Ladder Standoff and Roof Ladder Accessories

Many roof falls happen while getting on or off the roof at the top of a ladder. Ladder accessories reduce this risk by improving the ladder's position, stability and handhold at the transition from ladder to roof.

Types

• Standoffs (stabilisers): U-shaped or arm-shaped brackets clamped to the top of an extension ladder. They rest against the wall or roof rather than against the gutter, keeping the ladder from crushing gutters and spreading its load more widely. Some are designed to straddle a window or reach around an overhang.
• Ladder extensions and rail extenders: devices that add handrail height above the roof edge so the worker has something to hold while stepping on and off.
• Top securing devices: brackets, straps or hooks that tie the top of the ladder to the building to stop it sliding sideways.
• Ladder levellers and foot anchors for uneven ground.
• Roof ladders (cat ladders): separate ladders with hooks or wheels that hook over the ridge and lie on the roof slope, widely used on tile and slate roofs in Europe to avoid walking on the covering.

US ladder rules (example)

OSHA's construction ladder standard (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(1)) requires that when a portable ladder is used to reach an upper landing such as a roof, its side rails extend at least 3 ft (0.9 m) above the landing. If that is not possible, the ladder must be secured at the top to a rigid support and a grab rail or similar device provided. OSHA has indicated that a properly engineered device securing the ladder top to a rafter end or gutter board can satisfy the securing requirement, while noting that it does not approve specific products.

Good practice

• Set extension ladders at about a 4-to-1 angle. OSHA's construction rule (29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(5)(i)) puts the foot of a non-self-supporting ladder about one-quarter of the ladder's working length out from the top support.
• Secure the ladder top and foot.
• Keep three points of contact while climbing.
• Avoid placing ladders against fragile gutters without a standoff.
• Check for overhead power lines before raising metal or wet ladders.

National ladder standards and work-at-height regulations in other countries set similar but not identical requirements.