ladder cage requirements

[bhart192]

a little off topic , OSHA 1910.27 seems to require a cage on any fixed ladder over 20' in height , ANSI 14.2 set the height requirement to 24' anyone help clear this up I cant see how ANSI could be different form OSHA

 

[JedClampett]

Think how boring life would be if everything made sense.
But OSHA has a pretty clear (if broad) mandate covering workplaces, but not railroads, agricultural, mines, etc. So just guessing here, maybe ANSI is meant to cover the remainder.

 

[JStephen]

bhart,
There's a long involved story there. But basically, ANSI wrote the standard, OSHA used the standard to write the regulation, ANSI updated the standard, OSHA didn't update the regulation. Or more correctly, they've tried to a couple of times, and have published "proposed regulations" that incorporated those changes without ever actually issuing them as final regulations.

Anyway, right now, if you go to the OSHA website and look up regulations for general industry, you get the "old" regulation with 20' maximum.
If you go to the OSHA website and look up Publication 3124, it shows the "new" requirements, never actually enacted, that show 24'.

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3124.pdf

There are some interpretations in which they say compliance with a proposed standard is a de minimus violation that won't be cited or fined.
Which are you supposed to use, though? That's the question...