FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Business Development Director of TB Davies (Cardiff) Ltd, Francis Camilleri, was one of the keynote speakers at the launch of a new UK guidance for employers on ladder safety.
Mr Camilleri talked about the key steps ladder users must take to select the right ladders for their job at the online launch by the Ladder Association and Health and Safety Executive on July 15th. There were over 4,000 people registered for the online event.
Mr Camilleri is the chairman of the Ladder Association’s technical committee. He stressed that choosing the correct ladders made from the right materials for the situation is important in maintaining ladder safety and reducing the number of accidents when people are working at height.
Professional grade ladders must be used for professional work as they are more durable than ladders for DIY, domestic use, and selecting the right length of ladders for the work is of vital importance. Workers should never overreach or place ladders on blocks or bricks for extra height.
Mr Camilleri added: “Ladders are made of different materials, including aluminium, steel, wood and fibreglass. Each material has properties that make the ladder suitable for some applications and unsuitable for others. It’s very important to choose the right material.
“There was a terribly sad case last year where a joiner, a 37-year-old father of two, was electrocuted while working on an aluminium ladder, just 12 inches away from two electrical cables and a phone line. The ladder got trapped in one of the cables, the man was electrocuted, and he fell 13ft to his death. If you’ve got unavoidable work to do near electricity, please use a ladder made of fibreglass or wood.”
The event was hosted by Ladder Association Chairman Gail Hounslea, with panelists Mr Camilleri, Paul Cook from the Health and Safety Executive, Don Aers of the Ladder Association, Steve Booker of Kentec Training, Dennis Seaton ofHSS Hire Services Group Ltd, and Peter Bennett OBE, secretary of the Ladder Association. After the presentation, there was also a question and answer session.
Based in Glasgow, the Ladder Association has a council of eight members, plus training and technical committees. Its code of practice covers ladder standards, ladder care, safe use of ladders, and safety when working at height.
It works closely with organisations like the Access Industry Forum, Hire Association Europe, and the Health & Safety Executive.
For more information, please contact James Gray on 029 2132 0000 or email [email protected]. Mr Camilleri is available for interview. You can find out more about the business at www.www.tbdavies.co.uk
ABOUT TB DAVIES (CARDIFF) LTD
The Cardiff-based business was established because its founder promised a fellow serviceman a job would be waiting for him after the Second World War. TB Davies (Cardiff) Ltd was founded on November 6, 1945, by a veteran of two world wars, Thomas Brynley Davies.
He had become a prominent businessman between the wars and during the Second World War, he was Commandant of the Police Special Constables in Cardiff before joining the RAF and specialising in RAF security.
He made his promise to fellow serviceman Colin Morgan while stationed at a local RAF base. After the war ended, Bryn sold his house to finance the new business, TB Davies.
When Bryn decided to take a step back from the day-to-day running of the business in the 1950s, Colin Morgan took over daily operations at the ladder specialists.
In the 1960s, Bryn’s grandson Patrick Gray, now Chairman, joined the company to sell the benefits of a revolutionary new product to potential customers: aluminium ladders.
Now a multi-million-pound enterprise operating from a modern, three-acre facility in Cardiff Bay and supplying customers across the UK and globally, the company focuses on ladders, scaffold towers, and platform-related safety products, having developed an enviable reputation for quality and service.
Bryn’s great grandson David Gray is now Managing Director, while David’s brothers James and Mat are Directors, responsible for communications and quality, respectively.
