Ladders and Rest Platforms
Remove all slippery material from platforms and other scaffold components. Working on a scaffold coated with snow, ice, or other slippery material is prohibited.
Many accidents happen because employees do not access platforms safely. Crossbraces and scaffold frames should not be used to access scaffold platforms unless they are equipped with a built-in ladder specifically designed for that purpose.
- All ladders in use should meet OSHA specifications, designed according to standards and secured against displacement.
- The bottom steps of ladders should not be more than 2 feet from the supporting level.
- Hook-on and attachable ladders on supported scaffolds more than 35 feet high should have rest platforms at 35-foot intervals.
- Stairway-type ladders should have rest platforms every 12 feet.
- Integral prefabricated scaffold-access frames should have rest platforms every 35 feet.
For more information on the requirements for scaffold stairway ladders, see OSHA 1926.451(e)(3).
Additional recommendations for the erection of supported scaffolds, suspension scaffolds, fabricated frame scaffolds, outrigger scaffolds, etc., are also described in this course.
There are at least three violations in this photo. Can you spot them? (Hint: Access and Fall Protection)
Look closely at this photo. Workers are being forced to use crossbracing to access the next higher level.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-14. Crossbraces and scaffold frames should not be used to access scaffold platforms unless _____.
You forgot to answer the question!