BILCO UK LTD
PARK FARM BUSINESS CENTRE
FORNHAM ST GENEVIEVE
BURY ST EDMUNDS
SUFFOLK IP28 6TS
Tel: 01284 701696
Fax: 01284 702531
Suppliers of: access doors floor access doors roof access hatches roof access hatches roof fire vents roof smoke vents automatic roof smoke vents bs 7346 roof smoke vents bs 558 smoke vents en 12101
Bilco UK Ltd Supply a range of roof access hatches, smoke vents, floor doors, floor access covers, fall protection products and commercial escape & access ladders.
Based in Suffolk, Bilco can supply the construction trade with a range of standard roof hatches, smoke vents, and floor doors in various sizes and materials direct from stock, delivered by a nationwide pallet-line system or dedicated consignment. Bespoke items can also be undertaken with the assistance of our technical team.
NSHEV (Natural Smoke & Heat Exhaust Ventilators)
CE Marking: Bilco UK complies with all CE Marking legislation. See our website for our declaration of conformity.
Useful Resources:
- Bilco Assist: Use Bilco assist to identify the essential design considerations required to ensure safe access points onto flat roof areas
- BIM Models: Click Here
- NBS Specifications: Click Here
- CAD Drawings: Click Here
- Installation Videos: Click Here
- Find out more about the RIBA Accredited CPD: Safe Access All Areas Click Here
- View the Howe Green entry on BPi: Click Here
Bilco supply the following ranges:
Roof Access Hatches:
Roof access hatches provide access to the roof areas for routine maintenance and inspection as well as for servicing of HVAC systems and other roof mounted equipment. They are ideally suited for use in office buildings, flats, factories, warehouses, retail stores, shopping complexes, hotels, manufacturing plants, hospitals, schools, auditoria and sports facilities where roof access is a requirement.
Natural Smoke & Heat Exhaust Ventilators (NSHEV) - CE Marking Compliant:
Natural smoke vents help vent smoke and gases from burning buildings primarily to provide clearer means of escape for individuals within the building. They also aid firefighting visibility when entering the building to fight the fire and reduce the lateral spread of the fire. Used widely in stairwells, corridors, smoke shafts and on roof areas of factories, warehouses, auditoria and retail facilities. CE Marked Compliant.
Bilco natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilators are manufactured to comply with all the latest regulations including the Construction Products Regulation 305/2011. All standard vents are supplied CE marked and with a Declaration of Conformity and are manufactured to meet the demands of Building Regulations, Approved Document B, BS9999 and EN12101-2.
Safety Products:
Bilco can also supply a range of Safety Products to offer fall protection and safety in accessing roof and floor areas. Bilco can also supply intruder protection systems to safeguard against trespass.
Ladders / Step Over Ladders / Roof Mounted Walkways:
Bilco supply a comprehensive range of ladder and walkways for roof access. These include Fixed Vertical Ladders (with or without Safety Cages & Guardrails), retractable ladders and loft ladders; as well as a reange of roof mounted walkways to provide safe access to rooftops.
Floor Access Doors and Howe Green Access Covers:
Our range of floor access solutions includes through-floor doors and the industry standard for accessing underfloor services - Howe Green floor access covers.
Further technical information is available to download from the BPi download Library
Bilco UK Ltd - Specifying Ladders?
SPECIFYING LADDERS?
It seems the humble ladder has been around forever - a 10,000-year-old painting in a cave in Valencia shows ladders being used to raid a wild honeybee nest.
Whilst the material used to construct this ancient piece of equipment has evolved over the centuries, from grasses to rope to wood and then metal, the principle design factors and functionality remain as do the potential hazards.
Facts and figures:
Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2018 indicate that 26% of fatal injuries are caused from a fall from height with 37 fatalities in 2018.
Whilst only 8% of non-fatal injuries are caused by a fall from height the numbers are significantly higher – 43,000 accidents across all industries. The construction sector accounts for 18% of those accidents!
Architects, specifiers and building contractors have a duty of care to ensure that when specifying ladders they give due consideration to a number of factors to help to minimise the risk of falls
Key Considerations When Specifying Ladders
Tony Stevens, Technical Estimator at Bilco UK outlines some of the key factors to be considered when specifying ladders for accessing a roof area.
Where is the ladder going to be used?
If the ladder is required to gain access to the roof and to be mounted externally it will require a safety cage and guard rail to enter the roof safely.
What is the ladder going to be used with?
You need to have a clear understanding of the type of access product the ladder is going to be used with.
For a small hatch, such as the Bilco E-50TB, which has internal dimensions of 915mm x 915mm, a fixed vertical ladder should be specified. A retractable ladder would not be recommended for the E-50TB as the ladder angle would hinder access when you get close to the hatch.
