheel s, pull eys, etc., shall be frequently lubric at ed.

 Ladders m ust be inspect ed frequently and those which have devel oped defects m ust be withdrawn from
servic e for repair or dest ruction and t agged or m arked as "Dangerous, Do Not Use."

 Ladders with broken or m issing st eps, rungs, or cl eats, brok en side rails, or other faulty equi pm ent shall
not be used; im provised repairs are not all ow ed.

Step ladder - a self-supporting port able ladder, nonadjust abl e i n l ength, having fl at st eps and a hi nged bac k. Its si ze i s
designat ed by the overall length of t he ladder m easured al ong t he front edge of the si de rail s.
Single ladder - a non-self-supporting port able ladder, nonadjust abl e i n l ength, c onsi sting of but one secti on. Its size i s
designat ed by the overall length of the side rail.
Extension ladder - a non-self-supporting port abl e l adder adjustabl e i n l ength. It consi sts of tw o or m ore secti ons traveling
in guides or brac ket s so arranged as t o perm it length adjustm ent. Its size i s desi gnat ed by the sum of the l engths of the
sections m easured along the si de rails.
Sectional ladder - a non-self-supporting port abl e l adder, nonadjust abl e i n l ength, c onsi sting of tw o or m ore secti ons of
ladder so c onst ruct ed that the sections m ay be c om bined t o function as a si ngl e l adder. Its si ze is designat ed by the
overall length of the assem bled sections.
Trestle ladder - a self-supporting port able ladder, nonadj ust abl e i n l ength, c onsi sting of tw o secti ons hi nged at the t op t o
form equal angles with the base. The size is designat ed by the l engt h of the side rail s m easured al ong the front edge.
Extension trestle ladder - a self-supporting port abl e l adder, adjust abl e in l ength, c onsi sting of a trestl e l adder base and
a vertic ally adjust able single ladder, with suit able m eans for l oc king the l adders t ogether. The si ze i s des i gnat ed by the
lengt h of the trestle ladder base.
Special-purpose ladder - a port able ladder which represent s ei ther a m odi fic ati on or a c om binati on of desi gn or
const ruction features in one of the general -purpose types of l adders previ ously defined, in or der t o adapt the l adder t o
special or specific uses.
Trolley ladder - a sem i-fixed ladder, nonadjust abl e in l ength, support ed by att ac hm ents t o an overhead trac k, the pl ane of
the ladder being at right angles t o the plane of m oti on.
Side-rolling ladder - a sem i-fixed ladder, nonadj ust abl e i n l engt h, support ed by att achm ent s t o a gui de rail, which is
generally fast ened t o shelving, the plane of t he ladder being al so it s pl ane of m oti on. Ladders m ust not be used in a
horizont al position as plat form s, runw ays, or sc affolds. Pl ac e port abl e l adders so that the side rail s have a secure footi ng.
The t op rest for port able rung and cleat ladders m ust be reason abl y rigi d and shall have am pl e strength t o support the
applied forc e.
Safe Ladder Use:
Em ployees should foll ow c ert ain rules when placi ng, asc ending, and desc ending l adders which include:
• Hold on with bot h hands when going up or dow n. If m at eri al m ust be handl ed, raise or l ow er it with a rope either before
going dow n or aft er clim bing t o the desired level.
• Always fac e the ladder when asc ending or desc ending.
• Never slide dow n a ladder.
• Be sure shoes are not greasy, m uddy, or slippery before clim bi ng.
• Do not clim b higher than the third rung from the t op on straight or ext ensi on l adder, or the sec ond tread from the t op on
st epladders.
• Carry t ools on a t ool belt not in the hand.
• Never lean t oo far t o the sides. K eep your belt buckl e within the side rails.
• Use a 4 t o 1 ratio when leaning a single or ext ensi on l adder. (pl ac e a 12 foot l adder so that the bott om is 3 feet aw ay
from the object the ladder is leaning against.)

• Inspect ladder for defect s before using.

