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The use of ladders presents significant workplace hazards. The California Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in 2005, 12 people in California died from falls from ladders. Unsafe ladder use, such as using the wrong kind of ladder or upsetting the ladder's balance by leaning too far from its center of gravity, has resulted in injuries to University employees, as well as Cal/OSHA citations and fines being assessed to UC campuses.

The Department of Safety & Risk Management has developed this program to support the ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ (Cal Maritime) as a means to describe all aspects of ladder safety including a ladder safe-use policy, personnel accountability, hazard assessment and proper ladder selection, safe work practices, training requirements and record keeping.

This program applies to any use of ladders three (3) feet in height/length or greater by employees of the University as part of their normal work activities. This includes temporary employees and graduate students performing research related activities in field stations and remote research facilities

General Requirements

The Department owning ladders designates the "Ladder Program Administrator(s)" responsible for the following actions:

• Assures that ladders purchased/used in the department are code-compliant and appropriate for the needed safe-work tasks.
• Consults with the Department of Safety and Risk Management (SRM) as needed to assess proper ladder use and procurement specifications.
• Coordinates with SRM to provide ladder safety training, or provides ladder training themselves (by JSA or other presentation), to all department personnel who use ladders. In either case, training must detail the contents of this program including ladder user's safe-work rules, inspections, etc.
• Periodically audits departmental compliance with the Program.
• Conducts ladder inspections as part of the "shop safety inspection" process.
• Implements the following ladder inspection/tracking requirements:
  1. Develops ladder-identification system and uniquely numbers each ladder owned by the department for inventory/tracking purposes.
  2. Inspects ladders for damage and documents inspections per inspection form/criteria in program.
  3. Locks or tags damaged ladders to insure they will not be used until repaired.
  4. Renders damaged ladders that cannot be repaired unusable by cutting them into pieces or other destructive means, and then assures proper disposal of them.
  5. Assures that any wooden ladders in use are not painted with any color other than clear wood sealer to allow detailed inspection of wood grain and quality. Wood ladders that are painted or not clear-finished with the wood grain visible for inspection must be destroyed.
  6. If not already done so by the manufacturer, mark portable metal ladders with the words:

"CAUTION DO NOT USE AROUND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT"

Ladder Safe Work Practices

• Select a ladder that is the proper length and "duty rating" for the intended work.

Note: A leaning-ladder must extend at least 36" above the edge of a roof/mezzanine when properly installed. A step ladder must be tall enough so that you don't have to stand on the top or top two rungs of the ladder to access your work.

• Do not use electrically conductive (e.g. aluminum) ladders for electrical work or near live electrical parts.
• Inspect the ladder for broken of defective parts prior to each use.
• Remove damaged or defective ladders from use and notify department management of the problem ladder.
• Do not place ladders where they can be accidentally struck or displaced.
• If the ladder is used in an area where anyone could walk under it, the area must be cordoned off with a visual barrier such as yellow caution tape to alert pedestrians to the hazard of something falling from the ladder.
• Ladders must not be placed in passageways, doorways, driveways, or any location where they may be displaced by activities being conducted on any other work, unless protected by barricades or guards.
• For leaning or extension ladders, tie, block, or otherwise secure while in use.
• Do not splice ladders together.
• Always face the ladder while ascending and descending.
• Do not stand on the top two rungs of a single ladder or an extension ladder;
• Do not stand on the top cap and top two steps of a step ladder.
• Do not stand on the top three rungs of ladders unless there are members of an adjacent structure that provide a firm handhold, or the ladder user is protected by a personal fall protection system (e.g., positioning device or fall restraint system) tied off to a CalOSHA certified fall protection anchor.
• If working outside of the ladder's footprint, or when standing on the upper-most parts of the ladder as noted above, use an appropriate fall protection system as described in the SRM Safety Topic Guide "Fall Protection Equipment and Inspection".
• Do not place planks on the top cap or any other part of a ladder.
• Do not use the X-bracing or other structures on the rear section of a stepladder for climbing unless the ladder is designed to be climbed from both sides. (See Extension Trestle Ladders and similar.)
• Make sure that a stepladder is properly set up and that the spreader is locked in place before use.
• Do not use the stepladder as a lean-to ladder.
• Always use a tool belt and other ‘hands-free' carrying devices when ascending and descending a ladder.
• When working aloft, secure tools and supplies so they cannot fall from the ladder.

