Last edit: 15/11/2025
The 2004 edition of EN ISO 14122-4 contained the following text concerning the danger of falling:
[§4.4.1.3] Note: an appropriate personal protective device against falls can stop the fall better than a cage.
In the Instructions for use, the following text has to be indicated:
6.2 Instructions for using ladders with fall arrest
In the instructions for using, the prescriptions of EN ISO 12100-2 and EN 353-1 must be taken into account.6.3 Marking at access and exit points
Ladders with guided type fall arrester must be permanently marked with the following information:
– type and construction year of the guided type fall arrester;
– warning: “The use of personal protective equipment is mandatory”.
The marking is required only in those access and exit points that can be reached through the respective ladders.
These facts, together with the general approach of the law, led France to raise a formal objection under Article 6, paragraph 1, of the Machinery Directive (at that time Directive 98/37/EC).
The cause of this objection was that the standard placed emphasis and priority on personal fall-protection devices rather than on the presence of a safety cage and an appropriate maximum ladder height.
As a result, the standard was removed from the list of harmonized standards for several years. The new edition of EN ISO 14122-4 (latest edition 2016) revised the approach, giving priority to the presence of a protective cage.
4.2 Choice of a type fall protection device
4.2.1 Necessity of a fall protection device.
In case of an overall falling height equal or higher than 3000 mm, the ladder shall be fitted with a fall protection device.4.2.2 Types of protection device.
The main alternatives for protection of the users of fixed ladders against falling from height are the following:
a) Safety Cage
The cage is a means wich is always present and the actual level of safety is independent of the operator’s actions, therefore it is the preffered choice.
b) Guided type fall arrester on rigid anchorage (fall arrester)
A fall arrester in only effective if the user chooses to use it. If a harness with an incompatible sliding system is used with a guided type fall arrester, there will be a risk of falling.A combination of both safety cage and fall arrester shall not be applied.
The part of the standard that gives requirements for the Instructions for use was also modified as follows:
7.1.2 Ladder systems with fall arrester
The relevant provisions of ISO 12100 as well as of EN 353·1 shall be presented in the instruction handbook supplied with the machine.
The following minimum information shall be provided when the ladder system includes a fall arrester:
– advice that a ladder with fall arrester shall be used only by well-trained users;
– advice on the risk of falling while using an incompatible self-locking guided type fall arrester and incompatible lanyard with the rigid anchor line;
– advice on how to use the harness, as provided by the manufacturer, with the guide lock;
– advice on how to instruct the authorized person(s) in the safe operation of ladders with fall arrester;
– advice on how movable parts shall be locked in the intended positions when in use and in the stored position.
The colleagues writing the standard are not against Fall Arresters. There are a few considerations to be made: a fall arrester is only effective if the user actually chooses to use it. If a harness with an incompatible sliding system is used together with a guided-type fall arrester, there is a risk of falling. Investigations show that human-factor issues lead to reluctance to use fall arresters at heights up to about six metres. A fall arrester is only effective above a certain minimum height and can arrest a fall more reliably than a safety cage, depending on the potential fall distance.
ISO 14122-4 is now (November 2025) under revision, but the conclusion will not change: a Ladder, provided with a Safety Cage in conformity with EN ISO 14122-4, does not require a fall arrester.