• Never use a defective ladder. Tag or m ark it so that it will be repai red or destroyed.
• Never splic e or lash a short ladder t oget her.
• Never use m akeshift ladders, such as cleat s fast ened across a singl e rail.
• Be sure that a st epladder is fully open and the m et al spreader loc ked before st arting t o clim b.
• Keep ladders clean and free from dirt and grease.
• Never use ladders during a strong wind exc ept in an em ergenc y and then onl y when they are securel y fast ened.
• Never leave plac ed ladders unatt ended.
• Never use ladders as guys, brac es, or skids, or for any other purpose other than their i nt ended purposes.
• Never att em pt to adjust a ladder while a user is st anding on the l adder.
• Never jum p from a ladder. Alw ays dism ount from the bott om rung.

Ladder extension:

 Plac e ladders on a firm , level surfac e and ensure the footi ng i s secure.

 Erect ext ension ladders so that the upper secti on rests on (e. g., in front of) the bott om secti on. Thi s m eans the
bott om section "fac es" a w all or ot her supporting surfac e (see fi gures bel ow ).

 Plac e t he ladder feet so that the horizont al di st anc e betw een the feet and the t op support is 1/4 of the w orking
lengt h of the ladder. The ladder will be l eani ng at a 75 degree angl e from the ground.

 Raise and low er ladders from the ground. Ensure t hat l oc king l adder hooks are sec ure before clim bing.
  Erect ladders so that a m inim um of 1 m (3 ft) ext ends above a l anding pl at form . Tie the t op at support poi nts.

 Brac e or tie off the ladder near t he base. If there i s no structure to ti e off t o, use a st ake in the ground.

 Leave all tie-off devic es in plac e until they m ust be rem oved before t aki ng the l adder down.

 Maint ain the m inim um overlap of sections as show n on a l adder label. Refer t o safety regul ati ons.

Note: W hen w orking 3 m etres (10 feet) or m ore above ground, wear a safety belt or harness with the l anyard ti ed
appropriat ely t o the structure.

Avoid when using extension ladders:

 Do not use ladders near electric al wire.

 Do not set up or t ake a ladder dow n when it is ext ended.

 Do not overext end. Maint ain m inim um overl ap of secti ons.

 Do not clim b higher than the fourth rung from the t op of a l adder.

 Do not use ladders on ic e, snow or other slippery surfac es without securing l adders' feet.

 Do not ext end t op section of a ladder from above or by "bouncing" on a l adder.

 Do not leave ladders unatt ended.

Climbing a fixed ladder:

 W ait until the other person has exit ed before asc ending or desc endi ng.

 Use the appropriat e safet y devic es (e. g., restraint belt, traveling fi xture).

 Maint ain three-point c ont act by keeping two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand on a l adder alw ays.

 Fac e ladder and use both hands t o grip the rungs fi rm ly.

 Plac e feet firm ly on each rung.

 W ear footw ear with heels. Ensure that footw ear i s in good c ondi tion.

 Clean m uddy or slippery boot soles before m ounting a l adder.

 Rise or low er t ools and m at erials using a hand -li ne.

How should you set up the ladder:

 Plac e t he ladder feet 1/4 of the ladder's w orki ng l engt h (e.g., foot t o t op support point ) aw ay from the base of t he
structure (e.g., for every 1.2 m (4 ft ) high, the base of t he l adder shoul d be out 0.3 m (1 ft); that m e ans one
horizont al foot from the support point ).

 E xt end the ladder at least 1 m (3 ft) above the l andi ng pl at form .

 Plac e t he ladder on a firm , level footing. Use a l adder with sli p -resi st ant feet or secure bl ocki ng. Brac e or ti e the
bott om of the ladder.

 Rest both side rails on the t op support and sec ure l adder t o prevent slipping.
What should you know about climbing portable ladders:

 Chec k for overhead electric al wires before setting up a l adder.

 Clear area around base and t op of the l adder of debri s, tool s and other obj ects.

 Tie off yourself with a safet y harness when w orki ng 3 m (10 ft) or m ore off the ground or when w orki ng with bot h
hands.

 Ensure that only one person is on a singl e -width l adder. Only one person i s all ow ed on eac h si de of a doubl e -
width ladder.

 Maint ain three-point c ont act by keeping two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand on the l adder at all
tim es.

 Grasp the rungs when clim bing a ladder, not the side rail s. If your foot slips on a l adder, hol ding ont o rungs is
easier than holding ont o t he side rails.

