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Monday, 22 December 2008 14:35 |
 Articles about fires in the family home don't usually make for pleasant reading at this time of year. Newspapers and other news channels will trot out horrific statistics about Christmas tree fires and the number of deaths due to blocked escape routes, but none of this really matters. You are either going to have a fire in your house, or not and there is no way for you to ever know until it happens.
If it happens to you all the things that you were going to do, like replace fire alarm batteries and buy fire escape ladders will be too late.
So, if you have a minute, and believe me it is worth at least a minute, then I'll tell you what you need to know about fire escape ladders in a nutshell. After that it is up to you. If you are smart you will buy some, moan about the cost and then stick them under the bed in an upstairs room and hope to never see them again. If you do see them again I guarantee that you won't be moaning about how much they cost.
There are essentially two types of fire escape ladder. Those that are fixed permanently in place and those that are portable in the sense that you can use them out of any window that you can safely reach.
 Permanently installed fire escape ladders are usually fixed onto the outside of your house and can be accessed by climbing out of your window. They tend to be expensive and need professional, or at best very competent DIY installation. They look horrible on the outside of your house and represent a security risk as people can obviously use them to climb up to your bedroom window. On the plus side they are the most robust escape ladders and if you need to evacuate younger children they are definately the safest. There are also some innovative designs like the Modum fold-out ladder that safely folds in on itself to minimise the security risk and to look as unobtrusive as possible.
Another take on the permenantly installed ladder is the type that are usually contained in a storage box which is attached to the wall underneath the escape window. In an emergency the box acts as the anchor point and the ladders are thrown out of the window. They are not as robust as the external versions and you will sway and swing a bit when descending them which makes for an unsettling feeling. They are significantly cheaper than the fixed external ladders, but you will need one at every bedroom window that you may need to escape from.
 Portable escape ladders can be moved from wherever you store them to the window that you need to exit. In an emergency you hook the top part of the ladder over the window sill and drop the rest out of the window. They are generally less robust than fixed external ladders and as you will experience some swaying and swinging as you descend. Most are tested to withstand the weight of up to three adults using them at the same time so they will do the job being asked of them. They are also much a much cheaper option than fixed ladders as you will probably only need one per floor that you have to escape from.A new innovation which tries to make portable escape ladders a little more stable is the 'semi-rigid' ladder design. There is more information and pictures of this ladder on the Ladderstore website here ...../I have tried to bullet point a quick summary of the different types of ladder below. There is a video on the Ladderstore site that shows you just how quick and simple it is to use fire escape ladders and it is worth a quick viewing if you have the time. LadderStore Down and Out Fire Escape Ladder Demonstration ...../
| Fixed, or Permanently Installed Fire Escape Ladders | Portable, or Mobile Fire Escape Ladders | - Usually the most rigid and robust, especially if aiding young children down
- Can't be misplaced, always exactly where you need them
- Tend to be easier for children to use as they have one button releases
- Can pose a security threat as it is essentially a ladder up to a bedroom window
- Are the most expensive option and you will need one for every window
- The external variety need professional installation
| - Not as robust and suffer from a bit of sway and swing when used, but they are for emergencies only and not regular usage
- Can be moved to the window you need to escape from so you only need one per floor
- If you want to escape from a roof window, or over a balcony railing, these are the only escape ladders that you can use
- Work out considerably cheaper than fixed ladders and still do essentially the same job
- Require no installation or DIY skills, although you will have to adjust the hook to your window sill before you use them for the first time
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For more information and details about specific ladders please visit the comprehensive Fire Escape Ladders section at Ladderstore.com
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