Compliance · Guardrail
Are ladder cages still OSHA compliant? What the rule says now
Reviewed September 25, 2026. Official sources are linked where they exist.
Short answer
On fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet above a lower level, any ladder installed or replaced on or after November 19, 2018 must have a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system; a cage no longer satisfies the rule for those ladders. Existing caged ladders installed before that date are still allowed today, and the November 18, 2036 deadline to retrofit them was proposed for removal by OSHA in April 2026. That proposal is not final. Plan on a ladder safety system for every new or replaced ladder now, and track the rulemaking before budgeting a plant-wide retrofit.
What 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(9) actually requires
The rule splits fixed ladders over 24 feet into two groups by installation date. Ladders installed before November 19, 2018 may be equipped with a personal fall arrest system, a ladder safety system, a cage, or a well. Ladders installed on or after that date, and any section that is replaced, must have a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system. The text of paragraph (b)(9)(i)(D) then sets a final date: on and after November 18, 2036, all fixed ladders are to be equipped with a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system.
A ladder safety system, defined in 1910.29(i), must let the worker climb up and down using both hands and must not require the employee to continuously hold, push, or pull any part of the system while climbing. In practice that is a rigid rail or a tensioned cable with a sleeve that locks to it.
The 2026 proposal to remove the retrofit deadline
In April 2026 OSHA published a proposed rule to remove the 2036 retrofit requirement for existing ladders, under docket OSHA-2025-0072. The comment period closed June 5, 2026. The proposal does not change the requirement for new or replaced ladders. Until a final rule is published, the 2036 date is still in the regulation, and many dealer pages written before April 2026 still present it as settled.
What that means for a plant: if you are replacing a ladder or installing a new one, you need a ladder safety system or fall arrest regardless. If you are budgeting a retrofit of existing caged ladders, the deadline may go away, but the hazard does not, and your insurer may ask anyway.
What a retrofit includes
A ladder safety system kit for an existing ladder includes the rail or cable, brackets that clamp to the existing rungs or side rails, top and bottom terminations, and the sleeves and harnesses for the people who climb. Where the ladder itself is corroded or out of plumb, a new ladder with the system built in is quoted instead. The quote needs the ladder height, the number of climbers, and photos of the top, the bottom, and a rung close-up so the brackets fit.
- Rigid rail or cable system with locking sleeve
- Brackets for the existing ladder, or a new ladder with the system built in
- One sleeve and harness per climber, plus spares
- Rest platforms on long ladders, optional
Questions buyers ask
- Do I have to remove the cage?
- No. The rule requires a ladder safety system or personal fall arrest on ladders that need one. The cage may stay if it does not interfere with the system, and on ladders installed before November 19, 2018 the cage alone is still acceptable today.
- Does this apply to ladders under 24 feet?
- The fall protection requirement in 1910.28(b)(9) applies to fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet above a lower level. Shorter ladders have their own design rules but not this requirement.
- Is the 2036 deadline gone?
- Not yet. OSHA proposed removing it in April 2026 and the comment period has closed, but no final rule has been published as of the review date of this page. Check the OSHA rulemaking page linked below for the current status.
- What do you need to quote a ladder safety system?
- Ladder height, how many people climb it, and three photos: the top landing, the base, and a close-up of a rung and side rail. From that we quote the system, the brackets, and the sleeves.
Do your own research
Official sources first. We link the rule, not a summary of the rule, wherever one exists.
- 29 CFR 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection
OSHA
Paragraph (b)(9) contains the fixed ladder requirements and the 2036 date.
- 29 CFR 1910.29 Fall protection systems and falling object protection criteria
OSHA
Paragraph (i) defines what a ladder safety system must do.
- OSHA QuickTakes, April 7, 2026
OSHA
Announces the proposed rule to remove the 2036 retrofit deadline, docket OSHA-2025-0072.
- OSHA moves to overturn 2036 deadline for fixed ladder requirements
Safety+Health magazine
Trade coverage of the April 2026 proposal.