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When I think about this electrician standing in the top of his ladder to work on this electrical installation!





[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 08-21-2002).]

I chastised one of the guys at the shop where I work for just that OSHA violation. I pointed out that the top steps were clearly marked “NOT A STEP”. He told me he wasn’t using it as a step just a work platform!

Please cite the OSHA rule that has been violated here.

OSHA 1926 Subpart X, specifically 1926.1050, 1926.1053, and 1926.1060. OSHA 1910.333 could be cited, depending on circumstances.

Joe,
The other ladder is for higher jobs.
If you turn it upside down it fits perfectly on the top of the other one, and you're good for 3 more feet!!

Of course ( halo in full glow) WE would never do that!!!

Of course I can safely do it, because I know what I'm doing. It's others who shouldn't do it because they... oh sh_t whoooaaa, ouch!!!

OK, I was gonna stay out of this, but.....what the heck. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I always used to tell everyone if I stand on that stupid warning, ya couldn't read it . I had a service truck for about 5 years in the heart of the District of Columbia. Service call one day, standing on top of the ladder (of course), guy asks me if I know where I am, I replied with the address and suite #, he takes me around the corner to the plaque on the wall..... Headquarters of OSHA. I still stood on top of the ladder, but I did hurry up and get out of there.

The little ladder is a necessity here. The electrician needs it so that he can stand on top of it to work under the awning!

[Forum Commandment]Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.[/Forum Commandment]

Commandment!!!!! Heck, that oughta be our Motto

Some of us have made lots of mistakes. I know this is bad, I've done it.

Well I have even worse news for you. At least here in California not only can you not stand on the top of the ladder (obviously) but you cannot stand on the first step of the ladder. The first step is defined as the first step down on the ladder. So that little three step ladder next to the guy is useless. I am not sure if Fed OSHA is that way, but if anybody is interested I can check on that.

Just found this site a couple of days ago and it is great.

You can see the label on both ladders located on the first step below the top. It says do not stand on or above this step. The guys that work with me ask why don't they just make the ladder two steps shorter. I tried to tell them that if the steps were not there there would be nowhere to put the label. It is hard to work around perfect logic. It would be my guess that some of this logic was the motivation behind the idiot labels in the first place.

looks to me like he was thinking 10' 6'+4'=10'

I have a little finger on the right hand just from this very incident. It hurts ten years later and that is besides the three weeks I was off. At least he wasn't standing on a stack of books sitting in a chair.

Scott's
There is a Cal OSHA exception that allows you to stand on that step...and then the top one!!!(But not in this manner)
Bummer, now you guys are gonna make me find it! Honest, it's heresomewhere

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 02-24-2002).]

electure:

I was wondering if you were able to find the rule you mentioned??

I used to not think much of standing on the top of a ladder until I saw a guy come off of a lift when someone energized the 277V lighting circuit he was working on while standing on the top rail.

Somehow he landed back into the lift but if he hadn't it would have been 30' to concrete !

So there are two major mistakes that could be deadly! Throwing a breaker when you don't know what is going on in the circuit and standing on any of the rails of the lift. (I have been hit because some yahoo throws the breaker on, and I don’t think that I have been more pissed off at a co-worker in my life!)

We also had a guy come through a ceiling last week who had to be taken by helicopter to the hospital. Almost 35’ to concrete! He’s going to be somewhat all right, but who knows when he will be released from the hospital.

Chills up the back is one thing, it’s accidents like this that put the fear of god in me!

Just a note:

It's hard to make anything fool-proof because fools are so ingenius.

Jim

PS I've never done this(on anything taller than say - 12').

Hi Joe,

Here are some OSHA references for portable ladders.


When reading the manufacturer's instructions attached to a portable ladder, you will see that it says something about "not standing above this step" which is the step before the "top step".


Hope this helps!
Dave

[This message has been edited by WebSparky (edited 02-25-2003).]

OK, so a 6' ladder is really 5', and a 12' ladder is 11' etc.
Like a few said, "he who is without sin.."
well, it ain't me, or my guys.
John

Hotline1:
A 6' ladder is really 4'!?!

Look at the label on the ladder: it will state the highest standing level: about 3'10" for a 6' ladder.

[This message has been edited by cubby964 (edited 02-26-2003).]

Thanks for all of the valuable information. I have a directory of many images showing the same situation where the top step was used!!