 W ear prot ective footw ear with slip-resist ant sol es and heels.

 Ensure that all elect ric al equipm ent used duri ng l adder w ork i s i n good c onditi on and properl y grounded.

 Rest frequently t o avoid arm fatigue and disori ent ati on wh en the work requires you t o l ook up and reach above
your head.

 Drape your arm s over a rung and rest your head against anot her rung or side rai l if you bec om e di zzy or panic ky.
Clim b down slowly.

Proper way to store ladders:

 Return ladders t o st orage area aft er use.

 Store ladders where they are prot ect ed from the w eat her.

 Support ladders horizont ally on racks. To prevent sagging, support l adders every 2 m (6 ft ).
 Keep ladders clean and free of foreign m at eri als.

 Ensure that st orage areas are easy t o reach .

 Keep w ooden ladders in a w ell -ventilat ed l oc at i on, aw ay from dam pness and exc essive heat.

 Avoid long overhangs beyond support poi nts when transporting ladders on vehicl es.

 Pad rac ks on vehicles with soft m at erial t o reduc e w ear and road shocks.

 Tie ladders t o each support point t o reduc e dam age.

 Mark ladders which overhang vehicles with a red or orange fl ag.

 Grasp ladders near the c ent er when c arrying them .

 Use c aution when c arrying ladders through passagew ays, doorw ays or any pl ac e where your vi ew i s obst ruct ed.

 Use a partner t o help carry long or heavy l adders.

 Ensure that you and your part ner are on the sam e side w hen c arryi ng a l adder. St ay in st ep. W ork out in advanc e
any hand or voic e signals t o c oordinat e st opping or changing directi on.
Avoid when storing ladders:

 Do not hang ladders from rails or rungs.

 Do not st ore m at erials on ladders.

 Do not expose fiberglass ladders t o exc essi ve t em perat ures (above 93°C or 200°F).

 Do not hold the front of ladders at head l evel when carryi ng them .

 Do not expose plastic-reinforc ed ladders t o exc essi ve sunlight. Ultravi ol et light m ay c ause the pl astic resins t o
degrade. If the strength of the ladder is questi onabl e, repl ac e t he l adder.

When using a stepladder:

 Use a st epladder that is about 1 m (3 ft) short er than the hi ghest point you have t o reach. This gives a wi der,
m ore st able base and plac es shelf at a c onveni ent w orking height.

 Open the st epladder spreaders and shelf fully.

 Chec k st abilit y. Ensure t hat all ladder feet are on a fi rm , level and non -sli ppery surfac e.

 Plac e a st epladder at right angles t o t he w ork, with either the front or bac k of the st eps faci ng the w ork.

 Keep the st epladder close t o the w ork.

 Avoid pushing or pulling st epladders from the si de. Repeat ed si dew ays m ovem ent c an m ake l adders w obbl y
sinc e they are w eaker or less st able in those directi ons.

 Fac e the st epladder when clim bing up or dow n. K eep your body cent ered betw een si de rail s. Y ou have clim bed
too high if your knees are above t op of the st epl adder or i f you c annot m ain t ain a handhold on the l adder.
  Maint ain a firm grip. Use bot h hands when clim bing.

When using a stepladder:

 Do not overreach. Move a st epladder when needed.

 Do not "shift" or "w alk" a st epladder when st andi ng on it.

 Do not st and, clim b, or sit on the st epladder t op or pail shelf.

 Do not overload. St epladders are m eant for one person.

 Do not use a st epladder as a brac e or as a support for a w ork pl at form or pl ank.

 Do not clim b a st epladder that is leaning agai nst a wall. Use a st raight l adder inst ead.

 Do not use st epladders on slippery surfac es.

 Do not use st epladders on soft ground where one l eg m ay sink farther int o t he ground than others.

 Do not plac e st epladders on boxes, unst abl e bases or on sc affol ds t o gain additi onal hei ght.

 Do not clim b the bac k of a st epladder.

 Do not push or pull st epladders sidew ays.

 Do not use ladders in passagew ays, doorw ays, dri vew ays or other l oc ati ons where a person or vehicl e c an hit it.
Set up suit able barriers or loc k doors shut.