Final answer:
A ladder must be placed every 15 ft in trenches deeper than 4 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
For trenches deeper than 4 feet, a ladder must be placed every 15 ft.
This requirement is based on safety guidelines, which recommend that a ladder should be provided at intervals that do not exceed 25 feet of lateral travel for workers. In the past, the 'rule of thumb' was to place a ladder every 7-8 feet deep, but newer research suggests placing ladders every 15 times the diameter of the trench.
Therefore, for trenches deeper than 4 feet, a ladder should be placed approximately every 15 feet to ensure worker safety.