The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM Regulations) require that all façades and other items that require periodic access are designed and positioned so that they can be accessed safely.
Many modern buildings such as shopping malls or office blocks, incorporate an atrium and/or a glazed corridor, glazed entrance or high-level roof that requires special provision for continuing maintenance access.
To keep these often large and inaccessible areas of glass clean and also to provide safe access for the routine maintenance of items such as lights and smoke detectors, these buildings should be provided with some form of permanently installed appliance, such as a travelling ladder or gantry.
It is essential that the requirements for permanently installed access equipment be considered at an early stage in the building design process. The dimensions and capability of any travelling ladder or gantry need to be appropriate for the nature of the task(s) to be performed.
Working at height can expose workers and other persons in the vicinity to particularly severe risks to their health and safety, in particular the risk of falling from height, falling objects and other serious occupational accidents.
This part of BS 6037 gives recommendations for the planning, design, installation, use, examination, maintenance and testing of permanently installed travelling ladders and gantries (TLGs) including equipment installed on a building to facilitate routine maintenance of the building fabric and its services.
It is intended for those involved in specifying, designing, managing the use of, maintaining and examining such equipment.