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Ladders: gain height with standard NF EN 131

Have your say on the new NF EN 131-1 voluntary standard, which gives professionals guidelines for designing portable ladders.

Published on 12/07/2018, updated 25/06/2024 à 09:31 Reading time : 2 minutes

Voluntary standard NF EN 131 is a European standard which describes the design rules and minimum dimensions for portable ladders and stepladders, excluding ladders specific to certain trades such as roof ladders, fruit ladders and window washer ladders. It provides for a maximum load of 150 kg and profile thicknesses of 1 mm for steel models and 1.2 mm for aluminum models.

Since January1, 2018, changes in product dimensions, quality tests and information to be made available to the user have been made for greater safety. It was therefore necessary to update the text, at least in part 1, as the latest version dates back to 2015. A standardization committee, made up of the main market players and led by AFNOR, has taken charge, and now it’s time to share your comments during the public inquiry stage.

NF EN 131-1: comment on the draft revised standard

The first visible effect is that all ladders over 3 meters that can be used for support purposes must now be fitted with a safety device to prevent the support surface from spreading. This must be less than 1.2 meters and varies according to the length of the ladder. The text also specifies the characteristics of anti-slip surfaces for rungs, steps and platforms. The standard also requires manufacturers to introduce new test protocols for testing ladder strength, and to reinforce signage and provide accessible documentation using pictograms, with assembly instructions attached to one of the uprights.

” The aim is simple: to ensure that those who have these products in their hands have no questions to ask in terms of safety, and have ladders that meet their needs ,” stresses Odile Baillet, Quality Manager at Tubesca-Comabi, a manufacturer and member of the standardization committee. Are you a manufacturer, distributor, importer or user of these ladders products? Take advantage of the last days of the public inquiry, open until July 27, 2018, to enrich the revised text. Tomorrow’s standards are being prepared today. And certainly not without you!