Where frequent access to the roof area is required for maintenance personnel, tools and equipment a companionway roof hatch, like the CS-50TB which is a larger elongated access hatch, is generally required. In this instance, a companionway ladder or a retractable ladder can be specified (the maximum size for companionway would be 2440mm and 1500mm for retractable).
The companionway ladder is a 75 degree angled, rigid ladder providing permanent access to the roof hatch.
Retractable ladders are ideal for use in areas, such as schools and hospitals, where the floor space must be kept clear. They can be mounted above a ceiling and be offered with additional vertical backboards with steps and a handrail. They can also be supplied with fire rating.
Where access is required to the roof area via a smoke ventilator, like the Bilco ESW-50REM, a retractable ladder is not an option. The very nature of the mechanism of a retractable ladder would prevent the flow of smoke through the vent.It would, therefore, be counterproductive to use a retractable ladder with a smoke vent, although we have seen this specified on more than one occasion!
The only recommended ladder for use with a smoke ventilator is a fixed vertical ladder, due to the small footprint of this type of ladder.
Ladder Height
Knowing the height of the floor to underside of roof access hatch that you wish to access may seem incredibly obvious, but you may be surprised by the number of ladders that are specified either too short or too long for the height required!
Roof Void Height
When specifying a retractable ladder it is essential that you know the height of the roof void - the space between the ceiling and the roof. This is to ensure the ladder box liner will fit inside the space once retracted.
What happens if you get the specification wrong?
If you specify a small hatch for use with either a companionway ladder or retractable ladder it will be difficult to access, so it will not be functional.
If you specify a large length hatch, it will be difficult to access from a fixed vertical ladder. The worker will have to overstretch to open and close the hatch, putting themselves into an unsafe position.
If you specify a retractable ladder with a smoke ventilator you will compromise the integrity of the smoke ventilator by blocking the flow of smoke.
To conclude, specifying ladders might seem like a straightforward aspect of a building project but the health and safety and functionality implications are far-reaching. Always ensure you specify the right type of ladder and hatch that will provide the safest and easiest access to the roof area.
If you need some help with the specifying the right ladder to use for roof access please contact Tony – tony.stevens@access-360.co.uk.
Bilco Safe access all areas with Access 360
Three of the UK’s leading access specialists have come together to form the Access 360 portfolio, providing a total manufacturing solution for roof, ceiling, wall and floor access products for the construction industry.
Access 360 comprises Bilco UK, Profab Access and Howe Green. These well-established brands all have a strong reputation for delivering innovative solutions to address the challenges of safe access within a building or external environment.
The brand identities have been updated, reflecting the holistic offer that Access 360 presents to the market, to represent the synergy between the brands and the complementary nature of the products.
Bilco UK is a horizontal access specialist supplying the commercial market with standard and bespoke roof access hatches, ladders, smoke vents and floor doors. Founded in the USA in 1926 the company has been operating in the UK since 1989.
Following the acquisition of Bilco by the Tyman Group in 2016 Bilco UK became part of home security specialist ERA in April 2017.
Howe Green was acquired by Bilco UK in 2017. The company manufactures fabricated floor access covers, linear drainage, tree pit covers and bespoke metalwork from a manufacturing facility in Hertfordshire. Incorporated in 1983 Howe Green access covers are specified across a diversity of industry sectors.
In August 2018 Profab Access, a leading manufacturer of vertical access panels, riser doors and steel doors was acquired. Established in 2001 Profab employs a team of 71 and operates from a 46,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility in Warwickshire.
The strategic acquisitions of Howe Green and Profab Access were designed to strengthen Bilco UK’s “Safe Access All Areas” proposition. The three companies serve the same market, working with architects, specifiers and building service professionals to provide trusted, high quality, safe access solutions.
James Fisher, Managing Director of Access 360, explains the rationale behind the creation of Access 360 and the new brand identities. “Since the acquisition of Howe Green and Profab Access we have been promoting our ability to provide an unparalleled range of access solutions. From an operational perspective it soon became obvious that we needed a name and an identity that could encompass all three companies, whilst retaining the established and trusted brand names.
“We have members of the team whose responsibilities cover the three brands, including myself, our Sales Director, Technical Director, Marketing Manager, SHEQ Manager, New Product Development Engineer and our sales force.
“The name Access 360 represents what we have to offer the construction sector – products that cover the complete spectrum of access solutions. We have a new brand mark for each company to illustrate how the brands, and respective products, complement each other. We are delighted to present Access 360 to the world and to announce the bringing together of three brands with one specific objective – safe access all areas.”
To find out more about the range of products available from Access 360 please visit http://www.access-360.co.uk/
