Michigan Administrative Code › Department - Labor and Economic Opportunity › MIOSHA › General Industry and Construction Safety and Occupational Health Standards › Construction Safety and Health Standard › Part 11 - FIXED AND PORTABLE LADDERS › Section R. 408.41124 - Portable ladders

Current through Vol. 24-12, July 15, 2024
Rule 1124.
(1) A
					 portable ladder must be used at such a pitch that the horizontal projected
					 distance from the top support to the base is not more than 1/4 of the vertical
					 distance between these points.
(2)
					 A portable ladder in use shall be equipped with appropriate safety feet, unless
					 the ladder is tied, blocked, or otherwise secured to prevent it from being
					 displaced. Slip-resistant feet must not be used as a substitute for care in
					 placing, lashing, or holding a ladder that is used upon slippery surfaces,
					 including flat metal or concrete surfaces that are constructed so that they
					 cannot be prevented from becoming slippery.
(3) A portable ladder that is used at such a
					 pitch that the horizontal projected distance from the top support to the base
					 is less than 1/5 of the vertical distance between these points shall be secured
					 at the top to prevent tipping backward.
(4) A portable ladder that is used at a pitch
					 of 80 degrees or more shall be in compliance with the requirements of a fixed
					 ladder as prescribed in General Industry Safety and Health Standard Part 2.
					 "Walking-Working Surfaces," as referenced in
					 R
					 408.41102a.
(5) When portable ladders are used for access
					 to an upper landing surface, the ladder side rails must extend not less than 3
					 feet (0.9 m) above the upper landing surface to which the ladder is used to
					 gain access; or, when such an extension is not possible because of the ladders
					 length, then the ladder must be secured at its top to rigid support that will
					 not deflect and a grasping device, such as a grab-rail, shall be provided to
					 assist employees in mounting and dismounting the ladder. The side rails shall
					 not extend in a manner that would permit ladder deflection under a load, by
					 itself, to cause the ladder to slip off its support. The top of a
					 non-self-supporting ladder shall be placed with the 2 rails supported equally,
					 unless the ladder is equipped with a single support attachment.
(6) A manufactured portable metal ladder
					 shall not be used for electrical work or where the ladder or an employee may
					 contact electrical conductors.
A ladder shall have nonconductive side-rails if the
						ladder is used where the employee or the ladder could contact exposed energized
						electrical equipment, except as provided in Construction Safety Standard Part
						16. "Power Transmission and Distribution," as referenced in
						R
						408.41102a.
(7) A metal ladder must not be used or moved
					 unless a minimum of 20 feet is maintained between power transmission or
					 distribution lines.
(8) A power
					 transmission or distribution line or electrical apparatus must be considered
					 energized unless the property owner or utility indicates it is de-energized and
					 the line or apparatus is visibly grounded. Where de-energizing is impractical,
					 the minimum clearances set forth in table 1 shall be maintained between the
					 ladder, employee, or material, whichever is closer.
(9) Table 1 reads as follows:
TABLE 1
VOLTAGE
MINIMUM CLEARANCE
To 50 kV
10 feet
Over 50 kV
10 feet plus .4 inch per kV
(10) An employee who is using a portable
					 ladder shall not stand on the top 2 rungs or within 3 feet of the top of the
					 ladder.
(11) Two portable ladders
					 must not be spliced together to provide long sections unless such ladders are
					 specifically designed for such use.
(12) A portable 2-section extension ladder
					 must be erected so that the top section rests on the base section. The top
					 section must be the section nearest to the climber.
(13) A non-self-supporting ladder must be
					 used at an angle such that the horizontal distance from the top support to the
					 foot of the ladder is approximately 1/4 of the working length of the ladder
					 that is the distance along the ladder between the foot and the top
					 support.
(14) A fixed ladder must
					 be used at a pitch of not more than 90 degrees from the horizontal, as measured
					 to the back side of the ladder.
(15) An employer shall ensure that each
					 self-supporting portable ladder complies with all of the following:
(a) A ladder must sustain at least 4 times
					 the maximum intended load, except that each extra-heavy-duty type 1A metal or
					 plastic ladder must sustain at least 3.3 times the maximum intended
					 load.
(b) The ability of a ladder
					 to sustain the loads indicated in this rule is determined by applying or
					 transmitting the requisite load to the ladder in a downward vertical
					 direction.
(c) Ladders built and
					 tested in conformance with the applicable provisions of
					 R
					 408.41111, are deemed to meet this requirement.
See figure 5.
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