When using job-made wooden ladders, workers risk permanent injury or death from falls and electrocutions. Fortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that these hazards can be eliminated or substantially reduced by adopting good safety practices. ANSI ASC A14.4-2018: Safety Requirements for Job-Made Wooden Ladders provides specifications for job-made wooden ladders constructed for temporary access on construction and demolition operations.
What Is ANSI ASC A14.4?
ANSI ASC A14.4-2018 prescribes minimum requirements and recommendations for the construction, design, installation, and use of job-made wooden ladders. The American National Standard covers reasonable safety for life and limb during any construction or demolition operation where conditions are not practical or permit the erection of temporary stairs or ramps.
ANSI ASC A14.4-2018 does not cover portable manufactured or portable job-made ladders, permanent fixed ladders, or mobile-equipment ladders.
Characteristics of Job-Made Ladders
A job-made wooden ladder is a ladder constructed at the construction site that provides access to and from the work area during construction or demolition. It is a ladder built on-site by employees and is not commercially manufactured.
Since job-made ladders are temporary in nature, they serve only until a particular phase of work is completed or until permanent stairways or fixed ladders are ready for use. Another characteristic of job-made wooden ladders, as noted in ANSI ASC A14.4-2018, is that they are custom-made to fit specific job situations during construction or demolition operations. As such, their primary purpose is to provide access to or egress from a work area.
Ladder Safety
To prevent workers from being injured from falls from ladders, employers are encouraged to follow to these practices:
Ascending and Descending
- Face the ladder and maintain a firm grip while ascending or descending.
- Do not run up or down or slide down the ladder at any time.
- Maintain a 3-point contact (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) when climbing a ladder
Intended Use
- Use the ladder only for the purpose for which they were designed.
- Do not use job-made wooden ladders for guys or braces, or hoist supports or structural functions other than those of a ladder.
Mounting and Dismounting:
- Before mounting the ladder that shoes are free from grease, oil, or mud.
- Step through, not around, the rail extensions at the top of the ladder.
Ladder Material
- Smooth the wood surface of the ladder to reduce injuries to workers from punctures or lacerations and to prevent snagging of clothing.
- Keep ladders free of any slippery materials.
Ladder Placement
- Only put ladders on stable and level surfaces unless secured to prevent accidental movement.
- Secure the ladder’s base to avoid it moving.
- Maintain good housekeeping in the areas around the top and bottom of ladders.
Transporting Material
- To the extent practical, a hand line should be used for raising and lowering tools and materials.
- Do not carry objects of sufficient weight and size that could cause loss of balance on the ladder.
- Use job-made wooden ladders with spliced side rails at an angle so that the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of the ladder is one-eighth the working length of the ladder.
- Ensure that job-made wooden ladders can support at least four times the maximum intended load.
ANSI ASC A14.4-2018: Safety Requirements for Job-Made Wooden Ladders is available on the ANSI Webstore and in this Standards Package, ANSI ASC A14 Ladder Standards Package.