Steel Fixed Ladders: A Durable Safety Upgrade

Fixed ladders are the subject of strict guidelines from OSHA and ANSI, the two organizations most responsible for setting and maintaining safety standards in the United States. Some of the regulations are difficult to navigate, and some have recently changed. Tri-Arc, with its 74 years of experience with all types of ladders, can help business owners navigate the “steps” of installing and maintaining OSHA-compliant fixed steel ladders.

What are fixed ladders?

Fixed ladders, as defined by OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.21, are ladders “with rails or individual rungs that (are) permanently attached to a structure, building or equipment.” These ladders provide access to places ranging from the rooftop of an office or apartment building to the highest levels of a warehouse, or down to the waterline from a boat dock or to an underground site.

Fixed ladders have several advantages over extension ladders and step ladders. For example:

• They can reach far greater heights.
• They are stable, which eliminates many of the safety concerns that come with portable ladders.
• And they are always there when you need them. There’s no need for setting them up, taking them down and finding a place to store them.

OSHA and ANSI standards for fixed ladders

OSHA, the federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and ANSI, the nonprofit American National Standards Institute, have set down detailed regulations on the construction and use of fixed ladders.

They include detailed instructions on, to name a few things:

• The spacing of rungs.
• The width between side members, which are the vertical railings on each side of the ladder.
• The length of stand-off brackets. These are the fixtures that attach the ladder to a wall and establish the distance between the ladder and the building.
• The degree of pitch, the angle between the vertical wall and the leaning ladder. The ideal pitch of a fixed ladder is 75 degrees to 90 degrees from the horizontal.
• The height that side rails should extend beyond the landing surface, such as the roof.
• The load amount allowed per ladder.
• The placement of grab bars.

OSHA and ANSI standards for vertical fixed access ladders cover many other issues, including clearance, rest platforms and clear width. And the regulators sometimes update the rules. A major change in  safety standards for fixed ladders occurred several years ago.

Fixed ladder requirements have changed

Previously, fixed ladders longer than 24 feet were required to have either cages or wells to help ensure the safety of the people climbing them.

The value of cages and wells was questioned, however, and on Jan. 17, 2018, the regulations changed. Cages and wells were being phased out, except in certain grandfathered-in cases, and personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) and ladder safety systems (LSS) were being phased in for ladders of 24 feet or more.

By Nov. 18, 2036, grandfathered-in or not, “All fixed ladders must be equipped with a ladder safety or personal fall arrest system.”

What safety measures apply to fixed ladders?

Let’s take a look at the differences between different types of fall protection: cages, wells, personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) and ladder safety systems (LSS).

Cages and wells

OSHA calls a cage a type of basket guard “enclosing or nearly enclosing a ladder’s climbing space and fastened to one or both of the ladder’s side rails or to another structure.”

Basically, a cage is affixed to a ladder’s side rails and does not always provide 360-degree coverage. A well is “a permanent complete enclosure around a fixed ladder,” or a permanent cage that provides 360-degree coverage.

Both cages and wells prevent people from making big, unintentional lateral movements, or movements back and away from a ladder.

However, the biggest danger in ladder accidents comes from the fall. Once someone starts falling, he can get seriously injured by hitting sections of the cage or well, and also become entangled in them.

Personal fall arrest system

PFAS and LSS are designed to stop someone’s fall quickly and safely. A PFAS (which most people have seen in any movie showing a window washer on the side of a high-rise building) is composed of a harness tethered to an anchor secure enough to withstand the weight of someone falling. Instead of crashing to the ground or hitting sections of a cage or well, the person would be suspended briefly until he can regain his footing.

Ladder safety system

An LSS is similar to a PFAS in that a harness is worn. However, the harness is hooked to a pulley system embedded into or attached to the side of the ladder. This system kicks into action only when a fall occurs, similar to the way a car’s seatbelt works only during a sudden stop.

Again, by Nov. 18, 2036, all fixed ladders longer than 24 feet will be required to be equipped with either a PFSA or a LSS.

How do I satisfy OSHA and ANSI regulations?

Good managers understand the importance of delegating to trusted sources. Tri-Arc has successfully navigated OSHA and ANSI regulations since it opened its doors in 1947.

From the early days when Tri-Arc was operating out of a garage to today, when its manufacturing and distribution center is housed in a 325,000 state-of-the-art facility in Pittsburgh, its mission has not changed. Tri-Arc is “committed to manufacturing and delivering USA-made products to help improve daily operations while keeping your employees safe and productive when working from height.”

As part of fulfilling that mission, Tri-Arc stays abreast of all federal regulations to ensure that each fixed ladder it manufactures or sells is compliant and durable.

What else should I know about steel fixed ladders?

Fixed ladders must be reliable and long-lasting, so most of them are made from steel or aluminum. Wood is not generally appropriate for fixed ladders because it rots relatively quickly.

Steel is much heavier than aluminum, which means that steel ladders are much more durable and resilient. However, steel rusts over time unless treated with an anti-rust agent. Tri-Arc’s paint system for its fixed steel ladders ensures a top-notch finish. And its all-welded production and “state-of the-art robotic weld cell” minimize rust to a non-issue.

A vertical fixed access ladder also should allow easy access to the climber’s destination, be it a rooftop or a dock. Thus, proper walk-thru handrails, or the part of the ladder through which one passes to step on a rooftop or dock, are vital. The walk-thru rails of all Tri-Arc fixed ladders are designed for easy access and egress.

The texture of the rungs is another major issue. Rungs should grip shoes instead of encouraging Marx-Brother-type pratfalls. Perforated steel treads are kind of like the old-school cheese graters with upward-facing holes and downward-facing slots for gripping and for drainage. Tri-Arc’s Industrial Access Stairway Ladders, for example, can come with this type of  “Grip Strut” tread.

Flexibility and steel fixed ladders

Finally, no matter what your ladder needs are, Tri-Arc is flexible enough to design and manufacture fixed ladders specific to your individual needs.