OSHA proposes to remove the requirement for personal fall arrest systems or ladder safety systems from fixed ladders

I wrote an article last week about how many people did not get the memo about the ladder changes. I’ve done three startups in the past four years, and each one still had cages on its hundreds of fixed ladders. And they were not happy to be told that those were not the correct design. My guess is I was far from the only safety pro informing businesses of these issues, so someone went crying to Dad about the “cost of these climbing devices” vs. the risks of falling. I mean, “let’s be real,” how many of you have fallen off a fixed ladder? (Sarcasm 🤬)

This proposed rule removes a deadline in OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces standard by which all fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet above a lower level must be equipped with personal fall arrest systems or ladder safety systems. Additionally, OSHA is seeking comment on repealing or revising the requirement that employers use personal fall arrest systems on all fixed ladders over 24 feet tall and instead permitting employers to continue to use ladder cages or wells.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/06/2026-06578/walking-working-surfaces

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