What this is
What is a ladder inspection?
What is a ladder inspection?
A ladder inspection is a structured check of one ladder asset against a fixed set of condition items: the stiles, rungs, feet, locking mechanism, label and any modification or repair. It concludes in a pass, conditional pass or fail, and a failed ladder is tagged and removed from service immediately rather than left to the next round.
Who should carry out a ladder inspection?
The ladder owner or a supervisor, and either way someone competent to recognise a structural defect rather than someone formally qualified as an inspector. Competence here means knowing what a cracked stile or a worn locking cam looks like, not holding a certificate in ladder assessment.
What happens when a ladder fails inspection?
It is tagged and removed from service before the inspector leaves the area, not scheduled for removal later. A Finding is raised against the asset, and where a repair or replacement is needed that finding should carry through to a CAPA record so the ladder does not quietly reappear in use before it is fixed.
Scope
When is a ladder inspection required?
This inspection is a periodic and pre-use condition check of a specific ladder asset. It is not a decision about whether a ladder is the right access method for a task, and it is not a general area walkthrough.
Use this template when
- The routine periodic round is due, at the interval set in your programme
- A ladder is being used for the first time or returned to service after repair
- A report of a drop, impact or other occurrence that could have damaged the ladder
- A follow-up round confirming a previously tagged ladder was repaired and is safe to return
- A specific ladder asset needs its own auditable record, distinct from a general area inspection
Do not use it for
- Fall Arrest Equipment Inspection, which covers the harness and lanyard used when working from a fixed ladder, not the ladder itself.
- A work-at-height risk assessment, which decides whether a ladder is the right access method for the task at all.
- General Workplace Inspection, a broad walkthrough covering common area hazards rather than one asset's condition.
- Housekeeping Inspection, which checks that the area around the ladder is clear, not the ladder itself.
- A ladder training or competency record, which establishes the user was instructed in safe use rather than that the equipment is sound.
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.23 requirements does this satisfy?
OSHA sets the duty to inspect and the consequence of finding a defect; CSA Z11 sets what the ladder itself must be built and labelled to. Neither prescribes the inspection form, which is why the form's own logic, one fail ends it, carries the actual defensibility.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.23(a) | Ladders maintained free of corrosion and structural defect, used only for their designed purpose | Ladders |
| OSHA 1910.23(b)(11) | Portable ladders inspected by a competent person for visible defects on a periodic basis and after any occurrence that could affect safe use | Ladders |
| OSHA 1910.23(b) | A ladder with a structural defect withdrawn from service and tagged or marked to identify it as defective | Ladders |
| OSHA 1910.23(c) | Fixed ladders subject to separate construction and condition requirements from portable ladders | Ladders |
| CSA Z11 | Duty rating and identification marking requirements for portable ladders | Ladders |
| OSHA 1910.22(d) | Walking-working surfaces, including means of access, inspected regularly and defects corrected before further use | Result |
What it does not cover
- Fall Arrest Equipment Inspection, which covers the harness and lanyard used when working from a fixed ladder or at height, not the ladder itself.
- A work-at-height risk assessment, which decides whether a ladder is the right access method for the task, and belongs to the risk assessment domain rather than an equipment check.
- General Workplace Inspection, a broad walkthrough covering common area hazards rather than the condition of one asset.
- Scaffold inspection, a distinct instrument under a different construction standard when the access method is a scaffold rather than a ladder.
- A ladder training or competency record, which establishes the user was instructed in safe use, and sits in the training domain rather than the equipment's own condition record.
Global
Ladder Inspection requirements by country
The duty to inspect a ladder exists across regimes, but only some name a competent person, a fixed interval, or an explicit hierarchy that puts a ladder below other access methods.
OSHA 1910.23(b)(11)
Inspection by a competent person on a periodic basis and after any occurrence that could affect safe use.
Enforcement runs against continued use of a ladder with a known defect, not against the absence of a written inspection schedule.
CSA Z11, referenced into provincial OHS regulation
Sets construction, duty rating and labelling; provinces adopt it by reference so it becomes enforceable in that jurisdiction.
The duty rating label on the ladder is not cosmetic; it is the evidence the ladder was rated for the load it is carrying.
