Ladders

Access equipment in this collection consists of compact workshop steps: high-backed folding steps and a steel kick step. These provide short-duration access to shelves, vehicle roof areas or work surfaces when used on firm level ground. They are not substitutes for extension ladders, work platforms, scaffolding or fall-arrest systems, and they must remain within the stated load and standing-height limits.

Select by working height, platform size, duty rating, folded dimensions, tread grip, hand support, wheel or spring-castor arrangement and the available floor. The user should be able to face the task without standing on the top rail, stretching sideways or placing feet on unapproved surfaces. Account for clothing, carried tools and any materials within the maximum total load.

Inspect feet, treads, welds, hinges, spreaders, locks, handrail and label before each use. On a kick step, confirm castors retract and the base grips when weight is applied. On folding steps, fully open and lock the frame. Do not use bent, cracked, loose, contaminated or modified equipment, and never prop a short step on boxes, pallets or vehicle parts to gain height.

Place steps on a clean, dry, hard and level surface, away from doors, moving vehicles, pits, live electrical hazards and pedestrian routes. Set a clear exclusion area around the base. Keep three points of contact while climbing, face the steps and carry only light items that leave safe hand control. Use a tool belt, hoist or assistance for awkward loads. Do not lean, jump, straddle or move the unit while occupied.

In UK workplaces, access equipment must be suitable for the task and used within the employer's work-at-height arrangements, with inspection by a competent person at appropriate intervals. Clean spills promptly, store folding units secured against falling and quarantine equipment after impact or overload. If the task needs prolonged force, two-handed work or significant side reach, choose a properly guarded platform instead.

Your Current Vehicle

Select Your Vehicle

Compact steps provide low-level access, not a portable work floor

A kick step or folding step raises the user's feet a limited distance and relies on a broad base, sound treads and controlled posture. It is useful when the task remains directly in front and can be completed without heavy sideways force.

Once reaching, duration or material handling exceeds those limits, a platform or other access system is safer.

The live collection contains two access formats

Format	How it stabilises	Useful feature	Critical check
High-backed folding steps	Spread legs and locked hinge geometry.	Hand support while climbing.	Fully open and locks engaged.
Two-step unit	Four feet on level ground.	Compact low-level reach.	Top tread approved for standing.
Steel kick step	Wide circular base grips under load.	Quick access around shelving.	Castors retract and base contacts floor.
Spring-castor step	Wheels retract under user weight.	Moves when unoccupied.	No sticking caster or debris.
Work platform	Guarded larger deck.	Longer two-handed tasks.	Separate product and duty.
Extension ladder	Leans against supporting structure.	Greater access height.	Not represented by these step products.

Working height is not the same as platform height

Manufacturers may estimate working height from an average person's reach above the approved standing level. Body height, task position and need for hand force change the real requirement. Select so the user can work between shoulder and waist where practical without stretching.

Never gain nominal reach by standing on a handrail, back support or unapproved top cap.

Total load includes everything carried

The rated load covers user, clothing, tools and materials. Dynamic movement, jumping or pulling adds forces beyond static body weight. A person below the limit can still destabilise the steps by leaning with a heavy component.

Use mechanical handling or a platform when the task involves bulky or resisting objects.

Selection begins with the task and floor

Question	Evidence	Selection consequence	Unsafe compromise
How high is the task?	Measured hand position.	Approved standing level and reach.	Standing above marked tread.
How long will it take?	Task assessment.	Step versus platform.	Hours on a small tread.
Are both hands needed?	Tool/material method.	Handhold or guarded platform.	Climbing with hands full.
What is the floor?	Level, strength, dryness and debris.	Feet/base compatibility.	Shimming on loose packing.
What moves nearby?	Doors, traffic, cranes and people.	Exclusion and positioning.	Working in a vehicle route.
What electrical risk?	Live conductors/equipment.	Isolation and suitable access equipment.	Assuming steel steps insulate.

Steel steps conduct electricity

Metal access equipment can bridge live parts or reduce clearance. Isolate electrical systems, prove dead and follow site electrical procedures. Where live work is exceptionally justified, access equipment and controls must be specifically selected by competent assessment.

Rubber feet do not turn a steel step into certified insulating equipment.

Folding locks create the working geometry

Spreaders, braces and hinges hold the front and rear sections at a stable angle. If partly open, the frame can fold or splay. Clean pivot areas and confirm positive engagement before the first tread is loaded.

Do not tie a failed spreader open or drill a replacement hinge hole.

Kick-step castors should retract completely

Spring-loaded wheels allow an unoccupied kick step to roll. User weight lowers the base ring onto the floor. Dirt, corrosion or a weak spring can leave one wheel carrying weight, causing movement or rocking.

Step onto the lowest central area cautiously and confirm full stable base contact before climbing.

