This standard prescribes rules and establishes minimum requirements for the construction, testing, care, and use of the common types of portable wood ladders described herein in order to ensure safety under normal conditions of usage.

It does not cover step stools (furniture type), except laddertype step stools (see 6.4.4 for other exceptions). It also does not cover ladder accessories, including, but not limited to, ladder shoes, ladder levelers, ladder stabilizers or standoff devices, ladder jacks, or ladder straps and hooks, that may be installed on or used in conjunction with ladders.

Note: While ladder type stools are covered by A14.1, it is recognized that a step stool standard is under development. When the step stool standard is approved, A14.1 will no longer cover ladder type step stools. The new standard will be A14.11.

These requirements are also intended to prescribe rules and criteria for labeling/marking of the kinds of portable ladders cited in this standard, but exclusive of furniture type step stools and special purpose ladders. These labeling/marking requirements do not apply to those situations where training, supervision, or documented safety procedures would be in conflict, or serve in lieu of, these labeling/marking requirements.

Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to provide reasonable safety for life, limb, and property. In order to develop an effective safety program, the standard may serve also as a basis for purchase requirements and for instructions in personnel training. It may also assist in the preparation of motivational/instructional material such as safety practices, manuals, posters, and the like. This standard is also intended to provide the manufacturer, purchaser, and user of wood ladders with a set of specifications and requirements against which a ladder may be compared.

It is not the purpose of this standard to specify all the details of construction of portable wood ladders. The limitations imposed are for the purpose of providing adequate general requirements and testing methods needed for consistency.