New Fixed Ladder OSHA Safety Requirements and Compliance
With ladder safety procedures in place, safety liability for personnel and building owner liability can be reduced. The installation and stability of fixed ladders decreases the risks associated with mobile ladders.
OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) provides fixed ladder safety guidelines for building owners, tenants, employees, vendors, building envelope contractors and roofers. Cages are no longer considered an acceptable form of fall protection per OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces Standard (OSHA 1910) that was revised January 17th 2017. As with most major standard revisions, these changes are introduced in phases.
Bottom line: all fixed ladders 24 ft or taller (20 ft or taller in California) require a fall protection system. Building owners who have fixed ladders without any form of fall protection, such as cages or fall arrest systems, are non compliant and may be in violation of OSHA regulations. By 2036, fixed ladders will require a Personal Fall Arrest System. This is a cable trolley or similar system and a Personal Harness System with a Lanyard.
What should building owners do now for compliance and to avoid an OSHA citation?
- 1. Existing fixed ladders that are greater than 24 ft in vertical height (20 ft or taller in California) with no current fall protection system in place, must have fall arrest systems installed to avoid OSHA citations.
- 2.New ladders installed or the replacement of existing ladders (that exceed the above mentioned height requirements) must install proper fall protection. This revision came into effect as of November 18, 2018.
- 3.If safety cages are in place on existing ladders, they must be retrofitted with a Personal Fall Protection System by 2036.
- 4.Personal Harness Systems must have a front or forward facing D ring. Building owners will need to train their personnel to properly use the harness and fall arrest system.
- 5.Installing a Personal Fall Arrest System on an existing ladder requires the building owner verify that the structure (ladder) and attachment to the structure is capable of supporting the potential load of a fall.
- 6.By 2036, all fixed ladders (that exceed the above mentioned height requirements) will require Personal Fall Arrest System.
“Building owners should be proactive in their approach to providing a safe working environment with regard to ladders,” reminds Derek Tokarz, Marketing Manager, FixFastUSA. “Cage ladder rules changed after extensive research and testing. A cage may not be the safest option for fall protection as it does not always stop a person from falling or safely arrest their fall.”
Your CentiMark representative can assist you with compliance regarding existing and future fixed ladders. This process includes an inspection of your existing ladders, estimated cost for compliance for retrofit or replacement and a timeline to distribute the costs prior to the 2036 deadline.
To discuss OSHA compliance at your facility, complete the form on the right.
Right Experience - Right Warranty - Right Everything
Hear what some of CentiMark’s customers had to say about their experience working with CentiMark over the years. We are grateful to those who took the time out of their busy schedules, allowed us to film their projects and who were willing to say a few things about their experience.
We are very fortunate to have been in business for over 50 years. Throughout those 50 years we have built long-lasting partnerships and continue to forge new ones every day. CentiMark is driven to provide quality workmanship and exceptional customer service to all customers.
Watch now:
What to do in Case of a Weather Event - Both Roofing and Flooring
Roofing Concerns:
The main purpose of your roof is to keep water out of your building. Since Mother Nature is typically unpredictable, CentiMark is prepared for most weather conditions on your roof - especially hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and wind.
Weather systems can damage your roof even though proper construction and preventative maintenance typically allow for superior roof performance during adverse conditions. However, rain, hail, thunderstorms, wind, tornadoes, hurricanes and heat are all potential detriments to a roof system.
Many emergency weather situations happen quickly with little, if any, warning. However, with hurricanes, there is often time to prepare. For all weather situations affecting your roof, the best course is to prepare to minimize roof problems and/or roof failure with a Preventative Maintenance Inspection:
- Clean debris from drains
- Check for loose metal flashings
- Remove construction debris
- Investigate roof membranes for possible areas of water infiltration
- Fix failing wall flashings
- Remove equipment such as satellite dishes (in the case of hurricane preparation)
Then, after a storm or weather event, schedule an inspection. Some roof damage - particularly hail damage - may not be detected immediately or by an untrained eye until cracks, leaks or structural damage is detected months later.
In the event of major damage or power failure after a weather event, CentiMark has portable satellites for communications with our customers and our crews along with supplies including job materials for temporary and watertight repairs, generators, gasoline for vehicles, food, water and motorhomes for shelter for our crews who mobilize to provide assistance. Our crews are prepared to get out in the field as quickly as possible to get roofs fixed and our customers back to business.
Flooring Concerns:
When severe weather events cause flooding, QuestMark can provide fast floor clean-ups, debris removal and resurfacing of floors in commercial, retail and industrial buildings.
After a commercial building floods, typically the first damage that occurs is to existing floor coverings - tile, carpet, hardwood or linoleum, etc. These floor coverings just cannot take on or absorb water.
QuestMark removes these damaged floor coverings and can install a polished concrete or epoxy system for our customers. QuestMark has the largest fleet of floor removal equipment in the industry. Using our tile removal and planetary grinding machines, these projects can be undertaken in a timely manner.
If more traditional floor coverings are required, QuestMark can remove the damaged floor coverings and prepare the concrete for the installation of the tile, carpet, hardwood or linoleum by another trade vendor.
Priority Plus Program for Emergency Services
CentiMark's Priority Plus Program provides first response to enrolled customers. Once the roads are safe to travel, we will contact you about the property or visit the property if communications are down. Our trained CentiMark crews will inspect the condition of your roof and floors, assess the damage and perform emergency repairs or get clean up started.
To enroll in Priority Plus, complete the form to the right.
Tip of the Month - Floor Maintenance
Maintaining polished and coated concrete floors improves their durability, enhances non-slip characteristics, assures an optimal level of performance and keeps them looking great. Any dirt and debris on polished or concrete floors acts as an abrasive. It will scratch the finish causing floors to look dull and lose durability over time. When you add traffic to these dirty floors, deterioration happens even quicker.
Below is a floor maintenance white paper that goes through some general tips to use when cleaning your floors along with before, during and after cleaning procedures to get the maximum results. Also, below is a link to the online catalog where you can find more information on maintenance products and equipment.
