Standards Development
Specification for the requirements, test methods, user information and instructions, for personal fall protection systems used in conjunction with portable ladders, including roof ladders, which are worn by the user and connected to the ladder for the purpose of preventing the user from falling from the ladder. This document also specifies how the ladder is prevented from slipping during use and in the event of the system preventing the user from falling.
There is currently no British, European or International standard specifically addressing the use of personal fall protection in conjunction with portable ladders. This leaves a regulatory and operational vacuum, often resulting in inconsistent practices and underuse of protective measures. A new British Standard would establish a clear benchmark, aligned with existing EN standards on ladders and PPE, tailored to UK industry needs and legal context. This standard would align with requirements within the UK Work at Height Regulations Schedule 6 and LA455 the joint HSE & Ladder Association guidance for the use of ladders.
Current standards for portable ladders e.g., EN 131, do not consider the use of such systems in the design of ladders. Ladder standards do not take account of the potential loads that these systems may apply to ladders or include any instructions for how these systems should be used in conjunction with ladders. In the absence of any standardisation, designers and manufacturers of these systems have devised their own tests for determining if a ladder is capable of supporting such a system. Whilst some system manufacturers claim that they will work with any portable ladder, others claim they work with certain ladders and others are silent on the subject. The loads applied in these manufacturers’ tests vary in magnitude and in the way they are applied. The magnitude of the loads applied in the tests is often less than the minimum total loads specified in the standards for portable ladders.
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