RR258 - Preliminary investigation into the fall-arresting effectiveness of ladder safety hoops
Various legislative and guidance documents specify ladder safety hoops on fixed access ladders, (alternatively rendered as caged ladders), and give the impression that the purpose of the hoops is to protect workers from falling to the ground or other platform. Previous research has indicated that there is virtually a total lack of knowledge in regard to ladder safety hoops, and in conjunction with anecdotal accident evidence and a lack of test methods, uncertainties have been raised by persons conducting working at height risk assessments as to whether safety hoops can provide any form of fall-arresting capability.
The overall aim of this preliminary investigation was to update the current state of knowledge and understanding in regard to what ladder safety hoops actually are, what their intended purpose is, and to establish by preliminary testing whether or not they could provide any form of fall-arresting capability.
Visit the RR258 report (PDF) [12]
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