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Buying the Right Ladders

It’s an old adage, but you really do get what you pay for. Anyone buying an un-certified and usually cheaper ladder will probably find it won't last the test of time if used regularly, and we've even heard of reports where un-certified ladders have collapsed under the user causing injury and in some cases death. That's why at Ladderstore we do not stock any non-certified products, safety is always our top priority, we try to be competitive on product without reducing quality and therefore safety.

MORE ON CERTIFIED PRODUCTS

Certified products have been manufactured to meet certain guidelines to ensure the products safety. If you are purchasing a step ladder, extension ladder or mobile tower each different ladder type has it's own certification. Below we've given you a brief summary on the current standards for each product category. 

Portable Ladders Including Step & Extension Ladders - EN131 Professional for commercial use and EN131 Non-professional for domestic. Both standards are tested with weight loading, impact and torsion tests as well as anti-slip experiments.

Telescopic Ladders - EN131 Part 6 - EN131 Part 6 covers telescopic ladders and ensure that rung spacing is correct and therefore stops fingers from getting trapped. Also all ladders over 3m now require a stabiliser bar. When purchasing telescopic ladders on third party websites take extra care. If heights are reaching over 4m+ and it has no mention of the Part 6 specification, and is missing a stabiliser bar it's likely to be an unsafe import.

Mobile & Scaffold Towers - EN1004 - The EN1004 Classification is for access towers and it will have the correct gaps and dimensions in the frames to prevent falls and have safe built in methods of ascent and descent.

Podium Steps - BS8620 - This classification ensures the podiums are stable and safe to work from with high guardrails. 

More information on the EN131 standard can be found on our blog; Are you puzzled by EN131?

DURATION OF TASK

Depending on how long the task in hand is going to take this can have a large influence on which ladder is the right choice. The HSE recommends that any work at height that will take 30 minutes or less an portable ladder is a perfect solution. However, if working at height for a much longer period of time a fixed access solution or something with a larger standing platform and more protection should be used like a tower or podium step. 

HEIGHT

Height is the next factor to take into account. Let's say you are looking to clear your gutters and need to reach a height of 5.7m, (the average height of a two storey house) a ladder with an extended height of around 8m would be perfect as you have to take into account the angle of the ladder when in use. Please bare in mind, the higher you are going more safety measures may have to be put into place, and other equipment like mobile towers should be considered. 

Additional Information

For extra help or advice when looking for ladders and access equipment don't hesitate to give us a call on 01204 590 232 or contact us online.