Retrieving ladders from the roofs of vans used to be an occupational safety hazard for almost all window fitters and many other onsite tradespeople. Award winning commercial installer The Window Company (Contracts) has come to the rescue however and introduced a new ladder system for its vans which eliminates that risk once and for all.

Working with a specialist provider, the Chelmsford based company is now equipping all its new vans with a pneumatic lifting and lowering mechanism for rooftop ladders which means that fitters never need to climb onto the top of vans again. They just release the obligatory safety catch and then they can raise or lower the ladders with a pole.

The innovation helped The Window Company (Contracts) achieve a much coveted Gold rating in the GGF’s GLASS (Goal Less Accidents Safer Sites) health and safety scheme last year.

David Thornton, Chair of the company explained: “When we were originally given a GLASS Sliver Level 3 rating, we were advised that we could only move up to Gold if we addressed the issue of the ladders. We love a challenge and this is one we really got our teeth into – looking at everything from securing the ladders to the frail side of the vans with custom made brackets and locks, to suspending them from the inside of the roof. The pneumatic mechanism, which we developed in conjunction with Glazing Vans, proved by far the best solution though and we are now using a double ladder option to give us maximum flexibility.”

On all the new vans in its fleet, The Window Company (Contracts) has sited the lifting mechanism in the centre of the roof with the trim carrier on the left hand side so that it is accessible without having to climb onto the frail.

All of the new vans have been freshly liveried with The Window Company (Contracts)’ distinctive colours and also proudly feature its G-18 Installer of the Year logo.