Maximize safety when using ground ladders!

NFPA 1932 specifies requirements for the use, maintenance, inspection, and service testing of in-service fire department ground ladders to ensure reasonable safety for fire fighters and victims climbing on those ground ladders. The Standard applies to all fire department ground ladders used by fire departments for rescue, fire fighting operations, and training. It provides the means to determine if in-service ground ladders meet the standard for continued service.

The title and criteria of the 2004 edition have been changed to better reflect that this document is for the use of the fire department after the ladder is in service, so as to avoid confusion with NFPA 1931, which is a manufacturers' document. Other changes include:

• Addition of an alternate method for loading a ladder during in-service testing
• New warning language against using test protocols in NFPA 1931 for in-service ground ladders
• Revised the maximum temperature that ladders should be subjected to under non-fire use conditions down to 212°F (100°C)
• Clarification of the conditions under which ground ladders are to be removed from service because of damage
• The optional hardness test has been deleted.
• Clarification of discussion of what to do if a ladder fails inspection or testing

(Approx. 16 pp., 2004)