SAE J185_200305

Minimum criteria are provided for steps, stairways, ladders, walkways, platforms, handrails, handholds, guardrails, and entrance openings which permit ingress to and egress from operator, inspection, maintenance or service platforms on off-road work machines parked in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The primary reason for this revision is to incorporate Agricultural Tractors as part of the scope of the document. This incorporation was agreed to by the members of the Agricultural Tractor Technical Committee by ballot and the resolution of the technical questions. Most of the editorial corrections are the direct results of constructive suggestions made by this ballot. Although the intent did not change, 4.7 correction was made to clearly point out that as a minimum only the foot contact area has to be slip resistant. Paragraph 5.10 was added and 6.5 modified to put this requirement in both the steps and ladder sections. Previously this requirement for both steps and ladders were in the ladder section in 6.5. Paragraph 3.2 inclined angle was corrected from 40 to 50 degrees to cover the full range up to 50 degrees to correlate with 3.8 which was always the intent. The minimum width or diameter of handrails is 16 mm for horizontal placement and 19 mm for vertical placement. The vertical orientation minimum was inadvertently left out of the current document. Several comments have been made by document users about the interpretation of and practical application of 10.8. Based on these comments, the statement was changed to emphasize effects of inertia forces rather than direction of travel which addresses the concern better from a performance concept.