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Supervisors pass first reading of ordinance banning wooden fixed utility ladders after fatality cited
Summary
An ordinance to ban wooden fixed utility ladders in certain residential occupancies passed first reading after supervisors cited a 2007 fatality and unanimous support from the Building Inspection Commission.
Supervisor McGoldrick introduced an ordinance (item 26) to amend the housing code to prohibit wooden fixed utility ladders in R1, R2 and R3 occupancies — buildings with two or more units, including hotels. The sponsor said the legislation was prompted by the death of Alex Beltet in March 2007 and estimated that hundreds or possibly thousands of such ladders exist in the city, some suffering from dry rot.
McGoldrick said the Department of Building Inspections (DBI) and the Building Inspection Commission unanimously supported the legislation and that private building owners would be allowed to replace wooden ladders with compliant metal ladders. "These ladders are death traps," McGoldrick said, urging prompt enforcement so the city avoids a recurrence of the earlier fatal accident.
Members of the board expressed condolences to the family in the chamber; the sponsor read a letter from the Beltet family urging rapid implementation and strong enforcement. The ordinance passed on first reading. The board did not adopt final implementing language on Oct. 28; supervisors indicated DBI needs the ordinance in place so inspectors can enforce removal or replacement of unsafe ladders.
No specific compliance timetable or budgetary impact was provided on the floor. The sponsor asked DBI to implement the code change as expeditiously as possible and to include a strong enforcement mechanism.
