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Fixed Ladder Safety Regulations
Will You Be OSHA Compliant?
When November rolls around, will you be compliant? The majority of the updated OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces and Fall Protection Standards were put in place in January, 2017. However, some rule changes were delayed until November 19, 2018.
Affecting all general industries, the updated standards include revised fall and protection system guidelines. OSHA estimates the new standard will prevent 29 fatalities and 5,842 lost- workday injuries each year.
Two key changes affecting fixed ladder safety regulations are:
- The height at which a form of fall protection is required increases from 20 ft to 24 ft.
- Cages are no longer considered an acceptable fall protection system.
Here is a recap of the November 19 requirements:
- New, fixed ladders over 24 feet (and replacement ladders or ladder sections) installed on or after November 19, 2018 must have a personal fall arrest or ladder safety system installed.
- Existing fixed ladders over 24 feet installed prior to November 19, 2018 must be equipped with a cage, well, personal fall arrest system or ladder safety system. (Cages installed prior to this date are still considered an acceptable form of protection until 2036.)
By 2036, cages and wells (used as fall protection) must be replaced with ladder safety or personal fall arrest systems on all fixed ladders over 24 feet.
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