This month our top tip considers ladder striker plates – these plates are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic and are fixed to the floor or walls behind the ladder feet. Without a striker plate movement in the ladders can cause superficial tile damage which, if left unchecked, can lead to tile failure which in turn can cause water ingress resulting in further tile failure.
The striker plate below appears, from a distance, to be doing its job very well – protecting the tiling on the wall from impact damage caused by movement in the ladders. However, on closer inspection you can see that the centre of the striker plate has not been secured to the wall causing an entrapment hazard for pool users, especially for children who often play near the ladders as they provide something to hold onto in deeper areas of the pool.
Many leisure centres around the country utilise removable, limited mobility ladders which enable disabled pool users to access the pool safely and easily. These ladders are quite heavy and require two persons to place and remove them and even with two people sharing the weight, the ladders can be dropped onto the pool floor during installation; or dragged up the side of the pool during removal. This, too, can result in tile failure to the floor and wall tiles and therefore requires the installation of striker plates. If your ladders are missing striker plates, call Commercial and Specialised Diving to have them installed. If you are interested in installing a set of removable, limited mobility ladders give us a call as we can install these ladders and the aforementioned striker plates simultaneously.
