Industrial Ladders

A rolling ladder (OSHA’s term is mobile ladder stand) is a fixed-height set of steps on a rigid base with casters, usually with handrails and a top platform. It is the standard tool for picking and stocking from high shelves and pallet rack. Most sit down on rubber feet or lock their wheels once someone steps on, through spring-loaded casters or a step-activated lock.

You’ll usually choose between a standard climb of roughly 58 to 60° and a gentler 50° climb. The 50° models take more floor space but let people walk down facing forward and carry small items more easily. Vestil sells both 50° and 58° warehouse ladders, and Cotterman builds 50° and 59° series.

A ship’s ladder is a steep stair with flat treads and handrails on both sides. It fits where a standard stair won’t, such as a mezzanine edge, a platform, a pit or a roof. OSHA defines a ship stair as 50 to 70° with open risers, a rise of 6.5 to 12 in., treads at least 4 in. deep and at least 18 in. wide.

The names overlap in the market. Equipto, for example, lists its Ship’s Ladders at a 75° rise and its Ship’s Stairways at 66 to 70°. A unit steeper than 70° falls in OSHA’s ladder range, so check the actual angle against how your team will use it.

A fixed ladder is permanently attached to a building, structure or piece of equipment. It uses the least floor space of any access option, which is why you see it on mezzanines, storage roofs, tanks, pits and machinery. OSHA requires rungs spaced 10 to 14 in. apart, at least 16 in. of clear width and at least 7 in. of clearance behind the rungs. Side rails of through or side-step ladders must extend 42 in. above the landing.

Fixed ladders that rise more than 24 ft need a ladder safety system or personal fall arrest system. Cages alone no longer count on new installations (details in the OSHA section below).

Roof access ladders are fixed ladders that reach a roof, either up an exterior wall to a parapet or eave, or up an interior wall through a roof hatch. Common options are a safety cage, walk-through handrails at the roof edge and a ladder safety system on taller climbs.

The first questions buyers ask us are fixed or modular, which height to order and whether they need a cage. Start with the height from the ground (or the lower roof) to the roof you need to reach, plus the wall type.

A crossover is two short stairs joined by a platform. It lets people step over conveyors, pipes, ducts, hoses and cords instead of climbing over or ducking under them. Vestil cross-over ladders come in steel, aluminum and galvanized versions with several step heights and platform widths. Equipto adds ship’s-style crossovers and longer crossover bridges for wide conveyor lines. Our crossover stairs guide compares the types and covers rooftop and pipe crossovers.

To size one, measure the height of the obstacle, the width you need to clear and the space at each end for the steps. For elevated walkways over whole process areas, see our industrial catwalks.

A track ladder hooks onto a rail mounted along the front of shelving and rolls down the aisle, so it is always there and never left blocking the floor. Cotterman’s Single Trak, Dual Trak and Dual Side Trak systems are used in parts rooms, stockrooms, libraries and retail backrooms where tall shelving lines narrow aisles.

Track ladders are planned with the shelving itself. Send us the shelving height and aisle width, or see our shelving solutions.

General industry ladders fall under 29 CFR 1910.23 (how ladders are built and used) and 1910.28 (fall protection). The biggest change for fixed ladders came in the 2016 walking-working surfaces rule: cages are being phased out as fall protection.

A ladder safety system is a rail or cable on the ladder with a sleeve, lanyard and body harness. OSHA states plainly that cages and wells are not ladder safety systems. A cage can stay on a ladder that also has a safety system, as long as it doesn’t get in the way.

• Steel: the strongest and most common for rolling, fixed and crossover ladders. Usually powder coated for indoor use.
• Aluminum: lighter and naturally corrosion resistant, so it is easy to roll and good for damp areas. Load ratings are often lower than steel.
• Hot-dip galvanized steel: the usual choice outdoors, at docks and in washdown areas. Vestil offers galvanized cross-over ladders and alternating tread stairs.
• Fiberglass: used for portable ladders near electrical equipment because it doesn’t conduct electricity when clean and dry.

OSHA requires metal ladders to be corrosion resistant or protected against corrosion.