Pictured above: Alsure's Alu-Stair stair unit

Ensuring total safety remains one of the most important objectives for responsible employers who employ personnel required to work at height.

This objective does not just apply to those owners of SME construction companies, as many vertical sectors including a wide range of manufacturing industries often require their workforce to work at height. Relatively simple tasks such as carrying out basic repairs to overhead equipment or cleaning machinery and decorating, can necessitate the operative to work at height.

There is a variety of portable stair system solutions on offer, but the problem is many are manufactured by welding the various components together and welded joints can crack under stress. Continuous use and general wear and tear can then lead to ultimate failure.

David Smith, managing director of AD & C Group, believes that although there are some quality welded stair solutions on offer in the market, the problem of failing welds can be a huge potential accident waiting to happen. Furthermore welded joints in any scaffolding or support system are required to be inspected prior to use to comply with current Health and Safety working at height regulations.

Under the Alsure brand, the AD & C Group have developed an entire  range of Health and Safety orientated stair solutions that can be erected on site easily where every structural joint is bolted into position. The products were created as the demand for safer working practices continues, galvanised by the Work at Height Regulations.

Mr Smith says: "All our unique bolt and cleat constructed stair solutions completely eliminate the risk of weld cracking which can lead to complete failure, which is likely to expose the operative to a serious accident when working from height.

"The other benefit of a completely bolted Aluminium structure is that it reduces costly maintenance time in repairing the equipment, and also mitigates the need for on-site inspection. The fact that there is something like 250 joints in your average stair product considerably increases the odds of joint failure. The labour intensity of thorough inspection is yet another expense that the smaller contractors and site maintenance managers have to include in their decreasing budgets."

Alsure's entire range of aluminium stair units including Alu-Stair , Alu-Lok, One Bay and Kwikstage One Bay stair units, offer a cost effective solution accessible to smaller operators to the larger multi-site contractor. They can also be hired as well as purchased.

Each  Alsure stair unit is light and easy to erect, but extremely robust and durable which means they can be comfortably handled by one person and can be used with most existing tube and scaffolding systems.