Stainless Steel Ladder - Siderails

In my opinion the flat bar (siderail) should be used on all ladders in process plants.

Reasion:

I was taught both by the military and the construction site safety managers that the correct way to climb up or down a ladder is to:

a. Always wear gloves when at a job site especially when climbing (up or down) ladders

b. Always slide your (gloved) hands up or down the vertical siderails, maintaining constant contact with both hands as much as possible until you come to the ladder clip/attachment to the vessel or structure. At the "clip" remove only one hand at a time to reach above or below the obstruction. This gives you maximum contact with the ladder and a better level of safety.

c. Never climb any ladder by placing your hands on the horizontal rungs where the feet go. The reason you should not climb any ladder by placing your hands on the horizontal ladder rungs is two fold: first, you never know who has been up that ladder before you or what they stepped in before they went up. Whatever they got on the bottom of their boots will be on the ladder rungs and then transferred to your gloves: second. In the event of an emergency and two or more people are rapidly evacuating the vessel (or structure) the person lower on the ladder can and will get his or her hands stepped on and this could cause a fall or broken fingers.