New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 12 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Chapter I - Industrial Board Of Appeals
Subchapter A - The Industrial Code
Part 21 - Protection Of Persons Employed At Window Cleaning-structural Requirements, Equipment And Procedures
Section 21.7 - Working from ladders

Universal Citation: 12 NY Comp Codes Rules and Regs ยง 21.7

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024

(a) Use of method. The use of this method is prohibited for cleaning a window where any of the following conditions exist:

(1) The interior surface of the window is to be cleaned and the top of such window is more than 35 feet above the nearest interior floor or equivalent surface on which the base of the ladder is to be placed.

(2) The exterior surface of the window is to be cleaned and the top of such window is more than 35 feet above the nearest street or ground surface.

(3) The window is so placed or obstructed as to make the method unsafe.

(b) Ladders over 18 feet--holding. At all times when a cleaner is working on a ladder over 18 feet long, a person shall stand at the foot of it, face it and hold it with both hands.

(c) Sidewalk doors. No ladder shall be rested on a sidewalk door.

(d) Protection against slipping. All ladders shall be provided with means to prevent slipping suitable to the bearing surface.

(e) Inspection of ladders. Each ladder shall be inspected at least once a month by the person who owns it.

(f) Painting of wood ladders. A wood ladder shall not be painted with other than a transparent material.

(g) Maintenance and replacement. Ladders shall at all times be maintained in a safe condition. Any ladder having a broken member or part, or any insecure joint between members or parts or any flaw or defect of material that may cause failure, or any rung or step that is worn down to three quarters or less of its original thickness, shall be immediately taken out of service for necessary repairs or replacement.

(h) Strength. Ladders, including all load-bearing parts and connections, shall be designed and constructed to sustain without failure a concentrated load of not less than 600 pounds.

(i) Wood ladder construction. Wood used in the construction of ladders shall be thoroughly seasoned, sound, clear and straight-grained and the slope of the cross grain shall not exceed one in 15 at any point for rungs, steps or cleats, and shall not exceed one in 12 for rails. Wood used in side rails shall be at least equivalent in strength and durability to Sitka spruce. Rungs shall be of commercial white ash, white oak or hickory. Load-bearing metal parts shall be of steel, wrought iron, malleable cast iron or other metal of equivalent strength and durability.

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