California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 1 - General Physical Conditions and Structures › Article 4 - Access, Work Space, and Work Areas › Section 3277 - Fixed Ladders

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a)
						All fixed ladders shall be approved as defined in Section
						3206 of the General Industry Safety
						Orders.
(b) Definitions.
Cage. A cage is a guard that may be referred to as a
						  cage or basket guard, which is an enclosure that is fastened to the side rails
						  of the fixed ladder or to the structure to encircle the climbing space of the
						  ladder for the safety of the person who must climb the ladder.
Carrier. The track of a ladder safety system consisting
						  of a flexible cable or rigid rail, which is secured to the ladder or structure
						  by mountings.
Cleats. Cleats are ladder crosspieces of rectangular
						  cross section placed on edge on which a person may step in ascending or
						  descending.
Fastenings. A fastening is a device to attach a ladder
						  to a structure, building, or equipment. Fixed, hinged, bearing, or slide-type
						  fastenings may be used.
Fixed Ladder. A fixed ladder is a ladder permanently
						  attached to a structure, building, or equipment. Ladders referred to in this
						  code shall be construed to be fixed ladders.
Grab Bars. Grab bars are individual handholds placed
						  adjacent to or as an extension above ladders for the purpose of providing
						  access beyond the limits of the ladder.
Individual-Rung Ladder. An individual-rung ladder is a
						  fixed ladder each rung of which is individually attached to a structure,
						  building, or equipment.
Ladder. A ladder is an appliance usually consisting of
						  two side rails joined at regular intervals by crosspieces called steps, rungs,
						  or cleats, on which a person may step in ascending or descending.
Ladder Safety System. An approved assembly of
						  components whose function is to arrest the fall of a user. The ladder safety
						  system shall include the carrier and its associated attachment elements
						  (brackets, fasteners, etc.), safety sleeve, full body harness and connectors,
						  wherein the carrier is permanently attached to the climbing face of the ladder
						  or immediately adjacent to the structure.
Pitch. Pitch is the included angle between the
						  horizontal and the ladder, measured on the opposite side of the ladder from the
						  climbing side.
Rail Ladder. A rail ladder is a fixed ladder consisting
						  of side rails joined at regular intervals by rungs or cleats and fastened in
						  full length or in sections to a building, structure, or equipment.
Railings. Railings when referred to in this section
						  shall be any one or a combination of those railings defined in Section
						  3210.
Rungs. Rungs are ladder crosspieces on which a person
						  may step in ascending or descending.
Safety Sleeve. The part of a ladder safety system
						  consisting of the moving component with locking mechanism that travels on the
						  carrier and makes the connection between the carrier and the full body
						  harness.
Side-Step Ladder. A side-step ladder is one from which
						  a person getting off at the top must step sideways from the ladder in order to
						  reach the landing, such as shown in Fig. 3.
Steps. Steps are the flat crosspieces of a ladder on
						  which a person may step in ascending or descending.
Through Ladder. A through ladder is one from which a
						  person getting off at the top must step through the ladder in order to reach
						  the landing, such as shown in Fig. 2.
Well. A well is a permanent complete enclosure around a
						  fixed ladder, which is attached to the walls of the well. Proper clearances for
						  a well will give the person who must climb the ladder the same protection as a
						  cage. (See (g)(6) and Fig. 1.)
(c) Design Considerations. All ladders,
						appurtenances, and fastenings shall be designed to meet the following load
						requirements:
(1) The minimum design live load
						shall be a single concentrated load of 200 pounds.
(2) The number and position of additional
						concentrated live-load units of 200 pounds each as determined from anticipated
						usage of the ladder shall be considered in the design.
(3) The live loads imposed by persons
						occupying the ladder shall be considered to be concentrated at such point or
						points as will cause the maximum stress in the structural member being
						considered.
(4) The weight of the
						ladder and attached appurtenances together with the live load shall be
						considered in the design of rails and fastenings.
(5) All wood parts of fixed ladders shall
						meet the design and construction requirements for portable wood ladders in
						Section 3276(c).
(6) For fixed ladders consisting of wood side
						rails and wood rungs or cleats, used at a pitch in the range 75 degrees to 90
						degrees, and intended for use by no more than one person per section, single
						ladders or cleat ladders as described in Section
						3276 are
						acceptable.