Portable Ladder and Rolling Ladder Safety
Ladder safety procedure covering selection of the right portable ladder or rolling ladder stand for the task and its duty rating, the pre-use inspection and the tag-out of defective ladders, setup on level footing with spreaders locked and wheel locks engaged, the climbing rules of facing the ladder and keeping three points of contact, the prohibition on standing above the marked top step and on carrying loads up by hand, the belt buckle rule against overreaching, positioning and visibility rules for rolling ladders working in forklift traffic aisles, and storage that keeps every ladder out of aisles and egress routes.
- Audience
- Order pickers, stockers, and replenishment associates who climb rolling ladders daily, maintenance technicians and facilities staff who use step and extension ladders, supervisors who assign ladder work, and the person responsible for the ladder inventory and inspection program
- Review cycle
- annual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-17
- Revision
- 1
Portable Ladder and Rolling Ladder Safety: what is in the procedure
7 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure governs the selection, inspection, setup, use, movement...
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to every portable ladder and rolling ladder stand on the property: stepladders and platform stepladders, extension ladders, stepstools...
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedEvery employee who uses a ladder inspects it before first use on their shift, follows the setup and climbing rules in this procedure, reports and tags any defect immediately...
- 04
Procedure: Selecting the Right Ladder and Inspecting Before Use
CustomizedSelection: 1. Pick the ladder designed for the task.
- 05
Procedure: Setup and Climbing Rules for All Ladders
Fixed1. Set the ladder on a firm, level, dry surface.
- 06
Procedure: Rolling Ladders in Traffic Aisles and Ladder Storage
CustomizedRolling ladders in aisles shared with powered industrial trucks: 1. Position the ladder tight to the pick face, not mid-aisle, leaving the maximum possible clear lane for truck traffic...
- 07
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.23 Ladders, in particular paragraphs (b) general requirements, (c) portable ladders, and (e) mobile ladder stands and mobile ladder stand platforms.
Regulatory references
Portable Ladder and Rolling Ladder Safety: 29 CFR 1910.23(b)
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
No employee carries any object or load that could cause the employee to lose balance and fall while climbing up or down the ladder.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.23(b) | Ladders: general requirements for all ladders | Ladders may be used only for the purposes for which they were designed. Every ladder must be inspected before initial use in each work shift, and more frequently as necessary, to identify any visible defects that could cause employee injury. Any ladder with structural or other defects must be immediately tagged Dangerous: Do Not Use, or with similar language, and removed from service until it is repaired or replaced. When climbing up or down, each employee must face the ladder, must use at least one hand to grasp the ladder, and must not carry any object or load that could cause the employee to lose balance and fall. The standard states the climbing rules as facing the ladder, a one-hand grasp, and no balance-upsetting load; the three points of contact rule in this procedure is the facility practice that satisfies and exceeds those requirements. |
| 29 CFR 1910.23(c) | Ladders: portable ladders | Each stepladder must be equipped with a metal spreader or locking device that securely holds the front and back sections in an open position while the ladder is in use. Ladders must not be loaded beyond the maximum intended load, which by the note to paragraph (c)(3) includes the total weight of the employee plus all tools, equipment, and materials carried. Ladders may be used only on stable and level surfaces unless they are secured or stabilized to prevent accidental displacement, and ladders used on slippery surfaces must be secured and stabilized. No ladder may be moved, shifted, or extended while an employee is on it. Ladders placed in passageways, doorways, or driveways where they can be displaced by other activities or traffic must be secured or guarded by a temporary barricade. The cap, if equipped, and the top step of a stepladder must not be used as steps. Ladders must not be tied or fastened together for added length unless designed for such use, and must not be placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases to obtain additional height. |
| 29 CFR 1910.23(e) | Ladders: mobile ladder stands and mobile ladder stand platforms | Mobile ladder stands and platforms must be capable of supporting at least four times their maximum intended load. Units with wheels or casters must be equipped with a system to impede horizontal movement when an employee is on the stand or platform, and no mobile ladder stand or platform may move when an employee is on it. Units with a top step height of 4 feet or above must have handrails, mobile ladder stands with a top step height above 10 feet must have the top step protected on three sides by a handrail at least 36 inches high, and the standing area of a mobile ladder stand must be within the base frame. |
| 29 CFR 1910.22(a) | Walking-working surfaces: surface conditions | All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces must be kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition, and walking-working surfaces must be maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice. A ladder left standing in an aisle or leaned across an egress route is an obstruction these paragraphs require the facility to keep out of the walkway, and a spill or slick surface under a ladder's feet is a hazard they require the facility to correct. |
| 29 CFR 1910.22(d) | Walking-working surfaces: inspection, maintenance, and repair | Walking-working surfaces must be inspected regularly and as necessary and maintained in a safe condition. Hazardous conditions must be corrected or repaired before an employee uses the surface again, and if the correction cannot be made immediately, the hazard must be guarded to prevent employees from using the surface until it is corrected. When a correction or repair involves the structural integrity of the walking-working surface, a qualified person must perform or supervise the work. Applied to ladders, this is the repair path referenced by 1910.23(b)(10): a tagged defective ladder stays out of service until repaired under these requirements or replaced. |
Compliance checklist
Portable Ladder and Rolling Ladder Safety: what an inspector looks for
Every ladder is inspected before initial use on each shift, and more frequently as necessary, for visible defects that could cause injury
29 CFR 1910.23(b)
Any ladder with a structural or other defect is immediately tagged Dangerous: Do Not Use and removed from service until repaired or replaced
29 CFR 1910.23(b)
Employees face the ladder when climbing, keep a grasp on the ladder, and carry no object or load that could cause a loss of balance and a fall
29 CFR 1910.23(b)
Ladders are used only for their designed purpose: never as a bridge onto racking, a work platform for powered equipment interaction, or a base for improvised height
29 CFR 1910.23(b)
Stepladders are climbed only fully open with the metal spreader or locking device locked, and the cap and top step are never used as steps
29 CFR 1910.23(c)
Ladders are set up only on stable and level surfaces unless secured or stabilized, are never loaded beyond the maximum intended load, and are never moved, shifted, or extended while occupied
29 CFR 1910.23(c)
Ladders standing in passageways, doorways, or traffic areas are secured or barricaded
29 CFR 1910.23(c)
Rolling ladder wheel locks are engaged before climbing, the movement-impeding system works on every unit, and no rolling ladder ever moves while an employee is on it
29 CFR 1910.23(e)
Ladders are stored in assigned locations out of aisles and egress routes, and floors under ladder setups are kept clean, dry, and free of spill and slip hazards
29 CFR 1910.22(a)
Ladder condition and storage are covered in the regular walking-working surface inspections, and tagged ladders are repaired by a qualified person or replaced before returning to service
29 CFR 1910.22(d)
Shared-aisle controls (positioning, high-visibility vests, spotters or aisle closures at blind spots, truck yield rules) are in use wherever rolling ladders work in powered industrial truck aisles
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This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.