Ladders & Stairways

Scaffolding ladders and stepladders

A leaning ladder needs a structure to rest against at the top, while a stepladder, or a combination ladder in its A-frame position, stands on its own feet for work where there is nothing to lean on.

Galvanised steel scaffold ladders

The single section steel ladder is the standard access between scaffold lifts: it is set through the lift opening, tied in and left in place for the life of the scaffold. HERMEQ makes galvanised steel scaffold ladders in several lengths to suit the height between lifts. Where a longer single length is needed, the heavy duty steel ladder extends the reach without adding a second section.

Aluminium extension ladders

Extension ladders suit contractors and maintenance teams whose working height changes from one job to the next, because the sections slide to set the reach and close down again for the van. The aluminium extension ladders come in single, double and triple section versions with a stabiliser bar, and the industrial extension ladders are tested above the standard load for heavier daily trade use. For property maintenance where one person carries and sets up the ladder, the double extension ladder is the lighter choice.

Combination ladders

A combination ladder works as a freestanding A-frame, an extended A-frame or a straight leaning ladder, so one ladder covers internal ceilings and external gutters on the same visit. The aluminium combination ladder has galvanised locking catches for heavy trade use, and the triple combination ladder is the lighter option for reactive maintenance and facilities teams.

Roof ladders

Roof ladders hook over the ridge and lie on the slope, giving a secure route up a pitched roof for surveys, tile replacement and solar panel installation. The roof ladders have PVC-coated bearers that spread the load over the tiles.

Stepladders and builders steps

Builders steps are the everyday stepladder for site work, and the aluminium builders steps have a chequer plate platform and reinforced legs for repeated climbs on active jobs. The platform steps give a larger standing area and a handrail for tasks that keep an operative at one height for longer, such as mechanical and electrical installation. The lightweight platform stepladder folds flat for decorators and electricians on indoor work, while the wide stepladders with handrails have a large guarded platform and wheels for moving between rooms.

Scaffolding steps and loadsteps

A scaffolding step is a short folding step used on the scaffold deck itself, for reaching ties, bracing and fittings above the reach of an operative standing on the boards of a tube and fitting or system scaffold. The loadstep for lorries and vans adjusts its platform to the bed height and locks to the vehicle for access during loading and unloading.

Ladder or stairway for scaffold access

A ladder is the right access where a few operatives climb occasionally, carry little and use the scaffold for a short period, as on a single elevation or a maintenance job. A stairway becomes the better choice once trips are frequent, when a bricklaying or groundworks gang is moving on and off the scaffold all day, or when people need to carry tools and materials, since a stair leaves one hand free for the handrail where a ladder needs both. Stairs also let people pass each other, which a ladder cannot, and they give a faster and more controlled route down when the scaffold has to be cleared. On larger frames, a stair tower usually forms the main access and egress route, with ladders kept for secondary access between lifts. A stair tower is an access route between levels, and it is a different product from the mobile scaffold towers used as working platforms.

Mobile steps for warehouses and industrial floors

Mobile steps are grouped by how they move and how they lock in place, and the right frame depends on the aisle width, the floor and how often the steps move during a shift.

Spring-loaded and stabilised mobile steps

Spring-loaded castors let the steps roll freely when empty and retract under the user's weight so the frame sits firmly on its feet, which suits picking and stock checks with frequent short moves. The spring-loaded classic steps and the mobile step unit cover general stockrooms and back-of-house areas. For tighter aisles, the narrow aisle mobile steps have a compact platform, and the commercial mobile steps add hinged stabilisers on the taller models for factories and workshops.

Heavy duty steps with handlock anchorage

Taller platforms use a handlock lever that lowers the frame onto its feet before anyone climbs, which suits high-bay maintenance and tasks that keep an operative at height for longer. The narrow base mobile steps fit dense racking and mobile shelving, while the stability base mobile steps have splayed legs and outboard wheels for open floors and rough concrete. The easy rise steps have a shallower incline for facing forwards on the way down, and the premium mobile steps reach the tallest platforms in the range.

Compact two step and wheelalong steps

For low reach in offices, schools, shops and stockrooms, the portable steps are a fixed one or two step unit with optional handrails, and the wheelalong mobile steps tilt onto their wheels to be rolled to the next shelf. The single sided two step rolls on spring-loaded castors and comes with or without grabrails.

Warehouse, shelf and machine stepladders

The aluminium and steel warehouse steps have deep treads, dual handrails and rear wheels for restocking high shelves. A shelf ladder hooks onto racking or shafting for quick access along a bay, and the machine stepladder has a fixed platform for servicing static equipment, in single or double sided versions.

Scaffold ladder accessories

Ladder guards

A ladder guard padlocks over the lower rungs of a ladder left in place overnight, so the ladder cannot be climbed from the ground. It fits without fixings, leaves the ladder undamaged and follows HSE recommendations for preventing unauthorised access to a scaffold.

Ladder access gates

The ladder access gate closes the gap in the guardrail where the ladder arrives at the lift. It is self-closing, so it swings shut behind each operative. Guardrails for the rest of the lift are in the edge protection range.

Ladder stays and roof rack clamps

A ladder stay holds an extension ladder off the wall, clear of gutters, window frames and tiles, and widens the support at the top for a steadier ladder. The padlocked roof rack ladder clamps hold ladders on the van roof rack in transit and deter theft while the van is parked.

Base jacks, ladder beams and staging boards

Scaffold base jacks come in 4 and 6 tonne ratings. Steel ladder beams are galvanised beams that span openings in a scaffold, such as a doorway or loading area, without standards below. Tube, boards and couplers for the scaffold itself are in scaffold boards, tube and fittings.