Whether or not you might be engaged on a business or residential venture, plenty of elements have to be addressed when deciding on a roof hatch and accompanying ladder to make sure its protected and compliant utility all through the constructing’s lifecycle.
Lucy Harrison, Technical Specialist at Surespan Covers, explores the principle areas to contemplate.
Goal for entry
Whether or not for the schooling, healthcare, leisure, or business sectors, roof hatch screens are required to offer everlasting and safe entry to the roof space. To make sure you’re selecting the right system to satisfy your venture’s distinctive necessities, you need to first establish the principle purpose for requiring entry to the roof.
Is it purely for upkeep causes? Or will a protected technique of entry even be required for the common set up or elimination of kit from the roof?
You must also establish what instruments and gear will must be transferred via the entry hatch or whether or not the required work can be carried out by simply the person. Contemplate the frequency of entry and the experience of these utilizing the hatch repeatedly.
Frequency and product specification
As soon as you already know you’ve gotten a set vertical ladder, it’s perfect to find out your purpose for requiring protected entry to the roof. Then, you’ll perceive which roof entry hatch and corresponding ladder system is finest suited to your venture’s wants.
The primary concerns when specifying a ladder to realize roof entry are the place the ladder can be mounted and the requirement of any further security components to make sure the continued security of the person when utilizing the system. If a ladder is to be mounted externally to realize entry to a roof, it have to be fitted with a security cage and guard rail to make sure protected and safe entry.
For a small roof entry hatch, such because the Surespan SRHP75, which has commonplace sizes starting from 600x600mm to 1200x1200mm, a set vertical ladder ought to be chosen. This sort of ladder can be the most suitable choice for limited-space tasks.
The SRHP75 presents a number of distinctive promoting factors that make it a wonderful selection for numerous purposes:
- Thermally damaged lid and upstand with 75mm polyisocyanurate insulation, offering a U-value of 0.26 W/m²K
- Gasoline spring-assisted opening for simple operation
- Heavy-duty chrome steel slam latch with inside and exterior handles
- Padlockable inside and exterior choices for enhanced safety
- IPX6 water ingress and IP6X mud ingress scores for superior weatherproofing
In cases the place area is at a premium, a retractable ladder wouldn’t be advisable, because the ladder angle would hinder quick access as a person moved nearer to the hatch. Nonetheless, retractable ladders are perfect for use in areas together with colleges and hospitals the place the roof hatch is extra vital, at round 1500mm in dimension, and the ground space should all the time be saved clear.
To make sure simple and protected entry, a minimal head clearance of 120mm is required, and the utmost single climb ought to be not more than 3m, in line with BS4211-7.2.
If entry to the roof is required repeatedly for professionals who must switch instruments and gear via the hatch, a set staircase roof entry hatch, also referred to as a service stair roof entry hatch, ought to be specified with a companionway ladder or a set staircase. The companionway ladder is a 75-degree angled, inflexible ladder that gives everlasting entry to a roof hatch of as much as 2440mm.
As detailed in Constructing Rules Half Okay, the roof hatch have to be adequate to take care of a head clearance of 2000mm.
When specifying a retractable ladder, you need to know the peak of the area between the ceiling and the roof, extra generally generally known as the roof void. This ensures the ladder field liner will match contained in the area as soon as retracted. Calculating the ground top to the underside of the roof entry hatch must also be accomplished on the preliminary levels to make sure the ladder is brief sufficient and lengthy.
Whatever the roof entry hatch dimension, the system ought to be operated rapidly and safely with one hand, per the necessities outlined inside the Guide Dealing with Rules, enabling the person to take care of three factors of contact with the fastened ladder.
The ladder have to be positioned reverse the hinge throughout set up to make sure protected and unobstructed entry.
Bespoke necessities
The extra complete choices accessible for the roof entry hatch and corresponding ladder ought to be thought of to make sure the standards are efficiently met.
For instance, ladders equipped with related fireplace scores and accessible with vertical backboards that embody steps and a handrail for enhanced security and safety must also be thought of to satisfy relevant constructing rules.
Elevated entry opening sizes or double-leaf configurations must also be explored the place entry is required for bigger gear or instruments. The SRHP75 vary presents sizes as much as 1500x750mm, catering to varied entry wants. Motorised choices permit the person to securely preserve contact with the ladder when coming into or exiting the hatch.
Further options of the SRHP75 which may be useful for particular venture necessities embody:
- Exterior curb liner for improved weatherproofing
- Double unbroken bubble & blade seal to the lid for enhanced insulation
- Optionally available European impasse with inside thumb flip and exterior key lock
- Customized colors can be found to match constructing aesthetics
Whatever the venture kind, all installations ought to be topic to particular person threat assessments. Complete coaching must also be supplied for all professionals, supported by methodology statements concerning the protected and proper use of the entry options put in.
For additional info on specifying the correct roof entry hatch in your upcoming venture, obtain Surespan Covers’ product catalogue:
https://surespancovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Surespan-Brochure-Net-2020.pdf