Ladder Selection

Ladders are designed and constructed to safely hold up to a specified amount of weight. Ladders come in five (5) different Duty Ratings identified by their "Type". The Duty Rating is defined as the maximum safe load capacity of the ladder. A person's fully-clothed weight plus the weight of any tools and materials that are carried onto the ladder must be less than the duty rating.

• Cal Maritime requires at minimum the strength of a "Type II" ladder for any work activities where ladders are used for elevated work projects where the user is not handling large or heavy objects during ladder usage.
• ·All Maintenance/Trades are recommended to use "Type I" or stronger ladders for their work activities. Owner Departments that have maintenance/trades activities are required to purchase and use "Type I, Type IA or Type IAA"  ladders based upon the required strength for safe work by their workforce.

Research and other Academic Departments not performing maintenance/trades type activities may optionally inventory and use Type I or Type II ladders. Purchas and use of "Type III" ladders should be avoided as their duty rating is too light making them more likely to fail before the end of their useful life expectancy, with a strong potential for injury resulting from their use

Duty Ratings

Duty Ratings are described in terms of pounds, such as a "300lb. Duty-Rated Type IA" ladder which is designed for extra heavy-duty professional use where the total weight on the ladder does not exceed 300 pounds.

Ladders are also built to handle the demands of various applications. For example, a  ladder used frequently on a construction site by larger/heavier workers should typically be stronger and possess a corresponding higher duty rating than one used by a smaller/lighter-weight person for infrequent "light" overhead work.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established the "Duty Rating" that is used by Cal/OSHA. This rating identifies which portable ladder is intended for the conditions under which the ladder can be safely used. The Duty Rating system is summarized below, and may be further researched at the following link: 

Ladders may be used WITHOUT the user wearing a personal harness tied off to a CalOSHA certified fall protection anchor, when a leaning or extension ladder can be tied-off and stabilized to a permanent structure, or a step ladder is used on a level firm surface, and then work is done within the following specific activities:

1.     When using the ladder to gain access from one level to another without carrying anything in your hands.

2.     When using a ladder for access to a work area where work is conducted while standing on the ladder, provided the user can ascend and descend using both their hands during the entire up/down movement on the ladder.

3.     When working aloft on the ladder provided both of the user's feet are stationary on one rung and the work area requiring two-handed work is within the ladder's ‘foot print' (i.e. no reaching beyond the base legs of the ladder with both hands).

4.     When the user can use three-point contact (both their feet plus one hand) for stability when reaching and working outside the ladder's ‘foot print' using only one ‘free' hand.

5.     When the ladder user's feet are below the top two rungs of a leaning single/extension-ladder, or are below the top two steps and top cap of a step ladder.

6.     When doing elevated ‘fine two-handed work' within the ‘foot print' of the ladder, where a user is using both hands to conduct light-weight work without the use of power tools. (Example: Twisting a wire nut on two to three 12-gage or smaller wires, hammering a nail into wood, or unscrewing a light bulb and installing a replacement light bulb.)

7.     When using a small cordless power tool such as a ¼" bit (or smaller) hand-drill that is not likely to cause imbalance should the power tool bind during use.

8.     When using a corded power tool within the ‘foot print' of the ladder using only one hand to control the tool, and otherwise having 3-point contact on the ladder.

Fall protection must be used in all other ladder-use situations unless the Owner Department can demonstrate that the planned work activities are equivalently safe to the above noted requirements. Alternatives to using fall protection include temporary scaffolding with appropriate railings, the use of a "Lift Pod", the use of Genie lifts or bucket trucks, etc., and should be considered before using ladders in such situation

Housekeeping

• Clear debris and equipment that could cause a slip, trip, or fall from working areas around the ladder.
• Prevent equipment and supplies from falling on other people.
• Set up ground cloths if needed.
• Cordon off work areas using yellow caution tape to keep casual passersby out of your work area.