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Hooped or Caged "CAT" Ladders


Tom

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  • 2 weeks later...

A fascinating read, Tom, and thanks for sharing.

 

Important to point out, I think, to those who don't bother reading the link (!) that HSE are specifically NOT saying you can take away the hoops, in fact they say

HSE does not recommend the blanket removal of hoops from ladders (which would probably increase overall risk)

 

It's just pointing out that fall arrest systems and hoops may interfere with each other.

 

Fascinating, though. Personally I've never worn a fall arrest system when climbing a CAT ladder and I'm very happy that I've not needed to so far!

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I've always found the ability to remove a hand or hands, leaning against the back vertical is handy for carrying things up. I'd hate the notion of losing the safety of steel and having to faff with wearing kit just to use a access route. Worse still, unsupervised people would climb without the add on safety' gear. At least these people are safer with hoop.
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I've always found the ability to remove a hand or hands, leaning against the back vertical is handy for carrying things up.

 

Please tell me you can appreciate how needlessly dangerous that is and how if an accident happened (from dropping a piece of kit and hitting someone to falling off yourself) you wouldn't have a leg to stand on legally because you're working completely against all manufacturers & recommended techniques and a much safer (and more practical) method is available at almost no cost that you're choosing not to use?

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Worse still, unsupervised people would climb without the add on safety' gear. At least these people are safer with hoop.

From personal experience I don't understand the added safety factor expected from a hoop.

 

Many years ago I fell 8 metres from a cat ladder resulting in a fractured spine and ankle and an impacted shoulder. I was off work for 14 months but made a good recovery. I believe my fall would probably have resulted in me colliding with hoops on the way down and a different, possibly fatal, outcome if any were fitted.

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Realistically I hope no-one here has enough falls from a cat ladder to be statistically significant! The hoops in my opinion may be a cheese grater but the uprights between hoops should enable a fall to be slower than simply a gravity fall -do you/can you ever rest against the uprights without touching the hoops? Maybe this whole incident scenario is a product of a risk averse society meeting with something that was safe when the navy used to send "button boys" up to the top of a mast on a sailing ship. I can also see that the classic dorsal/ventral harness attachment point would present knees and neck to each and every hoop, but would a special parachute harness be viable for all sizes of people, or an expensive extra for regular harness wearers.

 

Have HSE offered discussion (notes or sessions) or are they hoping that industry will take the lead?

Was the Canadian incident "the one" or one of some or many?

Would the rungs of a (historic?) wooden ladder been sufficient attachment point for lanyard hooks?

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They replaced the wooden ladder (which failed inspection on several other issues, apparently, not least of which was it was painted...a real no-no with wooden ladders) with a steel ladder fitted with fall protection. And no hoops.

 

The injured worker was all fine in the end, but recovery was a while.

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The 2 hazards I've met (in an amateur house) when descending in the dark were spare scaff leaning on the side of the hoops of the OP ladder, with ends projecting into the hooped space (the surprise of treading on a scaff end rather than a rung was quite alarming !!) & some cretin from a visiting company deciding that the bottom of the PS ladder was a good place to put a stack of chairs, which promptly collapsed when I stepped on them - much clattering, a few bruises & some very unscripted language !!
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If I may add some numbers from a different industry. I work with overhead gantry cranes in my day job and am designing ladders and other crane access feature on a reasonably regular basis.

We follow BS EN 13586 - "Crane Access", this standard is quite clear about when ladder hoops are required. "Where there is a risk of falling greater than 5m".

Ladders may be no longer than 6m without a rest platform and if the gap between the platform handrail and the face of the ladder is less than 1m continuous rear protection is required.

Any ladders that do not conform to this requirement are designated "Type 2" and therefore PPE to EN 795 is required. Type 2 access can only be used when the frequency of use is less than once per month or for erection and dismantling of the structure only. As I've said completely different industry but it does give some very definite rules on ladder hoops and design. Hope this helps. Mark.

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