EAW Trench Shield Ladder Mate clip-on ladder access platforms and telescoping walk-up ramps are high-quality aluminium designs.
Our ladder access platforms and telescoping walkways provide safe worker access whether the trench shield is sitting above ground or has been benched in. The Ladder Mate gives workers a safe platform to stand on when entering or leaving the trench shield.
The most dangerous point of any excavation is the access to the ladder. It is easy to fall into the excavation when standing on the trench edge in wet or muddy boots. The Ladder Mate solves this by providing a non-slip surface for workers to access the ladder.
Ladder Mate
The floors are designed to withstand a dead load of 2.5kPa and a concentrated live load of 1kN at any one point. Handrails carry more than the minimum requirement of 550N applied at the centre of the span in both directions, inward and outward.
The Ladder Mate clamping system is designed to fit most trench shields on the market.
The ladder can be fitted to either side of the Ladder Mate for flexibility on site. The ladder resting rail has a steel clamp that secures most sizes of ladder, held in place by either a flip-over lug or a double turnbuckle with securing nuts. To move the ladder from one side of the unit to the other, simply unfasten the two nuts and bolts with a spanner and refit the bar on the other side.
The assembled weight of a Ladder Mate is 20kg, so it can be handled and placed by one person with no need for an excavator to reposition it.
All Ladder Mates come with connection points to attach a telescoping walkway.
Telescoping Walkways
The telescoping walkways were designed to provide access to the Ladder Mate when the shield is either raised out of the ground or benched in. They come in two sizes, 1200 to 2000mm and 2400 to 3500mm, both with a telescoping floor that adjusts to the distance to the Ladder Mate and provides a safe angle to walk on. The floors and handrails meet the minimum loads required by AS 1657:2013 and AS 1664.
All come with handrails and kick boards that meet the 550N requirement in both directions, inward and outward.
Both walkways attach to the Ladder Mate with an aluminium rod, held in place with an R clip.
The 1200 to 2000mm walkway weighs just 18kg.
The 2400 to 3500mm walkway weighs just 39kg.
All Ladder Mates and Telescoping Walkways meet the requirements of both:
- AS 1657:2013 Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders: design, construction and installation.
- AS 1664 Aluminium structures.
