A fixed ladder is a vertical

ladder A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladders, such a ...

mounted permanently to a

structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

. These ladders are primarily used to access

roof A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of temper ...

s or other structures for industrial purposes. In the United States, these ladders are covered by

OSHA OSHA or Osha may refer to: Work * Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency of the United States that regulates workplace safety and health * Occupational Safety and Health Act (United States) of 1970, a federal law in the Un ...

and

ANSI The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organi ...

standards.

Components

Fixed ladders consist of the following components: *Rungs: all fixed ladders have rungs, dictated by OSHA Standar
1910.27(b)(1)
of no more than 12" (300 mm) on center (measured as the distance from the centerline of a rung to the center line of the next rung), and at 16" (410 mm) clear width. *Side members: These are the rails on the side of the ladder that are designed that the foot cannot slip off the end. Mostly flat bar or angle profile and sometimes channel. *Stand-off brackets: Dictated by OSHA Standar
1910.27(c)(4)
stand-off brackets must be at least 7" (180 mm) longer than the farthest obstruction for clearance on the back side of ladder. This means that if there is a 4" (100 mm) gutter projecting from the side of a building, a fixed ladder would have to have standoff brackets that were at least 11" (7" + 4") (280 mm) in length. *Cages: Cages are optional for fixed ladders with a floor to floor elevation of less than 20' (6100 mm). They are often available for ladders with elevation changes down to 11' (3350 mm). Cages are mandated to begin between 7' and 8'(2250 mm) from the ground and extend the entire length of the ladder. Cages can have left hand exits (opening in the LH side of cage), right hand exits (opening in RH side of cage), top exits (for exit through a hatch or floor door), and walk through exits (for exit through back side of fixed ladder). (LH or RH exits are preferred). *Fall protection system: Fixed ladders above 24' must have a fall protection system in accordance with OSHA Standar
1910.28(b)(9)(i)(C)
. Cages are not anymore considered as fall protection, and ladders that are newly installed or replaced after November 19, 2018, must have a fall protection system based on OSHA's ne
fixed ladder requirements
*OSHA and ANSI are only applicable for the US market. Other countries around the world have their own standards which may not be the same.

Materials

Fixed ladders are generally made of sturdy materials such as: aluminum or fiberglass, but can also consist of reinforced polymers, stainless steel, hot dipped galvanized steel, or wood. *

Aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

: This metal is corrosion-resistant and lightweight, making it an ideal *

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

: Another sturdy metal, steel is also used for fixed ladders. However, it must be treated to resist corrosion. *

Fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...

: Lighter than wood but sturdier than aluminum, this material is non-conductive and ideal for use for electrical work.

References

{{Reflist Ladders

Components

Materials

See also

References