It was established in previous HSE research that safety hoops on fixed access ladders (alternatively rendered as caged ladders) could not provide positive fall-arrest capability. The working at height industry has anticipated this finding, which has led to the ‘upgrading’ of caged ladders by installing fall-arresting systems (FAS) inside the cage. The rationale is that a FAS can make good the cage’s fall-arresting deficiency, and since the removal of the cage from a ladder is envisaged as being difficult, hazardous and expensive, it is simpler, safer, and less expensive to install a FAS with the cage left in place.
