Leading Edge Safety AES-LRE-000-13 - Raptor GrabSafe Portable Aluminum Ladder Extension

*** A quote from part of a letter dated December 22, 2005 from The U.S. Department of Labor, Washington D.C; “29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(1) states: When portable ladders are used for access to an upper landing surface, the ladder side rails shall extend at least 3 feet (.9m) above the upper landing surface to which the ladder is used to gain access; or when such an extension is not possible because of the ladder’s length, then the ladder shall be secured at its top to a rigid support that will not deflect, and a grasping device, such as a grabrail, shall be provided to assist employees in mounting and dismounting the ladder. In no case shall the extension be such that ladder deflection under a load would, by itself, cause the ladder to slip off its support. By its terms Section 1926.1053(b)(1) does not prohibit add-on ladder rail extensions or portable ladders designed with a step-through feature. For the purposes of this provision, rail extensions that are securely attached (that is, secured to the extent necessary to stabilize the extension and not expose the employee to a falling hazard from the extensions’ displacement) would be considered part of the ladder itself. Thus, a portable ladder with such extensions attached, and used as described above, would have its side rails extending at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface. Therefore, use of the ladder and the extensions in this manner would be in accordance with the 3-foot requirement in Section 1926.1053(b)(1).