BILCO UK LTD
PAVILION 7, FORNHAM BUSINESS CENTRE
HALL FARM, FORNHAM ST MARTIN
BURY ST EDMUNDS
SUFFOLK IP31 1SL
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 Key considerations when choosing ladders for safe rooftop access
According to recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls from height accounted for 44% of all non-fatal injuries and 25% of all fatal injuries over the last five years. Here, Tom Brandon, Specification Sales Manager at Bilco UK, discusses why adopting a bespoke approach to roof access can ensure the highest level of safety, suitability and compliance.
When specifying a ladder to facilitate roof access, it’s important to ensure you’re choosing the correct system to meet your project’s specific requirements. This includes identifying the reason for access to the roof and the frequency of access required. It’s also crucial to determine whether tools and equipment will need to be transferred through the access hatch, or solely roofing professionals.
This will provide clarification on where the ladder will need to be mounted and whether any additional safety measures will be required to maintain individuals’ safety when using the ladder, such as the addition of a safety cage or guard rail.
Once you have established your reason for requiring safe access to the roof, you will then be able to make an informed choice regarding which roof access hatch and corresponding ladder system is best suited to meet the needs of your project.
The right ladder for the right application
If access to the roof is required on a regular basis for professionals who need to transfer tools and equipment, a Companionway Roof Access Hatch would be required in conjunction with a Companionway Ladder, which is a 75-degree incline ladder with handrails that makes it easier for the user to gain access to the roof. When larger tools and equipment are being used, a Fixed Staircase Roof Access Hatch, also known as a Service Stair Roof Access Hatch, would be specified. This is a larger elongated access hatch, which should be specified in conjunction with a permanent staircase to provide permanent access to a roof hatch of up to 2440mm or 3360mm in length as standard available sizes.
Other ladder types are available depending on the application and access required. Due to their small footprint, industrial vertical fixed ladders are always recommended for use in conjunction with smoke vents, as they ensure there is no hinderance to the flow of smoke through the vent to meet the minimum 1 metre squared free vent area required by the regulations.
Whereas, if the floor space must be kept clean and tidy at all times, for example, within buildings such as schools and hospitals a retractable ladder would be ideal where a larger roof access hatch of up to 1500mm is installed.
Special ladder applications
For commercial projects that require more complex specifications, contractors should collaborate with manufacturers to create bespoke ladder applications that safely and securely fulfil roof access requirements. Bilco UK’s in-house design and engineering teams work closely with roofing contractors to manufacture special ladder applications that are custom-made to meet the project’s specific requirements.
For example, if a ladder that has a reach over 10 metres is required to be installed onto the exterior of a building and will be used as a means of escape or for maintenance, contractors would need to consider a series of fixed vertical ladders that are split by railed platforms every six metres to ensure safety and compliance. The installation would also require the addition of a safety cage and handrails in order to maintain the safety of contractors when gaining roof access.
Maintaining floor space and ensuring walkways are kept clear is a common challenge when choosing ladders for roof access, which is why fixed vertical retractable ladders, where the lower section of the ladder can be retracted when not required is a popular and convenient choice. A detachable version is also available where the bottom section of the ladder can be removed completely and installed again when needed. Other alternatives that ensure ladder access security is maintained is the use of the hook on, hinged ladder gates or magnetic locking ladder gates.
Rooftop Access
When contractors need to travel across the roof for maintenance and access reasons, it can be a challenge to navigate the roof safely if there are potential trip hazards such as wires and ducting. Bilco UK manufactures a range of aluminium stepovers that can be seamlessly fitted over obstructions to provide a stable hand-railed platform that enables individuals to get from one area of the roof to another safely and quickly. As the stepovers feature weighted big foots it eliminates any requirement for roof penetration, therefore avoiding any risk of leaks or drafts. Stepovers can be installed with either companionway steps or fixed vertical steps, depending on the available space on the roof.
Whilst there are a range of ladder options available to roofing professionals to achieve safe and secure access to the roof area, it is crucial to work in conjunction with a manufacturer from the initial design stages to ensure the installation provides the highest standards of safety and compliance for the entire lifecycle of the building.
For further information on Bilco UK’s complete range of roof access solutions, visit www.bilcouk.co.uk or call 01284 701696.
For advice on how to specify the correct ladder, visit: www.bilcouk.co.uk/news/specifying-ladders
Bilco UK set to showcase innovative SKY Flatglass at RCI Show
Bilco UK, one of the UK’s leading providers of roof access solutions, will be exhibiting on 29th and 30th September at the RCI Show at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes.
On Stand 13, Bilco UK will be displaying its innovative ‘three-in-one’ SKY Flatglass, which can be utilised as a smoke vent, roof access hatch and rooflight. The SKY Flatglass supports specifiers in achieving the highest standards in safety, efficiency and aesthetics for flat roof installations across a wide range of commercial and residential projects.
Visitors will be able to see first-hand the product’s high quality components, ease of use and aesthetics, with the Bilco UK team on hand to perform demonstrations and discuss upcoming projects with visitors.
The team will also be providing advice regarding the most successful roof hatch and ladder specifications and giving in-depth knowledge on Bilco UK’s entire range of products.
This includes Bilco UK’s range of Natural Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilators (NSHEV), which release smoke and hot flue gas in the event of a fire. Each of Bilco UK’s CE-marked smoke vents are manufactured to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations, Approved Document B, and tested to BS9999 and BS EN12101-2.
Attendees can also find out information regarding Bilco UK’s range of Roof Hatches, which provide safe, permanent and convenient access to roof areas as well as plant access, alongside its offering of high performance fixed, retractable and companionway ladders.
On Wednesday 29th September, Maria Carthy, Specification Sales Manager (Northern) for Bilco UK will be presenting an exclusive CPD session: “ACCESS ALL AREAS: Roof Access and Natural Smoke Ventilation for Flat Roofs” at 11am.
The session will provide attendees with exclusive information regarding roof access solutions, roof safety and natural smoke ventilation for flat roofs. The presentation will outline current practice regarding the supply of smoke ventilation and roof access, whilst discussing new design considerations and applications as a result of latest Building Regulations, with particular reference to the areas of fire, safety and security.
For those unable to attend the show, Bilco UK provides a comprehensive set of materials to aid the specification process. This information is available under our Resources Section and includes BIM models, written NBS specifications and an online guide for selecting the right roof access hatch or ladder.
Bilco UK is part of the Access 360 division of Tyman UK and Ireland, alongside Profab Access and Howe Green.
For further information on Bilco UK’s complete range of roof access solutions call 01284 701696.
