Ridgehooks & Fall Protection
To the Editor:
Thank you for Jay Klein's informative
article "Scaffolding Options" (12/96).
Regarding ridgehooks, our reading of
OSHA regs is that fall protection is not
required when on a secured ladder or
an OSHA-compliant platform (with
guardrails, toeboards, etc.). This would
preclude the need for supplemental fall
protection while actually on a ridgehook
ladder. Ladders (ridgehook or
ground-supported) are intended to provide
a safe route for workers to get to
and from their work site. Also, ladders
are often used in routine repair and
maintenance tasks such as chimney
cleaning, flashing repair, and so forth
— tasks that we understand are not
subject to OSHA regulation.
This is the guideline we follow, but
an official interpretation