If you still think it’s just a Ladder
In the old days, safety was an afterthought.
The attitude; ‘whatever it takes to get the job done’.
Until we started to count the cost.
That cost, according to the latest statistics from Safe Work Australia*, is high.
Too high, in fact.
Some sobering facts...
- 11% of workplace fatalities and 9% of hospitalisations were due to a fall from height.
- One in six fatalities due to a fall from height involved a fall from a ladder.
- The Construction industry alone accounted for over one-third of falls-related fatalities and recorded a fatality rate four times the overall rate for falls from height. Of this, 30% of fall injuries were caused by ladders.
- Workers aged over 45 years are at an increased risk
The Baseline: No improvement in the rate of falls from height over the last eight years surveyed.
*(Safe Work Australia: Work Related Injuries and Fatalities involving a Fall from Height, October 2013)
Work shouldn’t mean risking your life anymore. So why are we still using ladders like this?
The problem is, ladders are highly effective. They are portable, fast to erect and provide convenient access for jobs to be performed at heights. For mobile service or installation personnel operating out of a van – there really is no realistic alternative.
According to Branach co-founder, Mike Walsh, the fundamental problem is that, “Most ladders are just poorly constructed. Rather than designing for maximum safety they are designed for minimum manufactured cost. Cost is always a consideration, but when designing a safety system, you have to consider the full cost equation; what does the cost of potential death and injury add?” he says.
“The facts are that workplace injury adds a huge expense to the cost of business.”
Time to bring ladders into the 21st Century
At Branach, we believe that a ladder should not be thought of in isolation from other height safety equipment.
Instead, changing the thinking about the ladder as an integral component of a portable height safety system, we believe, represents a step toward reducing, and in fact eliminating, the occurrence of adverse incidents.
We believe that when it comes to ladder safety, there is no compromise. That’s why we engineer products that go far beyond the minimum safety requirements. From our work platforms to leaning ladder series (single and extension), we ensure that we are not just providing a ladder but an entire height safety system.
We know that as the height goes up, the risks get higher.
That’s why we’ve developed our Ladder and Fall Control System to ensure three major safeguards in the event of a fall:
- Strength required to arrest user
- Stability required to remain upright during a fall event
- Anchoring mechanism to ensure the user does not separate from the ladder structure
The design and unique construction of our award-winning system addresses the two most common ladder failure modes:
(base slip, movement of the top of the ladder and sideways tipping)
Our unique fiberglass box rail rung joining system provides unparalleled performance in strength and stability. Industry proven and tested, the fiberglass box rail construction dramatically reduces twist and sway by up to 40%.
Combined with Branach’s patented Terrain Master™ stabilizer, our ladders provide unprecedented safety when working on uneven ground. Lightweight and easy to use, the Terrain Master™ ensures a stable footing and sideways movement.
(Foot missed/slipped, User lost balance and overreaching
Incorporation of the Branach Fall Control* system, incorporating rung attachment hook, harness and lanyard, ensures adequate anchoring to the ladder structure (load and impact capacity) in the event of user detachment due to slips, loss of balance and overreaching. In addition, our non-slip rungs help reduce foot slips.
Our ladders undergo the most rigorous testing* to ensure their strength, stability and load rating to the highest standards – tested under conditions that simulate common failure scenarios. We believe that where safety is concerned, just being ‘acceptable’ is not acceptable.
Matching Safety with Productivity
Getting the job done whilst minimizing risk on site is paramount. We understand that you don’t want the efficiency of your field crew impacted by additional ladder assembly and operational requirements. That’s why our systems are designed with transport, manual handling and final assembly in mind – making them lightweight, portable and easy to use.
Focus on R&D; Partnering with Industry
At Branach, we are always seeking to innovate and develop products until we find and prove the best possible solution for our customers.
Branach has worked with leaders across a number of industries, to develop improved height safety solutions that are also easy to use. We have made a significant investment in agile design capability, incorporating accelerated prototyping and testing. We continue to introduce new safety innovations through undertaking ongoing research and development activity, observation and study of the use of ladders in real workplace environments.
You can’t work on a Safer ladder. Still think that a ladder is just a ladder?
You haven’t tried a Branach.
