Ladders are used practically everywhere- on residential and service buildings, in factories and warehouses, or on cranes. By definition, a ladder is used for ascending or descending vertically, and this is always associated with the fact that there may be a fall from a height.
Ladder fall protection
Hazards on the ladder
Even a fall from a height of 2m may result in death and permanent disability. A moment of inattention is enough and we fall. You need to properly protect yourself with appropriate measures. Here are the most popular ways of securing:
- A protective helmet – which will protect our head, even a seemingly light hitting of the head against a hard material can be fatal. The helmet significantly reduces the damage caused to us before hitting the head. They have already saved them many times.
- Non-slip gloves- low temperature, rain, it all significantly increases the risk of slipping, we should have a firm grip, which can be provided by special gloves made to work in them during rainy days.
- Anti-skid shoes- like gloves, they help us maintain stability, thanks to the appropriate material and tread, we increase our stability on a ladder or other surfaces.
Ladder with a protective basket
The most popular solution all the time. Man grabs the rungs and around him has a metal basket which theoretically should secure him. But slowly, more and more is said about the dangers of using such a ladder. A fall from a 5-meter ladder with a basket can be more severe than without basket. Any impact on the head or any other part of the body against a metal surface can be very severe, and it is by no means prevents a fall. In some workplaces, this solution is already being abandoned in favor of fall protection systems.
Ladder with a fall protection system
Ladders with a fall protection system, unlike those described above, stop the fall. Being connected to the system, we are sure that in the event of a fall, the system will stop us and save our lives. For such a system, you also need Personal Protection Equipment. The harness with the rope is attached to the trolley and you can safely climb up. One of the disadvantages of such a ladder protection is the price- however, it is not much higher than the basket and the fall protection system protects human life much better, and this is the most important thing. There are 2 types of vertical fall protection systems- rail and rope systems. They provide the same level of safety. However, the rail system may sometimes be required by the investor. The tests show clearly- both systems meet European standards and ensure safety when ascending / descending a ladder.
Veritcal line system
There is no clear answer which solution is better. Having a low budget and keeping costs as low as possible, you can opt for a protective cage on a ladder- it meets the basic health and safety requirements, and the ladder with such a basket complies with the regulations. If, on the other hand, we can afford to invest in safety, a fall protection system will be a much better choice.