Ladders: The Numbers OSHA Actually Checks
Ladders: The Numbers OSHA Actually Checks
Three feet above the landing, a quarter of the working length out at the base, and a top step that is not a step. The dimensions are easy; the rules people get cited for are the last three on this card.
Setting it up
| Above the landing | Side rails extend at least 3 FEET above the upper landing surface. 1926.1053(b)(1) |
| If it will not reach | Secure the top to a rigid support that will not deflect AND fit a grasping device such as a grabrail. Not one or the other. 1926.1053(b)(1) |
| The angle | Base out from the wall by roughly ONE QUARTER of the working length, measured foot to top support. 1926.1053(b)(5)(i) |
| Portable ladder width | At least 11 1/2 inches clear between the side rails. 1926.1053(a)(4)(ii) |
| Near live electrics | Non-conductive side rails where you or the ladder could contact exposed energised equipment. 1926.1053(b)(12) |
The three that get people cited
- THE TOP OR TOP STEP OF A STEPLADDER SHALL NOT BE USED AS A STEP. 1926.1053(b)(13). It is the single most common ladder citation on a site and it is one sentence long.
- THE REAR CROSS-BRACING IS NOT A LADDER. 1926.1053(b)(14): cross-bracing on the rear section shall not be used for climbing unless the ladder is designed and provided with steps for climbing on both sides.
- A DEFECTIVE LADDER MUST BE TAGGED AND WITHDRAWN. 1926.1053(b)(16): marked as defective or tagged Do Not Use, and withdrawn from service until repaired. Leaning it in the corner of the container is not compliance.
The ladder itself
| Capacity | At least FOUR TIMES the maximum intended load. 1926.1053(a)(1)(i) |
| Except type 1A | Extra-heavy-duty type 1A metal or plastic: at least 3.3 times. 1926.1053(a)(1)(i) |
| Rung spacing | 10 to 14 inches apart, measured center to center. Step stools 8 to 12. 1926.1053(a)(3) |
| Single-rail ladders | Shall not be used. At all. 1926.1053(b)(19) |
| After a repair | Must restore the ladder to its ORIGINAL DESIGN CRITERIA before it goes back into use. 1926.1053(b)(18) |
Climbing it
- Face the ladder when going up or down. 1926.1053(b)(20)
- At least one hand grasping the ladder at all times while moving. 1926.1053(b)(21)
- Do not carry any object or load that could make you lose balance. 1926.1053(b)(22). If it needs two hands to carry, it needs a rope, a hoist or another pair of hands.
- Training is required and it must be by a COMPETENT PERSON, covering fall hazards, correct erection and disassembly, and the maximum intended load. 1926.1060(a)(1)
Fixed ladders, where the rules change at 24 feet
| 24 feet total climb | Cages, wells, ladder safety devices or self-retracting lifelines required where the total climb equals or exceeds 24 feet. 1926.1053(a)(19) |
| The trap | Also required where the climb is LESS than 24 feet but the TOP of the ladder is more than 24 feet above lower levels. 1926.1053(a)(18) |
| Fixed ladder width | At least 16 inches clear between side rails. 1926.1053(a)(4)(i) |
| No cage or well | At least 15 inches clear to the nearest permanent object on each side of the centerline. 1926.1053(a)(17) |
Read from the eCFR text of 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X, edition dated 2026-01-01. These are the FEDERAL OSHA minimums; state-plan states run their own programs and some are stricter. Ladder falls are the most common serious injury in the trades and almost all of them happen on a ladder that was set up wrong rather than one that broke.
Sources: ecfr.gov · osha.gov
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