Expanded Service
N.F.P.A. 1932 Chapter 6 - Inspection and Maintenance of Ground Ladders
6.1 Inspection of Ground Ladders.
6.1.1 All ground ladders shall be inspected and tested in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and to the requirements established by this standard.
6.1.2 Ground ladders shall be visually inspected at least once every month and after each use.
6.1.3 A visual inspection shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Heat sensor labels on metal and fiberglass ladders, and on wood ladders if provided, for a change indicating heat exposure
(2) All rungs, for snugness and tightness
(3) All bolts and rivets, for tightness; bolts on wood ladders, for snugness and tightness without crushing the wood
(4) Welds, for any cracks or apparent defects
(5) Beams and rungs, for cracks, splintering, breaks, gouges, checks, wavy conditions, or deformation
(6) Butt spurs, for excessive wear or other defects
(7) Halyards, for fraying or kinking
(8) Roof hooks, for sharpness and proper operation
(9) Rungs, for punctures, wavy conditions, worn serrations in the foot contact areas, serrations worn down to base metal in any location, or deformation
(10) Loss of base metal due to corrosion
(11) Ladder slide areas, for galling or absence of wax, if required by the manufacturer
(12) Loss of gloss on fiberglass and wood ladder beams, damage to the varnish finish on wood ground ladders
(13) Correct operation of the pawl assemblies
(14) Wire rope on 3- and 4-section ladders for snugness when the ladder is in the bedded position, to ensure proper synchronization of upper sections during operation
(15)* Labels present and legible
(16) Ladders clean with no buildup of grease, dirt, or grime on the beams
(17) The diagonal brace on the base of a folding ladder for damage
(18) The hinge assembly and locking pin assemblies on a multi-purpose ladder for the presence of any visual damage and for their proper operation
6.1.31 All conditions found unacceptable during the subject visual inspection shall be corrected prior to the ladder being returned to service.
6.1.4 The ground ladder shall be removed from service if there are any signs of damage beyond gouges or dents or if defective parts or welds are discovered during the visual inspection.
6.1.4.1* If the ground ladder is removed from service, it shall be obviously marked as “out of service” with the date and a description of the defect requiring the ladder to be removed from service.
6.1.4.2 The ladder shall be repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and service te