Work at Height Regulations 2005, reg.4 and Schedule 6
Ladders permitted only where a risk assessment shows their use is low-risk and short-duration, subject to a pre-use check.
An inspection record without an accompanying justification for choosing a ladder over another access method invites scrutiny.
How to complete it
How to complete a ladder inspection, step by step
The six condition items are is-or-isn't judgements a checklist can hold well. What the checklist does not hold is the severity call underneath a technically-passing item, and the follow-through once one item fails.
Stiles, rungs, feet and the locking mechanism are load-bearing or fall-preventing elements. A fail on any one of them should set the Result to Fail regardless of what the other five items score, because there is no conditional pass for a structural criterion.
The label carries the CSA Z11 duty rating, the information the next user relies on to know the ladder's safe working load. A label faded past reading removes that information even though the ladder may be structurally sound, and it should score as a fail, not a cosmetic note.
Duty Rating records a fact about the asset, not whether it suits the job. A domestic-duty stepladder can pass inspection while being wrong for an industrial task; the mismatch belongs in equipment selection, and a noticing inspector should flag it in the notes.
A Fail result that does not also confirm the ladder was physically tagged and removed leaves a known defect in circulation with a paper record saying otherwise. The Finding ID exists so the tag-out has a record beyond the inspector's memory of having done it.
What auditors find
Most common ladder inspection findings
Ladder inspection findings recur less around whether the form was completed and more around what happens between a fail on the form and the ladder actually leaving service.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| A structural item is scored Fail but the overall Result is recorded as Pass with conditions. | OSHA 1910.23(b) | Any fail on stiles, rungs, feet or the locking mechanism forces the Result to Fail; there is no conditional pass for a structural criterion. |
| Label scored Pass because the ladder is otherwise sound, even though the duty rating can no longer be read. | CSA Z11 | Score Label Legible on whether the duty rating can actually be read, not on the ladder's general condition. |
| Result recorded as Fail with no Finding ID and no confirmed tag-out. | OSHA 1910.23(b) | Require the tag-out field whenever Result is Fail; a fail without a linked finding is an open defect with no owner. |
| A fixed ladder is inspected against the same items as portable stock, with no allowance for its own requirements. | OSHA 1910.23(c) | Route fixed ladders through condition items that reflect their own construction, not the portable ladder checklist alone. |
| No inspection is raised after a reported drop or impact to a ladder. | OSHA 1910.23(b)(11) | Use the Post incident inspection type to force a fresh check whenever an occurrence could have affected the ladder. |
| Next Inspection Due left blank, so the asset has no forward date driving the next round. | OSHA 1910.22(d) | Populate Next Inspection Due at closeout so the ladder reappears on the schedule rather than depending on memory. |
Case in point
Case in point: the ladder that passed on paper
A warehouse's monthly round inspected a fibreglass extension ladder used for order picking above head height. All six items were marked Pass and the Result was Pass. Three weeks later a picker felt the ladder flex under load and reported it. Closer inspection found a hairline crack along a stile rivet line, visible only with the ladder fully extended under load, not collapsed against a rack for inspection.
The checklist had been followed correctly, with the ladder collapsed in storage because extending it indoors during a round was awkward. The fix was not a new form item; it was an instruction, now attached to the Ladders section, that stiles and rungs must be checked at working length, since a stress crack under load does not always show collapsed.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
3 sections
- Reference
- SAF-025
- Archetype
- Inspection
- Record ID
- INSP-2026-000
- Scoring
- Pass or fail per ladder
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.23, CSA Z11
- Links
- Links Asset; feeds CAPA
- Tags
- Inspection, Height
- Sections
- 3
- Fields
- 37
- Follow up fields
- 6
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 4
Header
7 fieldsInspection ID*
Auto sequence. Format INSP-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Inspection Type*
Scheduled, unscheduled, follow up or post incident.
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
One Row Per Ladder
Add a row for each ladder. Anything that fails is tagged and removed from service before you leave the area.
