TB Davies is grateful to the Ladder Association for publishing the ‘Telescopic Ladder Surveillance Survey’ report and for the efforts that the Associations team and external partners have gone to in researching this issue.
We would also like to highlight the specific contributions from the Test & Research Centre and their detailed research contributions to this report.
Despite numerous improvements to standards over the past few years, the changes have not slowed imports of ladders that we at TB Davies identify as significant safety risks for consumers. The report confirms those fears that less conscientious suppliers are not only supplying ladders that are non-compliant but are potentially deadly.
TB Davies has been the exclusive distributor for American telescopic ladder brand Xtend+Climb™ for almost twenty years. Over that time, it has remained one of the highest performing products in the portfolio for its low level of non-conformities and warranty issues.
David Gray, Managing Director of TB Davies, explained, ‘As telescopic ladders have so many moving parts, stringent testing and quality control are critical. Xtend+Climb has an exceptional track record with testing completed by several accredited European testing laboratories over several generations of the product’s design.’
‘We wanted to assure consumers, our distributors and surveillance authorities they did not just have to take our word for it. The Test & Research Centre was the first British lab we found capable of testing to the EN131-6 standard, and as a specialist ‘work at height’ testing facility, we jumped at the chance of putting the ladder through its paces. We now have local UK testing available for any interested party to assure the quality and durability of our telescopic ladders.’
TB Davies acknowledges the report’s findings that ladder accidents result in over 7,500 hospital admissions each year. Whilst user error and failure to select the correct product for the task is a ‘significant contributor’, the report demonstrates that non-compliant products are potentially an important factor.
David Gray continues, ‘In my capacity as Vice Chairman of the Ladder Association, I have been horrified to see these results emerge. At TB Davies, our vision is to reduce injuries from ladders to zero. This clarity has meant understanding what the industry describes as ‘foreseeable misuse’ to develop products that keep users safe through design and expanding the use of local testing to support our quality control.
The limited scope testing described in the report covers critical dimensions and primary strength tests. The full EN31-6 test the Xtend+Climb ladders have completed includes durability testing where the ladders are opened and closed thousands of times to replicate years of use in the real world.
David Gray concluded, ‘I would like to assure all of our stakeholders that TB Davies products are tested to meet and exceed the requirements of the latest standards and can be trusted to keep them safe when working from our ladders.’
If you would like more information on TB Davies and its Xtend+Climb range of telescopic ladders, please visit www.tbdavies.co.uk or email us at sales@tbdavies.co.uk.
