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Working safely at height with a ladder mat

PProfessionals and DIYers want to work safely when they use extension ladders. Rubber ladder mats provide a stable base for ladders and keep the likelihood of slippage to a minimum.

Working at height is one of the biggest occupational hazards in the Netherlands. Every year, some 170 people fall off a ladder. Research carried out by the RIVM (Netherlands Institute for Public Health) found that in 13 per cent of cases the fall results in permanent injury.

Professionals and DIYers alike often dread work that requires the use of an extension ladder. The interface between the ladder’s uprights and the surface on which they stand can make ladder users apprehensive. Uneven paving stones, for example, can lead to instability and the ladder’s uprights can sink in soft surfaces like soil and grass, also creating potentially hazardous situations.

In 2011, to increase safety when using ladders, Granuband developed a rubber ladder mat, in two sizes: 970x240mm and 1270x300mm. The natural properties of rubber neutralise many risks. Its anti-slip properties, for example, prevent a ladder from sliding from its position. It also underscores stability in extreme conditions and on wet surfaces the anti-slip properties of a rubber ladder mat increases.

The shape of the mat and the constitution of the rubber compound were established through extensive research. It was discovered, for example, that a coarser granulate (grade 3) enhances the stiffness of the product and increases safety for ladder users.

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completely circular and wear-resistant

Ladder mats are handmade and compressed under high pressure. “We bond the granulate with a minimum amount of sustainable adhesive,” says Edwin Kuiper, sales and marketing manager at Granuband. “This makes the mats completely circular and wear-resistant.”

The advantages of Granuflex rubber ladder mats at a glance:

  • Increase safety when working at height
  • Prevent sliding of the ladder
  • Durable material
  • Wear-resistant
  • Available in different sizes (can be used for a variety of ladders)
  • Handy (easily transported)
  • TNO-approved
  • Appealing design

Being so handy is a key aspect of the rubber ladder mat. “Professionals often tend to go from job to job. To ensure that they can work safely wherever they go, we developed a mat you can easily take with you. Taking aesthetic considerations into account, we also opted for an appealing design. Safety and aesthetics go hand-in-hand with our ladder mats,” adds Kuiper.  

TNO, the Dutch institution for applied scientific research, tested these mats and found them to be safe. Working at height is demonstrably less hazardous with a Granuflex ladder mat.

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