Easy access stairs
Scaffold stairs and access towers
A scaffold ladder is fine for a scaffolder. It is a poor way up for everybody else who has to use the structure, and on most jobs that is several people carrying something, several times a day.
Scaffold stairs are a staired run built into the scaffold instead of a ladder: proper treads, a handrail, and landings at each lift. DDJ Scaffolding fit them as "easy access stairs for safer movement" on domestic work and as stair access on commercial sites. We are fully accredited and carry £10 million in public liability insurance.
They are worth asking for whenever the scaffold will be busy: a long job, several trades sharing it, materials going up and down all day, or anyone using it who is not a scaffolder by trade. They take up more room and cost more than a ladder run, which is exactly why it is worth deciding deliberately rather than finding out on day one.
Related: chimney scaffolding, temporary roofs and tin hats, and commercial scaffolding where site movement is usually the reason stairs come up at all.
When they earn their keep
Stairs or a ladder?
Both are safe when they are built right. Stairs are worth the extra room and the extra cost when:
Where they are not worth it, we will say so: a single-lift scaffold for two days of gutter work does not need a staircase. The rest of what we put up is on our scaffolding page.
Reasons to choose stairs
- The scaffold is up for weeks rather than days
- Several trades are working off it at once
- Materials and tools are going up and down all day
- People who are not scaffolders will be using it regularly
- The lifts are high enough that a ladder climb is a job in itself
Recent work
Stair runs and access
Staired access between lifts 
Stair access into a basement dig
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Not sure which you need?
Tell us what the scaffold is for, how long it is wanted and who will be using it, and we will tell you whether stairs are worth it on your job. Quotes are free and we do not charge for advice.
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