FALL ARREST VS FALL RESTRAINT

T&I Solutions are keen to simply the access industry and we believe that an often misunderstood area of roof access is where fall arrest or fall restraint fall within the hierarchy of control; simply put it falls very near the bottom. Any fall arrest or fall restraint equipment should be considered as PPE and as such should only be used where a) the fall risk cannot be eliminated and b) there is not suitable collective fall protection alternative.  Already the phrase collective or passive fall protection must be understood before the concept of fall arrest or restraint can be fully appreciated. Simply put a passive system will protect all users and required no user input in order to function (i.e. a handrail system) whereas a fall arrest system requires additional inspection and testing and all users to have the appropriate, training and inspected equipment. Should any of these not be in place then the operative will be in great danger should they be exposed to any fall risk.

Taking the above into account; before any fall arrest system can be used as a means of fall protection the testing, maintenance and training of both the equipment and any potential operatives must be implemented. When this is considered together with the need to rule out any collective protection measure; the situations where fall arrest is appropriate become very limited. A true fall arrest system so has very specific requirements, for example consideration has to be given to the required distance for the system to fully arrest a fall, this can be up to 6.5m. In addition a system can impose considerable loads on the roof structure. Again these requirements further limit the situations where a fallarrest system is the correct equipment.

These considerations are very well described in the HSE publication indg284 (available from the HSE website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg284.pdf). However before fall arrests systems are dismissed there are a number of positive factors that should be considered. Generally speaking a fall arrest system is a very cost effective system and has little visual impact so are often easier to pass through planning. The other important distinction to make is between fall ARREST and fall RESTRAINT. Simply put fall arrest will stop the operative hitting the floor after they have fall whereas a fall restraint system will stop the operative from reaching the roof edge, eliminating the fall risk entirely. As such it could be argued that a fall restraint system, correctly designed and installed can mitigate the fall risk entirely.

T&I NEWS: 27/02/2012 – 02/03/2012

·         TIMES KEEP ROLLING ON

In association with architects and designers Forsters Inc (http://www.forsterinc.co.uk/) T&I Solutions have supplied our rolling ladder system into a new residential development in Shoreditch, London. Such was the impact made by this project, it has been featured in the Times ‘bricks and mortar supplement’ (subscription required) and T&I Solutions are proud of our contribution to the space saving and remodelling of such a prominent project.

·         ORANGE & BLACK

Continuing the success of our rolling ladder systems T&I Solutions (through our partners Wardworth Ladderstore) have supplied another rolling ladder system to specialist cabinet makes Orange and Black. An oak ladder with anodised aluminium track system proved the perfect look to compliment the living space provided by the architects. This project included a bespoke ladder designed to suit exactly the cabinet dimensions and customer requirements.

·         RAF Digby

Following the success of our previous IRATA Level 3 supervision work at RAF Digby T&I Solutions have been awarded further contacts to assist in the access and work at height safety issues.

T&I NEWS: 20/02/2012 – 25/02/2012

·         CHAS ACCREDITATION

T&I Solutions are proud to announce they are now fully accredited under the Constructors Health and Safety Scheme (CHAS). We believe this serves as proof of our dedication to the improvement and continual assessment of health and safety not just of our products and the workplace but also our own procedures and practices. T&I Solutions are fully committed to ensuring we are at the forefront of industry health and safety legislation and practices.

 ·         CITY POINT LADDER INSTALLATION 

T&I Solutions have completed another ladder installation this time to the prestigious City Point Building in London’s Moorgate district. Working within a strict 3 week delivery schedule and working with the building owners to meet strict security and logistical guidelines; T&I Solutions completed the supply of the ladder on time and on budget. The ladder is used to give access to a basement level where 11,000V electrical surge tests are carried out ensuring the safety of all operatives and the security of the equipment.

·         RAF COTTESMORE, RAF DIGBY & ST GEOGES BARRACKS

In an on-going partnership with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Army and their partners within the industry, T&I Solutions have been offering Level 3 IRATA personnel to assist in the maintenance of its bases. T&I Solutions are proud of our longstanding association with the RAF and Army and will continue to support the forces with our expertise and training wherever possible. Rope access is an important part of our company portfolio and the can offer the highest level of training, expertise and advice. Rope access and abseil access can make many jobs safer and easier where the correct equipment and advice can be utilised.

NEW PRODUCT:- Rolling Ladder Systems

Ideally suited to access shelving units

Precision Engineered, Beautifully Made, Simply Stylish; T&I Solutions are proud to add a rolling ladder system to our product portfolio. Manufacture in the UK and stocked to give 5-10 days delivery our rolling ladder system is a safer, often more cost effective solution to mobile access steps. Designed to suit most applications where access is required to multiple positions on a single elevation the system can be fitted by a competent DIY person or can be installed by one of our installation teams. The ladders are available in a variety of finishes including:

•       All alloy construction for industrial applications

•       Oak hardwood (untreated)

•       Redwood joinery softwood (untreated)

•       Stainless Steel with a brushed finish

All aluminium ladders are of a riveted construction and are the most cost effective solution for an industrial racking environment. All timber ladders beautifully constructed by our carpenters from straight grained hardwood (Oak) or (Softwood) both easily stained or waxed to suit the existing décor. All designs feature a deep anti-slip tread for safe, secure access, and provide a comfortable surface on which to stand.

Aluminium captive trolley and running system

Supplied complete with a unique alloy track with captive trolleys, once installed, the ladders are re-positioned by simply lifting and pushing the ladder to the new position. Suitable for mounting on a vertical or horizontal surface our rolling ladder system offers flexible fixing to suit almost any shelving, racking or storage situation.

