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Square-bar rungs on fixed ladders

Summary A power company asked whether angled three-quarter-inch square bars could serve as fixed-ladder rungs. OSHA said that configuration met the rung rule if it satisfied the cited design requirements. The archived page notes a January 2008 correction.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1978-09-08
Date issued
September 8, 1978
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy. The page notes a January 22, 2008 correction without describing the change.
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1910 Fixed Ladders Ladder Rungs
Source
View the official document

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The current status of this document is unclear
OSHA labels this an archive document and warns that it may no longer represent OSHA policy. The page notes a January 22, 2008 correction without describing the change. 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 Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.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NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

September 8, 1978

Mr. J. A. Torres
Division Chief Architect
Bechtel Power Corporation
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Torres:

This is in response to your letter requesting OSHA concurrence on the use of 3/4" square bars for rungs on fixed ladders.

A fixed ladder rung configuration using 3/4" square bars with the rungs placed on an angle (flat surfaces are in a 45-degree angle with the ground), satisfying the design requirements in 29 CFR 1910.27(a)(1), meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.27(b)(1)(i) of the General Industry Safety and Health Standards.

If I may be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

John K. Barto, Chief
Division of Occupational
Safety Programming

[Corrected January 22, 2008]

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