1.6 Access Equipment: Ladders, Scaffolds & Elevating Work Platforms

Millwrights work at height constantly — on conveyor galleries, fan housings, crane runways, cooling towers and vessel tops. Sub-task A-2.03 (Uses access equipment) is examined alongside the fall protection covered in section 1.3.

Portable Ladders

Portable ladders in Canada are manufactured to CSA Z11 and rated by duty class:

The rating covers the worker plus tools plus material, so a millwright carrying a tool belt and a gearbox cover needs a Type 1A ladder at minimum.

Setup and Use Rules

                    THE 4:1 RULE                          |
                                                          |  1 m above landing
     working height 4 m  ->  base offset 1 m               |==============
                                                        //|
                                                      //  |
                                                    //    |   ~75 degrees
                                                  //      |
                                                //________|
                                                <-- 1 m -->

1. 4:1 ratio — the base sits one quarter of the working height away from the wall, giving roughly a 75 degree angle.
2. Extend about 1 m (3 ft) above the landing so there is something to hold while stepping off, and secure the ladder at the top, with the base blocked or footed.
3. Set on firm, level ground; never on a box, drum, scaffold platform or vehicle.
4. Maintain three-point contact and face the ladder when climbing or descending. Hoist tools separately with a hand line rather than carrying them up.
5. Never stand on the top two rungs of a stepladder or on the top cap, and never use a stepladder folded and leaned against a wall.
6. One person per ladder, and never move or "walk" an occupied ladder.
7. Never use a metal or wire-reinforced ladder near energized electrical equipment — use fibreglass.
8. Inspect before every use: rails, rungs, feet, rung locks, rope and pulley, spreader bars. A damaged ladder is tagged and removed from service, not repaired with tape or bolts.

Scaffolds

Rules examined most often:

• Erection and dismantling must be done by, or under the supervision of, a competent worker trained for that scaffold system, and to the manufacturer's or engineer's design.
• Height-to-base ratio: a freestanding scaffold is limited to about 3:1 height to least base dimension. Beyond that it must be tied to the structure, guyed, or fitted with outriggers to widen the base.
• Guardrails are required on any working platform above the height set by the provincial regulation — commonly 2.4 m or 3 m. Confirm the number that applies in your jurisdiction.
• Planks must be scaffold grade, inspected for splits and rot, and fully decked across the working area.
• Tagging system: many sites use green (safe to use as erected), yellow (use with additional fall protection or restrictions), and red (incomplete — do not use). Never use a scaffold that has no tag or an incomplete tag.
• Loading: know the duty rating (light, medium or heavy) and do not stockpile material beyond it.

Rolling (Mobile) Scaffolds

• Lock all casters before anyone climbs.
• Do not ride a rolling scaffold while it is moved, and clear the platform of loose material first.
• Move it by pushing at or near the base, never at the top, and check for floor openings, cords, hoses and overhead obstructions along the path.
• The same 3:1 height-to-base limit applies, often reduced further by the manufacturer for mobile units.

Elevating Work Platforms (EWP / MEWP)

Canadian elevating work platforms are designed, maintained and operated to the CSA B354 series. Classes a millwright uses:

Operator requirements: general training to the CSA B354 standard, plus familiarization on the specific make and model to be used, plus authorization from the employer. Training on a scissor lift does not qualify a worker to operate a boom lift.

Pre-use inspection, every shift:

1. Walk-around: tires and wheels, structure and welds, hydraulic hoses and cylinders for leaks, guardrails and gate, decals and load charts legible.
2. Function test from ground controls first, then platform controls, including emergency stop and the emergency lowering system.
3. Confirm the manual is in the machine and the annual inspection is current.

Operating rules:

• Check the ground conditions — the platform must be on a firm surface within the machine's slope limit; a scissor lift on soft fill or over a floor drain or trench is a tip-over waiting to happen.
• Respect the wind rating and stop work when it is exceeded; a boom basket with a sheet of plywood in it becomes a sail.
• Do not exceed platform capacity or the horizontal side-force limit, and never place a ladder or plank on the platform to gain height.
• Do not climb over the guardrails, and do not tie the harness lanyard to an adjacent structure — the platform can move away and leave the worker suspended or, worse, pull the structure.
• Set out traffic control, cones and barricades around the machine and its overhead work zone.

Working Near Energized Power Lines

Any access equipment can contact overhead lines. Provincial regulations set minimum approach distances based on voltage, and typical values are roughly:

Confirm the exact distance in the regulation that applies to your province and the utility's requirements before any lift is planned. Where the distance cannot be maintained, the line must be de-energized and grounded, or physically guarded, by the utility. Assign a dedicated spotter whenever equipment operates anywhere near overhead lines.