caged laddersCaged ladders are often referred to as cheese graters because if something happens and the person inside the cag falls, he or she will bounce back and forth. Caged ladders have their purpose, but now there are better solutions, making the caged ladder pretty much obsolete.

Normally, a fixed ladder longer than 20 feet requires a cage. The cage starts between 7 and 8 feet and extends 42 inches above the top of the ladder. But, does the cage really make the ladder any safer?

The ladder is in some ways yes, but in other ways no. How does the Cage make the ladder safer? The Cage breaks the climber’s fall. So, instead of falling straight to the ground when he or she slips, the operator bounces back and forth inside the cage. The operator can end up with some nasty bruises and other injuries, but a fall straight to the ground from 20 feet could be worse.

The way the caged ladder is no safer than other ladders has to do with how it got its “cheese grater” nickname. When a person falls, he or she bounces back and forth between the sides of the cage. The cage was actually added to the fixed ladder as a way to prevent people falling backwards. However, people now treat the cage as tool to prevent downward falls, in addition to falls backward.

So, what is a good solution to the cage and fixed ladder? Getting rid of the fixed ladder completely is the best solution. You can use the LedgeLock as an easy and safe alternative. Simply install it and, whenever you need a ladder, just connect your extension ladder to the Ledgedownload Lock.

The fixed ladders with cages are not only unsightly, but also dangerous. Reevaluate the ladders around your property to determine what should be changed out.