Access Ladders

• Access ladders are probably the simplest and most common means of transferring from one level of a maintenance area to another. They are not suitable for use in operational (non-maintenance) areas.
  Access ladders should be rigidly fixed in position and are preferable to temporary ladders, as they should not move. However, note that they are less preferable to stairs, as they still prevent a significant fall risk.

Ladders are formed of rungs, supported by one or two vertical stiles. The dimensional requirements of a typical ladder are shown in Fig XXX. The stiles should be secured to the structure. There should be firm level areas at the top and bottom of the ladder, where there are no significant fall risks. There should also be a gate at the top of the ladder.

Generally, ladders should only be used for the shortest of climbs and if the climb is more than 2 metres, it is recommended that a means of fall protection is included and this is usually in one of two forms:

• Safety Cage – it is accepted that cages cannot reduce fall risks on ladders to insignificant levels, but they will prevent some falls, where the User’s feet remain on the rungs. It is recommended that their use as a means of protection should be limited to a maximum climb of 6m and also only for access frequencies of less than once per month.
•  Fall Arresters – these systems do provide a significantly more reliable means of fall protection than cages, but are reliant on the User having competency in the specific system and that the required PFPE is available.  Where these systems are used it is necessary to have a rescue plan in the event of an emergency.  There are 3 common types of fall arrester used with ladders:
•  Guided Type on Rigid Line – this is normally a metallic track or cable which is fixed over the full length of the ladder.  The User wears a Full Body Harness which has a front attachment point and connects this to the rigid line with a proprietary anchor device.  These devices will allow the User to move up and down, but in the event of a fall will lock on to the anchor line, minimising the fall distance.  It is essential that the top of the anchor line finishes sufficiently high above the upper level to allow the user to move into a safe location, before detaching from the system.
•  Guided Type on Flexible Line – a temporary system, this is very similar to the Rigid Line Fall Arresters above, but the bottom of the anchor line is not fixed in position.  These anchor lines are normally twisted or kernmantel ropes. They can be positioned using a ‘first-man-up’ device, comprising a telescopic pole with a special type of connector, which allows the flexible anchorage line to be installed from the ground,
•  Retractable Blocks – these should be mounted directly above the User on the ladder and will pay in and out allowing the User to move up or down, but in the event of a fall will lock minimising the fall distance.  The blocks should be mounted high enough to allow the User to move to a safe position before disconnecting.  The mounting point should be a EN795 compliant anchor system.  A tether line should always be fitted to the retractable to avoid it being stored whilst paid-out, as this will damage the mechanisms.