Rothoblaas is the Italian multinational company based in the Alpine region, a reference point in the development and supply of high-tech solutions in the field of fall protection and safety systems for work and construction.
It offers a broad range of fall protection systems for industrial environments and roofs, completed by the technical assistance service and a widespread network of consultants and specialised distributors always available on the territory.
Today Rothoblaas offers you solutions for two special working conditions:
- Situation of access to roofs or vertical work on pylons and wind turbines
- Vertical work using a double rope
We begin by talking about ladders
Ladders can be used to access working areas. They can be fixed or mobile; in both cases they must be certified. Fixed ladders are typically used in industrial environments where access to certain areas is very frequent for the performance of ordinary maintenance, while portable ladders are used for extraordinary maintenance. In all cases, no worker should ascend a ladder without adequate personal protection equipment.
Ladders are usually supplied prefabricated and installed on site with both economic advantage and speed of installation and are usually made of aluminium: this lightweight and corrosion-resistant material makes them suitable for all latitudes.
They are installed on the building façade and depending on their height, there can placed on landing platforms, which can be hatches or actual landing platforms. They can also include a cage, which, depending on the various European countries, can be 2 to 3 meters above the ground.
CAGE LADDERS: climb and descend safely
Rothoblaas, in its range of ladders, offers CAGE LADDERS: the ideal solution for safe access to roofs, machinery, chimneys, silos and other workplaces at height or depth.
Thanks to the range of elements available, the system is modular to suit any need and thanks to the aluminium alloy, CAGE LADDERS offer mechanical resistance to corrosion and weather.
They are standardized and modular, therefore cost-effective, and are designed to facilitate assembly and promote ergonomics during use, as well as guaranteeing maximum safety to the user and give the installer the serenity that comes with a reliable product.
The cage rings comply with EN 14122-4.
In addition, various components such as rest platforms for dividing the staircase section, side landing platforms and elements for special fastening in particular situations, such as special assembly in manholes, are also available.
The safest product to combine
For improved safety when using roof access ladders, the installation of a vertical lifeline is preferred.
In this sense, Rothoblaas’ offer consists of VERTIGRIP, the vertical lifeline of its own production and certified by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH (NB 0123) according to EN 353-1:2014 + A1:2017 and RfU 11.119, which extends the range of its already numerous fall protection products.
VERTIGRIP is fast and easy to assemble, installation only takes a few steps. It is a vertical lifeline for two operators that can be installed on fixed vertical ladders with and without cage and it is suitable especially in this second case, where it is not physically possible to install a protection cage. An example can be work in confined spaces where VERTIGRIP protects the operator from the moment of access to the ladder until landing.
Unlike other lifelines, VERTIGRIP can reach a length of 200 meters while maintaining a distance between the intermediate supports of 5 meters: in this way the number of elements required is effectively limited. Light and durable, the system is composed of elements made of AISI 316 (A4) stainless steel, AISI 304 (A2) stainless steel and anodized aluminium alloy EN AW 6082 which guarantee a good resistance to corrosion. In addition, should it be necessary to operate in aggressive environments, Rothoblaas makes the system completely in AISI 316 (A4) stainless steel available on request.
This modular system meets every design requirement thanks also to the wide range of accessories available, such as the landing handles, and the supports for wall installation, even on stairs, which make it truly versatile.
What does rope work consist of?
Another increasingly used access system is ” rope work”: this is the definition of those situations in which the operator has to carry out work of short duration by lowering himself into the empty space or working along a vertical wall. Due to their complexity, these jobs are performed by specialised workers with high level training provided by qualified entities or associations such as IRATA or SPRAT.
WING: your protective wing
Rothoblaas has developed a specific product for this type of work. We are referring to WING, the anchorage point for work at height and in suspension, the only one that can be used for work on timber structures, conceived and developed from start to finish by our technical department.
The WING anchor point has been produced for double-cable work by an operator. Tested and certified to be able to withstand a stress of over 22 kN, it can be used in any direction. It can therefore be fixed both to walls and ceilings to protect operators from above.
“We have carried out numerous tests, using the precise approach that sets us apart,” says Andrea Fortini, technical consultant who participated in the product’s development. “We tested the WING anchor point on various substructures such as concrete, steel, CLT and glulam. Thanks to its reliability, WING has obtained the declaration of conformity from an external certification body both according to the EN795 standard and to the ANSI Z359.18 standard.
It is also thanks to this development that we have obtained the status of associate member of IRATA, the main international organization that brings together professionals in the field of cable work”, says Fortini.
The WING anchor point is available in 3 versions: zinc plated steel and painted grey, A4 stainless steel and yellow (RAL 1003) as established by the international regulations of the Global Wind Organization.
Rothoblaas Solutions for Safety: Working at height has never been so safe!
More product details: WING, CAGE LADDERS, VERTIGRIP
More information about Rothoblaas https://www.rothoblaas.com/safe