Climb New Heights and Explore the Benefits of an Exterior Roof Access Ladder

Roofs on residential and commercial buildings must be regularly checked for proper maintenance. Regular maintenance checks help discover issues early on, preventing further and costlier damage. And for this purpose, exterior roof access ladders are required.

General contractors, roofing contractors, building maintenance personnel, engineers, architects, and specifications writers opt for exterior roof ladders for jobs and tasks that require the use of ladders, as these ladders are built specifically to provide safe and stable access to the high places that they need to reach, designed to withstand the elements and harsh environmental conditions.

Roof access ladder requirements

Generally, standard exterior roof access ladders are designed to provide access to roofs under 20 feet high. They are installed beside tanks and refineries, vats and elevator pits, ventilation systems, and chimneys, to name a few. Often, a crossover ladder or platform is installed on the roof if there are exposed obstructions that could cause trip and fall accidents. These are usually pipes, HVAC systems, and such.

And since these ladders will be used in an industrial and construction setting and for maintenance and roofing applications, these must meet specific safety standards regulated by OSHA. Basically, an OSHA-compliant exterior roof access ladder ensures that the ladder is safe to be used for such applications and settings, and having passed these standards, ensures that the ladders are high-quality, too.

Briefly, OSHA roof access ladder requirements for designers and manufacturers cover such safety measures as appropriate rung sizes to meet distance requirements between the nearest structure and rung central line, a minimum of 24″ overhead clearance, side rail positions, and installation of exterior roof access ladders according to the manufacturer’s rated limits.

These standards must be strictly adhered to by the manufacturer, and buyers like contractors, spec writers, architects, engineers, and building administrators must ensure that the ladders they are buying are OSHA-compliant for their workers’ safety.

A fixed exterior roof access ladder gives you the convenience of having a safe ladder to use whenever needed. More importantly, you provide workers with a safe access ladder, which local safety inspectors may randomly check.

Are you a general contractor, engineer, architect, spec writer, roofing contractor, or building administrator looking for reliable, long-lasting exterior roof ladders? Please fill out the Contact Form here for questions or inquiries. You may also reach Alaco Ladder Company at (888) 310-7040.