Hooped Ladder or Fall Arrest

“A passive protection system, for example, a safety cage (see Figure 7) shall be the preferred choice. Where it is not possible to use a cage, individual protective equipment shall be provided. A fall arrester shall be provided only where low frequency and specialized access (e.g. maintenance) is required.

NOTE: A fall arrester is only effective if the user chooses to use it. If a harness with an incompatible sliding system is used with a guided type fall arrester, there will be a risk.”

(BS4211:2005 + A1 2008)

The quote above is from BS4211:2005 + A1 2008, the current legislation governing fixed vertical ladders, and is very clear in its specification of a fixed cage unit in preference to a fixed fall arrest rail. The logic behind this decision is also explained and the conclusions are fairly straightforward. There are a great number of advantages that a cage system may have over a fall arrest system, including:

·         Cages are a ‘passive system’

·         No additional training is required for a cage system where any fall arrest system will necessitate ANY user to be fully trained in its use

·         A visual inspection is adequate for a cage system where a fall arrest system MUST be fully inspected by an approved inspector on an annual basis (as a minimum)

·         No additional equipment is required for a cage system to be effective, a fall arrest system will require the user, building owner, employer or other authority figure; to supply PPE. All PPE must be in date, inspected and stored correctly again increasing the potential for misuse or potential mismanagement

·         Where a fall arrest system is fitted consideration must be given to rescue, this is often very difficult if not impossible

However the conclusions reached are open to some debate; there is some anecdotal evidence, supported by a number of figures within the industry argue that a fall arrest system has advantages over a caged ladder, the main arguments presented would be:

·         Cages do not prevent a user from falling

·         Cages may, in fact, cause additional injuries as the user falls

·         If a fall arrest is fitted, even if the user is completely incapacitated (through a heart attack, fainting or similar) they will still not fall

In addition to these arguments, the HSE have also commissioned a report into the debate between cages or fall arrest systems on fixed ladders, the report can be viewed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr258.pdf. This report appear to conclude that a fall arrest system offers more complete protection than a cage system, however, as with most arguments surrounding this issue they need further investigation. The report was issued in 2004 and as such the ladders fall under the recommendations of BS5395: Part 3. In 2005 BS5395: Part 3 was superseded by BS4211:2005 for fixed vertical ladders. BS4211:2005 was itself amended in 2008 (see our blog: BS4211:2005 + A1:2008). As a result of these changes and amendments vertical ladders fitted with cages do offer more substantial protection than offered by the ladder tested.

In our role as suppliers and installers of access equipment, T&I Solutions have taken the decision that both cages and fall arrest systems have a part to play in gaining safe access. There may be situations where the simplicity and reliability offered by a cage is invaluable and more practical, however a fall arrest system can offer more secure access and, where the additional expertise require is available, is an excellent alternative. We therefore offer both solutions as either a TailorMade or ReadyMade product and rely on our expertise and advice to offer the best solution for any given environment. All of our recommendations should be supported by site specific risk assessments and for part of a building comprehensive Work at Height systems of work.

BS4211:2005 & A1:2008

BS4211:2005 Ladder
DOES NOT COMPLY

BS4211:2005 + A1:2008
Fully compliant ladder

Complying with BS4211:2005 is no longer sufficient for any fixed access ladder, all ladder must now be designed manufactured to BS4211:2005 & A1:2008. Having superseded BS5395: Part 3 for fixed vertical ladders in 2005; BS4211 has undergone another change with the 2008 amendment. This amendment gives additional recommendations and requires a number of additional features, including:

•      Climb up to 10m without a rest platform

•      Height of cage units has been clarified

•      Trap door access has been clarified and a trapdoor specified

•      Pull out loads required have been clarified

As a result of these changes, any ladders installed after 2008 must have all these features in addition the recommendations of the original BS4211:2005 or risk non-compliance. Many of the features, such as self-closing gates or hoops modifications, can be retro-fitted to existing ladders in order to ensure that all access ladders comply with the correct legislation.

T&I Solutions are proud to supply a range of access ladders and equipment that conform FULLY with all these additional requirements. When supplied from our ReadyMade range of off the shelf solutions these can be on site in 3 – 5 days.

T&I Solutions: ReadyMade Solutions

Typical ReadyMade
Roof Access Ladder

Vertical access equipment has, for many years, been made unnecessarily complicated and hard to understand. At T&I Solutions, it is our mission to remove the complication and requirement for technical understanding. We are the access experts and as such we have designed a range of ladders and access equipment to give you our expertise in as simple and straightforward a way as possible.  We can have ladders, manufactured to your site requirements and fully compliant to BS4211:2005 + A1 2008 (see our British Standards blog) on site in 5-10 DAYS. We are confident this is an improvement on any bespoke, fully compliant ladders currently available on the market. Ladders will be packed in kit form and supplied with all bolts and fixing brackets required for a complete assembly, so simple any site qualified operative should be able to complete the installation.

Safety must be at the forefront of any access product and this consideration is never of more importance then where work at height is being undertaken. As such all T&I Solutions ladders are made from Class 1 rated ladder materials (where applicable) and conform with the latest standards and legislation. It is our sincere believe that the supply of access equipment can be made faster and simpler, NEVER compromising on quality, service or product. By combining over 35 years of experience in the access industry with innovative design and a passion for safety we believe our range of ReadyMade and TailorMade products can overcome any access product within site or logistical constraints.