U.S. Industrial Supply, Inc.

Roof ladders that meet all the universal requirements of building codes in the United States, and that meet and exceed the standards of ANSI and OSHA, are the only type of ladders which should be used for permanent solutions to roof-access issues. Each ladder in use should be made from rigid, sturdy steel, with a flared cage for user protection at the top.

The point at which a user of a roof ladder is in most danger of falling or upset is when they are embarking the ladder from the roof or vice-versa, and having a cage at the top point is an essential safety element.  Without it, most building codes in the United States would not be met, and should an incident occur, the fines and penalties that could be levied are enormous.

Notwithstanding, injury sustained by employees in the US not using fixed caged vertical laddersthat don’t comply with current legislation and prescribed standards, while not high, is still a cause for concern.

On modern buildings, there are no issues because without a roof ladder meeting laid-down standards, the building is not handed over. However, thousands of buildings in the US were built pre-ANSI and OSHA standards, and it is these buildings that may have ladders offering access to roofs and elevated areas but which do not meet the required standards.

Fixed means of access to elevated areas require regular inspection and maintenance; being open and susceptible to the elements, a roof ladder or other means of access regularly in use is always at risk of becoming unstable and/or unfit for use.

It is wise to have an inspection policy and routine documented for every workplace access point, as a means of verifying, as far as reasonably practical, that all raised access points are safe for the use for which they are intended.

Roof ladder access is a fairly modern phenomenon, as one might expect; according to research, the first documented use of ladders such as these was on the brick-built smoke-stacks of factories and industrial locations in England during or around the start of the Industrial Revolution.

A roof ladder, although fixed and in permanent position, is an evolutionary branch of industrial ladders, of which the first known example appears in a cave drawing of Mesolithic origin in Spain.

If your business has roof access issues do not hesitate to contact us directly at the toll free phone number (888) 722-0311 or you could email our sales department for more information regarding a solution for your access issues.