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Occasional climbing on concrete-form walers

Summary An OSHA region asked whether workers could climb the walers or stringers of concrete forms. OSHA said workers could occasionally climb pinned or welded walers during form work, but the walers should not be used as access ladders. OSHA archives the memo.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1978-03-22
Date issued
March 22, 1978
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Concrete Forms Access
Source
View the official document

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OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy. It may no longer reflect the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

March 22, 1978

MEMORANDUM FOR: BARRY J. WHITE
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR - REGION V

ATTN: MILAN RACIC
Assistant Regional Administrator for Technical Support

THRU: DONALD E. MACKENZIE
Field Coordinator

FROM: BRUCE HILLENBRAND
Acting Director Federal Compliance and State Programs

SUBJECT: Request for Interpretation

This is in response to a memorandum dated December 21, 1977, from Kenneth Bowman, Area Director, Cleveland, Ohio, to Milan Racic, ARA - Technical Support, Region V, which was forwarded to David Hadden in the Office of Construction Standards. The memorandum was subsequently forwarded to the Division of Occupational Safety Programming for response in accord with Program directive #100 (Revision 1) Subject: OSHA Program directive #100-Series--Safety and Health Standards Interpretations dated March 10, 1975.

In regard to the telephone clarification received by the Cleveland Area Office proposing that no employee shall climb, work and descend on the walers/stringers of a concrete form, the Division of Occupational Safety Programming provides the following interpretation. The pinned or welded walers will adequately support employees required occasionally to climb or descend walers in performance of their work. Walers are not to be used as access ladders, but infrequent climbing of walers is usually necessary in the performance of concrete form work.

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