Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Ladders, Portable and Fixed Chapter 296-876, WAC

Effective Date: 12/01/06

WAC 296-876-400 Use

For printing

Your Responsibility:

To use portable ladders safely

Designed use	WAC 296-876-40005
Workplace acitivites or traffic	WAC 296-876-40010
Support	WAC 296-876-40015
Set-up	WAC 296-876-40020
Climbing and descending	WAC 296-876-40025
Getting on and off ladders at upper levels	WAC 296-876-40030
Exposed electrical hazards	WAC 296-876-40035
Persons on ladders	WAC 296-876-40040
Multisection ladders	WAC 296-876-40045
Self-supporting ladders	WAC 296-876-40050

 

WAC 296-876-40005

Designed use

You must

• Use ladders only for their intended purpose.

Note: Unless specifically recommended by the manufacturer, don't use a ladder as a: - Brace - Skid - Lever - Guy or gin pole - Gangway - Platform - Scaffold plank - Material hoist

You must

• Make sure not to overload ladders. Don't exceed either the:
  • - Maximum intended load
    or
  • - Manufacturer's rated capacity.

Definition: The maximum intended load is the total load of all persons, equipment, tools, materials, transmitted loads, and other loads reasonably anticipated to be applied to a ladder or ladder component at any one time. Ladder type is the designation that identifies the maximum intended load (working load) of the ladder. Ladder types are as follows: Duty Rating Ladder Type Use Maximum Intended Load (Pounds) Extra Heavy-Duty IA Industry, utilities, contractors 300 Heavy-Duty I Industry, utilities, contractors 250 Medium-Duty II Painters, offices, light maintenance 225 Light-Duty III General household use 200

WAC 296-876-40010

Workplace activities or traffic

You must

• Protect ladders that are set-up in a location where they could be displaced by workplace activities or traffic by either:
  • - Securing the ladder to prevent accidental displacement
    or
  • - Using a barricade to keep the activities or traffic away from the ladder.
• Protect ladders that are set-up in front of doors that open towards the ladder by doing at least one of the following:
  • - Block the door open.
  • - Lock the door.
  • - Guard the door to keep it from opening into the ladder.

WAC 296-876-40015

Support

You must

• Place the ladder either:
  • - With a secure footing on a firm, level support surface
  • or
  • - Secure the ladder to prevent accidental displacement.
• Make sure a ladder isn't placed on ice, snow, or other slippery surface unless the ladder is prevented from accidental displacement by either:
  • - Securing it
    or
  • - Providing the ladder with slip-resistant feet.

Note: Slip-resistant feet aren't a substitute for care in placing, lashing, or holding a ladder that's used on a slippery surface.

You must

• Make sure ladders aren't placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases to obtain additional height.
• Place a straight ladder so the side rails are equally supported by the top support, unless the ladder is equipped with a single support attachment.
• Make sure the top support of the ladder is reasonably rigid and able to support the load.

WAC 296-876-40020

Set-up

You must

• Set-up nonself-supporting ladders at a safe angle. The ladder is set at the proper angle when the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of the ladder is approximately one-quarter the working length of the ladder.
• Set-up job-made ladders with spliced side rails so that the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of the ladder isn't greater than one-eighth the working length of the ladder.

 

Definition: The working length of a nonself-supporting ladder is the length, measured along the rails, from the base support point of the ladder to the point of bearing at the top.

WAC 296-876-40025

Climbing and descending

You must

• Have both hands free to hold on to the ladder.
• Face the ladder when climbing or descending.
• Keep ladders free of oil, grease, or other slippery materials.
• Keep the area around the top and bottom of ladders clear.
• Make sure single-rail ladders aren't used.

Definition: A single-rail ladder is a portable ladder with crosspieces mounted on a single rail.

WAC 296-876-40030

Getting on and off ladders at upper levels

You must

• Make sure a ladder used to access an upper level has the side rails extended at least 3 feet (.9 m) above the landing surface if the ladder length permits.
• Do the following if a ladder used to access an upper level isn't long enough to obtain a 3-foot side rail extension above the landing surface:
  • - Secure the ladder at the top to a rigid support that won't deflect.
  • - Provide a grasping device, such as a grabrail, to assist in mounting and dismounting the ladder.
  • - Make sure the ladder deflection under a load won't, by itself, cause it to slip off its support.
• Make sure, if 2 or more separate ladders are used to reach an elevated work area, that the ladders are offset with a platform or landing between them.

Exemption: A platform or landing isn't required when a portable ladder is used to reach a fixed ladder on structures such as utility towers and billboards where the bottom of the fixed ladder is elevated to limit access.

WAC 296-876-40035

Exposed electrical hazards

You must

• Use ladders with nonconductive side rails where the ladder could contact uninsulated, energized electric lines or equipment.

- Metal ladders or other ladders specifically designed to permit grounding or dissipation of static electricity may be used around high static electrical fields if all of the following are met:

• Using nonconductive ladders would present a greater hazard than using conductive ladders.
• Ladders are prominently marked and identified as being conductive.
• Ladders are grounded when used near energized lines or equipment.

Note: Examples of ladders with conductive side rails are metal ladders, and wood or reinforced plastic ladders with metal side rail reinforcement.

WAC 296-876-40040

Persons on ladders

You must

• Make sure a ladder isn't moved, shifted, or adjusted while anyone is on it.
• Secure the ladder at the top and bottom when working from it.
• Use a safety belt with a lanyard that's secured to the ladder when doing any work that:
  • - Requires the use of both hands
    and
  • - Is done from a ladder more than 25 feet above the ground or floor.
• Prohibit work being done from a ladder more than 25 feet above the ground or floor if the work requires wearing eye protection or a respirator.

WAC 296-876-40045

Multisection ladders

You must

• Make sure not to tie or fasten ladder sections together to make longer ladders unless:
  • - The ladder manufacturer endorses this type of use
    and
  • - You have hardware fittings specifically designed for this purpose.
• Make sure each section of a multisection ladder, when fully extended and locked in position to be used, overlaps the adjacent section as indicated in Table 2, Minimum Required Overlap for Extension Ladders.

Table 2 Minimum Required Overlap for Extension Ladders
If the ladder size (feet) is:	Minimum required overlap for a two-section ladder is (feet):
Up to and including 36	3
Over 36 up to and including 48	4
Over 48 up to and including 60	5

WAC 296-876-40050

Self-supporting ladders

You must

• Make sure self-supporting ladders aren't used as single ladders or in the partially closed position.
• Make sure stepladders are fully opened with the spreaders locked.
• Make sure not to climb on the rear braces of a self-supporting ladder unless they are designed and recommended for that purpose by the manufacturer.
• Prohibit standing or stepping on the:
  • - Top cap and top step of a step or trestle ladder.
  • - Bucket or pail shelf of a self-supporting ladder.

Exemption: The restriction against using the top step isn't applicable if it's 18 inches or more below the top cap.