Viewers of the BBC’s The One Show this week might have seen a report about lightning strikes on aeroplanes – but closer to ground level, safety ladders can play their part in allowing buildings to be protected against the same mishap.
With extremely large amounts of energy held within each bolt of lightning, the best way to protect structures against damage is simply to use a lightning conductor to attract the spark away from the roof itself, and to conduct the electrical current down to Earth.
As with any important rooftop equipment, lightning rods need regular checking and maintenance to ensure they are still capable of earthing the current properly – and that means safe roof access is required too.
Safety ladders provide a means of scaling the sides of buildings without the need for portable ladders or for a second man to be stood at ground level to prevent the ladder from slipping or falling backwards.
On weak roofs, walkovers can add a further degree of safety preparation, allowing maintenance workers to reach the lightning conductor without putting themselves at risk of falling through a skylight or other weak point.