Ladders
Repeats15 fieldsLadder*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Ladder Type*
Location*
Duty Rating
Stiles Undamaged*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Rungs Secure And Clean*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Feet Present And Grippy*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Locking Mechanism Works*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Label Legible*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Modifications Or Repairs*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Result*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with conditions2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Photo
Tagged And Removed From Service
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Finding ID
Links to FDN-015 Finding ID
Result
15 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Findings Raised
Highest Severity Found
- Observation3 pts
- Minor2 pts
- Major0 pts
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Next Inspection Due
Notes
Inspected By*
Signature*
SAF-025 · record IDs look like INSP-2026-000 · Links Asset; feeds CAPA
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The form catches a cracked stile. What actually fails is the routing: a ladder tagged on paper but never physically pulled, or a repair nobody confirms before the ladder goes back on the floor.
Holds the ladder register and inspection cadence, flags overdue or post-incident rounds, and keeps the tag-out and finding linked to the same asset.
Turns a Fail and its Finding ID into a work order or CAPA, and confirms the repair before the ladder returns to the pick list.
Ties the competent-person requirement to who is actually qualified to sign off the inspection, rather than whoever is nearest.
Watches for a Fail result that is not followed by a tag-out or CAPA reference, and raises it rather than waiting for the next round to notice.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Ladder Inspection definitions and key terms
- Duty rating
- The load classification, domestic, trade or industrial, that sets the maximum safe working load a ladder is designed to carry.
- Stiles
- The two vertical side rails of a ladder that carry its structural load; damage here is a structural, not cosmetic, defect.
- Competent person
- Someone with the knowledge and experience to recognise a ladder defect, not necessarily someone formally qualified as an inspector.
- Tag-out
- The physical marking and removal from service of a ladder found unsafe, distinct from simply recording the fault on the form.
- Working length
- The fully extended length of the ladder in use, as distinct from its stored length; some defects only appear under this condition.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ladder inspection
How often should a ladder be inspected?+
Monthly at minimum, and again before first use of any ladder, whether newly registered or returned from repair. An occurrence, a drop, an impact, or a report of flexing under load should trigger an inspection outside that schedule rather than waiting for the next round.
Who can carry out a ladder inspection?+
The ladder owner or a supervisor, competent in recognising a structural defect. Competence here is about knowing what a cracked stile or worn locking cam looks like, not about holding a formal inspection qualification.
Does one failed item fail the whole ladder?+
Yes. Stiles, rungs, feet and the locking mechanism are structural or fall-preventing elements, and a fail on any single one of them should set the Result to Fail regardless of what the other items score.
What happens when a ladder fails?+
It is tagged and removed from service immediately, not scheduled for removal. A Finding is raised, and where repair is needed the record should carry through to a CAPA so the ladder cannot quietly return to use unrepaired.
Why does duty rating matter if the ladder passed inspection?+
A pass records that the ladder is structurally sound, not that it is the right ladder for the task. A domestic-duty stepladder can pass inspection and still be the wrong choice for an industrial load, and that mismatch belongs in equipment selection rather than the condition check.
Do fixed ladders need the same inspection as portable ones?+
No. Fixed ladders are subject to separate construction requirements under OSHA 1910.23(c), and an inspection that applies the portable ladder checklist without adjustment misses features specific to a fixed installation.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Workplace Inspection
Audit Finding Record
Records a single audit finding with its evidence, clause reference and classification
Finding
Records a single deficiency picked up during an audit, inspection or check
General Workplace Inspection
A broad walk through of an area covering the common hazards
Housekeeping Inspection
Checks that walkways, work areas and storage are clear, clean and in order
PPE Compliance Inspection
Checks that the right protective equipment is available, in good condition and being worn
Electrical Safety Inspection
Checks panels, cords, outlets and portable equipment for damage and safe access
More in Safety Inspections
General Workplace Inspection
A broad walk through of an area covering the common hazards
Housekeeping Inspection
Checks that walkways, work areas and storage are clear, clean and in order
PPE Compliance Inspection
Checks that the right protective equipment is available, in good condition and being worn
Electrical Safety Inspection
Checks panels, cords, outlets and portable equipment for damage and safe access
Fall Arrest Equipment Inspection
Checks harnesses, lanyards and connectors for wear, damage and expiry
Machine Guarding Inspection
Checks that guards are fitted, secure and effective, and that interlocks work
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- OSHA 1910.23 — Ladders
- OSHA 1910.22 — General requirements, walking-working surfaces
- CSA Z11 — Portable ladders
- Work at Height Regulations 2005 (UK), reg.4 and Schedule 6
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.