Ladder Safety Program
UC Berkeley has developed this Ladder Safety Program to manage the safe selection, procurement, safe work practices, inspection, inventory tracking and record keeping of all ladders. The Ladder Safety Program applies to any department on campus, at field stations, or on leased property where any type of ladder three (3) feet or more in length/height is used. Roles and responsibilities for safe use of ladders by employees (including temporary employees and graduate students performing research related activities in field stations and remote research facilities) are detailed. Roles and responsibilities for Owner Departments that purchase and maintain ladders are included.
The department owning the ladders is responsible for the proper selection of ladders to be kept in their ladder inventory based upon an assessment of work tasks. In addition, Owner Departments are responsible for providing training to their personnel who use ladders, for keeping the records of training completed, and for performing annual inspections and maintenance of all ladders under their ownership/control. Ladder users are required to follow safe-work procedures as outlined in this program, to alert Owner Department management whenever they discover a damaged ladder and to follow the safe work practices developed by their department concerning ladder use.
