Toe board around fixed ladders

[BamaStrucPESE]

I am trying to determine if a toe plate is required at the base of a fixed ladder that is built into the hand rail at the edge of a platform. I have looked through OSHA 1910.23 which covers "Guarding floor and wall openings and holes" and 1910.23(a)(2) states

Every ladderway floor opening or platform shall be guarded by a standard railing with standard toeboard on all exposed sides (except at entrance to opening), with the passage through the railing either provided with a swinging gate or so offset that a person cannot walk directly into the opening.

I know that there shouldn't be a toe plate at the top of a ladder exiting onto a platform, but I'm not sure if it is required that there be one at the base of the ladder, below the first rung.

Thank you

 

[JStephen]

I don't think I've ever seen a ladder built into a railing like that, which is likely why it is not addressed. If you put the toeboard there, your foot will hit it on the way down, if you omit it, you can kick stuff through the gap, so I don't see an obvious preference.

 

[racookpe1978]

Draw your problem out; I'm sorry, but I can't picture why a toeboard could be run behind the ladder so it doesn't interfere (as pointed out) with a person coming up or down the ladder.)

 

[BamaStrucPESE]

 

[BamaStrucPESE]

Here is a picture

 

[dik]

Looks OK... From the question, I had understood that the toeboard was a tripping hazard going into a caged ladder... what is shown is not a hazard and 'prevents' something from being 'kicked' over the edge.

 

[JStephen]

If you climb down that ladder, unless you're looking down at your feet, you'll either step on top of or kick the toeboard, and it would preferably not be there from a climbing standpoint. It's not a big hazard, but a minor inconvenience. Since the toeboard is already omitted from the section right next to it, you'd be hard put to argue that was a major hazard, either. So I'd see it as a 50-50 as to which was preferable. The ideal solution is to set the ladder inside of the handrail, but it's a bit too late to do that.

 

[JStephen]

You could build a little box out behind the ladder that would miss your foot and still act as a toeboard. It would look funny but accomplish the desired ends. See attached sketch.

 

[topsisu]

JStephen has the right idea. I'd probably offset horizontally 7" from the centerline of the rung similar to OSHA ladder toe clearance climbing requirements.

 

[racookpe1978]

I disagree. The toeboard under the ladder will cause few problems to somebody coming down the ladder because their lower foot will already be on the platform at that point- Their toe of their foot won't be coming "down" across the toeboard as if it would if the ladder continued to a lower level.

However, you've got two dangerous extensions sticking out into the ladder guard to the right. See photo attached.

 

[JStephen]

If you come down a ladder and look down to see where you're at, that toeboard won't ever be a problem. If you just keep climbing down until you run out of ladder, you'll either kick the toeboard with your toe as you try to hit the next rung, or you'll step on top of it. Neither is a big deal, just a minor irritation. It's a similar thing to having the bottom rung an irregular spacing from the platform.

I can't tell enough about the geometry from the picture to tell if those extensions are problems are not. If the cage closes in to an 18" gap, they may just go over to the cage hoops.