The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has a series of standards for walking and working surfaces. The requirements for fixed ladders are outlined in 1910.27 relative to design considerations, load capacity, anticipated usage, rungs and cleats, distance between rungs, side rails, cages, fastening, paint or treatment, and more.
Environmental requirements are an essential aspect of the standard to ensure longevity and permanent safety. Metal ladders shall be painted or otherwise treated to resist corrosion and rusting where the location requires. Ladders formed by individual metal rungs embedded in concrete, which serve as access to pits and to other areas under floors, are frequently located in an atmosphere that causes corrosion and rusting. To increase rung life in such atmosphere, individual metal rungs shall have a minimum diameter of 1 inch or shall be painted or otherwise treated to resist corrosion and rusting. When different types of materials are used in the construction of a ladder, the materials used should be treated as to have no harmful effect upon the other.
OSHA 1926.1053(a)(6)(i) states: “The rungs and steps of fixed metal ladders manufactured after March 15, 1991, shall be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or otherwise treated to minimize slipping.” All SLIPNOT ladder rungs and ladder rung covers meet and exceed the OSHA and ADA requirements for coefficient of friction. Aluminum, steel, and stainless steel ladders are available product lines and all meet different requirements depending on the environment of the application.
Some applications that require fixed ladders include wind power/turbines, telecommunications, utilities, industrial facilities, drilling rigs/platforms, shipbuilding, crane installation, and confined spaces such as manholes and sewer tanks. SLIPNOT stainless steel ladder rungs and covers are used in many industries, to provide slip resistance, prevent corrosion, and sanitation where required, read ladder rung case studies to explore application examples.