Pre-use findings determine immediate action

Finding	Risk	Action	Do not
Bent leg or frame	Changed load geometry.	Quarantine for competent assessment.	Straighten cold and reuse.
Cracked weld	Sudden structural failure.	Remove from service.	Cover with paint.
Loose/missing foot	Slide or rocking.	Fit approved part before use.	Use folded cardboard.
Oil on tread	Slip while climbing.	Clean and dry fully.	Rely on deeper footwear tread.
Lock will not engage	Folding/collapse.	Quarantine.	Secure with wire.
Unreadable rating label	Duty and standing limit unknown.	Identify formally or reject.	Guess from size.

Floor condition is part of stability

Dust, oil, loose fasteners, drain grates and damaged concrete reduce grip or create point loads. Clear a footprint larger than the base. On resilient flooring, confirm feet do not sink unevenly.

Do not use a kick step across two floor levels or a folding unit with one leg on a mat.

Doors and vehicle routes need exclusion

Lock or guard a nearby door rather than hoping no one opens it. Use barriers where forklifts, cars or pedestrians could strike the steps. Maintain escape routes and fire equipment access.

High-visibility clothing does not replace physical separation from moving vehicles.

Three points of contact improves climbing control

Face the steps and keep two feet and one hand, or two hands and one foot, in contact while ascending and descending. Clean footwear and use every tread in sequence. Do not descend backwards while carrying an object that blocks the view.

Use a belt, pouch or hand line for light tools after reaching a stable position.

Side reach moves the combined centre of gravity

Leaning the torso beyond the base edge can overturn short steps even at low height. Keep the belt buckle or body centre within the side rails and reposition the equipment after descending.

Never bounce or walk a kick step sideways while standing on it.

Work force can destabilise low steps

Pushing a drill, pulling a seized component or operating a long wrench creates horizontal reaction. The task may need a guarded platform, restraint of the work and another method. Sudden release can throw the user backwards.

Plan posture and tool reaction, not only access height.

Vehicle work adds fragile surfaces

Use steps beside a vehicle on the floor, never on a wheel, lift arm, bumper or load bed unless a designed access system exists. Protect paint without allowing covers under the step feet. Ensure the bonnet, door or vehicle cannot move into the user.

Do not lean the high back against bodywork as structural support.

Safe setup is a short repeatable sequence

Clear and assess the area

Remove floor contamination and control doors, people, vehicles and electrical hazards.

Open and inspect

Engage every lock or confirm the kick-step base fully settles.

Test stability from ground level

Apply cautious central pressure and reject rocking before climbing.

Moving steps requires everyone off

Descend fully, remove tools and fold or roll the unit by its designed handling points. Watch fingers at hinges. Do not drag steps by a handrail or throw them into a vehicle.

Secure during transport so impact cannot bend frames or damage feet.

Cleaning preserves grip and reveals defects

Remove oil, paint, sealant and dirt with compatible products, then dry treads and feet. Aggressive solvent can attack rubber feet or labels. Cleaning is a useful time to inspect welds, fasteners and castor action.

Do not paint over cracks or structural identification markings.

Formal inspections support workplace use

A competent person should inspect at intervals set by risk, use and environment, and after events likely to affect safety. Record identity, condition, repairs and next due date where workplace arrangements require it.

Pre-use checks by the user continue even when a periodic inspection is current.

Storage prevents falling equipment and damage

Fold steps completely, secure them vertically or horizontally in a designated rack and keep kick steps out of traffic. Dry storage slows corrosion. Do not hang heavy items from handrails or use steps as shelves.

Quarantine tags should remain attached until authorised repair or disposal.

UK work-at-height principles favour suitable equipment

Work at height should be planned, supervised and carried out with equipment appropriate to the task. Low height does not remove the risk of head, wrist or back injury. Collective protection and a platform may be preferable for long or forceful work.

Training should cover selection, inspection, setup, posture and emergency arrangements.

Practical workshop-step FAQs

Q: Can the top rail be stood on?
A: Never unless it is explicitly marked as an approved standing platform.

Q: Is a kick step stable on carpet?
A: Use only on surfaces allowed by its instructions and confirm full base contact.

Q: Can steps be placed on a pallet?
A: No. Use access equipment of the correct height.

Q: Do rubber feet provide electrical insulation?
A: No. Steel steps are not certified insulating equipment.

Q: What is the maximum load?
A: Use the product label and include user, tools, clothing and materials.

Q: Can a bent leg be straightened?
A: Quarantine it; only an approved competent repair is acceptable.

Q: Why must folding locks engage fully?
A: They establish the stable working geometry.

Q: May a kick step be rolled while occupied?
A: Never. Descend and move it unoccupied.

Q: Can I carry a box while climbing?
A: Keep safe hand contact and use assistance or lifting methods.

Q: When is a platform better?
A: For prolonged, two-handed, forceful or side-reaching work.

Q: What stops use immediately?
A: Cracks, bent parts, failed locks, missing feet, rocking or contamination.

Q: What proves safe setup?
A: Correct height/duty, clean level floor, engaged locks and controlled surroundings.