Blog

Little Giant Ladders - Which one?

John H July 11, 2018 1

Why Little Giant? Hal and Brigitte Wing built their company on a strong foundation — the guiding principle that every rung, every rivet, and every weld matters because every person matters. This principle is the reason Little Giant continues to innovate and improve climbing equipment today. Many have asked us why we invest so much into research and development. The simple answer — we are in business to prevent injuries and save lives. Every day nearly 2,000 people are injured while using a ladder. Nearly 100 of them suffer a long-term or even permanent disability. And every day one person dies, never returning home to family and friends. These numbers are staggering when you think of each individual’s life and the people who love them and are left behind.* Which one? Little Giant ladders a...

EN131 Ladder Standards - all you need to know

John H July 05, 2018 0

The old British Standards for portable ladders and steps BS 2037 and BS 1129 have been withdrawn and replaced with one single European standard: EN 131. The British version of this new standard is BS EN 131 (2018)What is EN131?EN 131 is a European Union Certification designed to ensure portable ladders and steps, manufactured from metal and other specific materials, meet minimum safety requirements and applies across the whole of Europe, not only the UK.The updated standard makes buying and training processes easier and includes two categories:EN 131 Professional (Industrial and Trade)EN 131 Non-Professional (Domestic)This means if you are purchasing a new ladder to use in a business, trade, commercial or industrial environment, you need a 'Professional' ladder. If you are buying a ladde...

DIY Scaffold Towers- do I need one?

John H July 02, 2018 0

When the sun shines and the grass finally stops growing, it's time to turn our attention to outside decoration and maintenence. For most of us this means getting out that old shakey ladder and heading skywards with sander, brush and paint pot to tackle the painting jobs we've been putting off all year. Or perhaps it's the gutters that require a clean out, there's always plenty to do when the weather eventually picks up. But it's not easy or indeed safe tryng to work for long periods with both hands free on a ladder... and where on earth do you put everything, paint pots are heavy and there are only so many pockets to stuff with tools. Well, have you considered a scaffold tower? the advantages are manyfold, the most obvious being the large platform area you have to stand on as well as plent...

Tripod Ladders-what are they?

John H June 27, 2018 0

When it comes to tackling out of reach jobs around the garden, tripod ladders are becoming evermore popular and rightly so. Most of us need a little help reaching higher jobs in the garden from time to time, whether it's pruning, hedge trimming, fruit picking or cutting back the ivy, and the natural solution is to grab that old pair of steps from the garage. But if you've ever tried this, and I'm sure we all have, you will soon realize that ordinary household stepladders were never designed for garden use. Their legs and feet are much too skinny and tend to sink easily into turf or soil making for an extremely unstable and dangerous base from which to work. Plus the handrail on such steps is usually far too low to be of much use when you are stood on the platform. So for years we have stru...

Little Giant launches new Leveler ladder

Wendy Rudd May 04, 2018 0

Little Giant have built a great reputation for innovation in the field of height access solutions and impeccable build quality, and their Classic model is a fixture in many homes and trade vans. Now they have improved the safety credentials of their multi use ladders by bringing out the Leveler, an a-frame articulating ladder which can be used in many configurations with leg levelers built in to each leg.The integrated levelling features provide seven inches of adjustment and a ratchet style operation, with spring adjusted locks giving the user full control over the position of the levelling legs at all times. Uneven ground and varying surface levels are no longer a problem requiring additional accessories which saves time spent on setting up your equipment, and removes any worry that th...

Buying your first ladder? Here's what you need to know

Wendy Rudd April 20, 2018 5

Buying your first ladder (or set of ladders) may not be the biggest financial decision of your life – compared to buying a car or a house it is a small capital outlay and probably won't be a feature of everyday life. Although the purchase of a ladder is not of the same magnitude as big purchases, like property, it is nevertheless a decision which should not be taken lightly, as the incorrect use of a ladder, or the use of a ladder that is not fit for the job you are attempting can lead to serious, and even fatal accidents.To ensure you choose the best ladder or ladders for your requirements it is helpful to jot down a list of the jobs you might use a ladder for. It might help to walk around the house, inside and out, as you compile the list to ensure you have covered every possible ladde...

Front line paramedics issue warnings on ladder safety

Wendy Rudd April 06, 2018 0

Twelve people were hospitalised in separate incidents involving ladders in Victoria, Australia as they prepared their homes ahead of storms. The emergency services received the calls between 7.51am and 7.36pm, which is effectively one incident per hour.Nearly all of the injuries were sustained while people were using ladders to clear out their gutters ahead of the expected deluge, although one person was pruning a tree in preparation for the high winds.Although no details have been issued about the exact reasons behind the falls, it is reasonable to assume that the impending storm was a factor in making people work faster and cut corners. When people are up against the clock, safety is often the first thing to lapse as the focus is on speed. Over reaching is one of the biggest causes of...

UK's tallest firefighter ladder is in Hertfordshire

Wendy Rudd March 30, 2018 0

The UK's tallest Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) has recently been received by Stevenage Fire Station as an upgrade to their old 30 metre ladder platform, which will remain in service. The new ladder has a vertical height of 45 metres, and a horizontal reach of 25 metres. These factors mean that the extra height capabilities will make fighting attic fires much easier as the fire engine can be parked in a different street and the ladder reach used to get over the top of smaller buildings. The ladder platform can also be lowered down to seven metres below ground making it ideal for all types of rescue operation, as well as fire fighting in extreme conditions.The platform, or cage, at the top is capable of holding many more people than previous models and can even hold a wheelchair. More peo...

New ladder stabiliser invented by construction veteran

Wendy Rudd March 23, 2018 0

55-year-old Robert Loucks has been in construction all his working life, and ladders have featured heavily in his work; he has first-hand experience of falling off a ladder and has spent several years pondering a solution to the problem of unstable ladders. Although he has been formulating the idea for 15 years, his impending retirement has seen him spring into action with designing and patenting his ladder stabiliser, which he hopes will give him a comfortable retirement income.His ladder stabiliser comprises of a bracket which mounts to the side of a house and clips on to the rungs of any straight ladder, keeping it firmly in place at the base. When the ladder is affixed it cannot move at the base, meaning it cannot move at the top either. The bracket can be angled from side to side, ...

Safer loft access

Wendy Rudd March 09, 2018 1

Getting stored items in and out of the attic is a job normally reserved for a weekend or another free day, when adequate care and attention can be given to the task at hand. Climbing a ladder is never a risk-free endeavour, but when you are also carrying items up or down with you it is impossible to maintain three points of contact with the ladder, making it much more dangerous. For this reason, it is vital that you take your time and have another person present to hand you items and take them from you, reducing the amount of time you are not in proper contact with the ladder. Having a safe and sturdy loft ladder makes storage retrieval much safer, and ideally your loft ladder will have a handrail and a less acute angle than a standard straight ladder. That angle can make all the differ...