Rojak Stopper and Multi Stopper

Stopper Base Ladder Stabiliser

The Stopper was invented by Barrie Weatherall owner of Rojak Design Ltd  and has been on the market since the early 1990's. It is an anti slip stabiliser for ladders and comes in various sizes(see below).

Whilst some potential customers see the Stopper as being just a rubber mat it is in fact an Aluminium T piece with Rubber bonded to the cross part of the "T". Because of this the weight of the ladder and its user are spread throughout the Stopper over a large area. Not only does the Upright Aluminium plate help prevent the ladder slipping outwards it also helps prevent ladder flip where the ladder rotates due to overreaching.

We have been asked why we don't we manufacture Stopper cheaply in the Far East out of one piece of Rubber but we believe this would be both a false economy and dangerous. The upright needs to be hard but the foot needs to have a soft outer with a rigid centre. It would also weigh about 8 kilos where our STO 18 weighs just 2.5 kilos and the STO 24 only 3.3 kilos. the Stopper is a lot more than just a cheap rubber mat.

Technical details

Code - STO18 Trade Stopper

Dimensions - 18 inches (475mm) long X 8½ inches (216mm) wide ladder stabiliser suitable for ladders up to 16 inches (406mm) wide. Weight 2.5kg

Code - STO24 Industrial Trade Stopper

Dimensions - 24 inches (609mm) long X 8½ inches (216mm) wide ladder stabiliser suitable for ladders up to 22 inches (559mm) wide. Weight 3.3kg

Code - STO30 USA Stopper

Dimensions - 30 inches (762mm) long X 8½ inches (216mm) wide ladder stabiliser suitable for ladders up to 28 inches (711mm) wide. Weight 5.2kg

Code - STO36 European Trade Stopper

Dimensions - 36 inches (914mm) long X 8½ inches (216mm) wide ladder stabiliser suitable for ladders up to 34 inches (863mm) wide. Weight 5.5kg

Code - MS24 Multi Stopper

Dimensions - 24 inches (609mm) long X 7 inches (177 mm) wide ladder  stabiliser suitable for ladders up to 22 inches (559mm) wide. Weight 3.5kg

Rojak Multi Stopper Stabiliser

Our famous Stopper Base Stabiliser has been the first choice anti-slip device for many professional ladder users, including British Telecom and British Gas, for more than 20 years.

Testing

Over the last 22 years we have had our stabilising products regularly tested but at this point in time there still isn't a Performance Standard for the Stability of Ladders. As a company Rojak Design has campaigned for this for the last 18 years when we first introduced ourselves and our products to the HSE. In that period we have had our products tested at Leeds Metropolitan University, HSL Buxton (The HSE's own Laboratory), AMTAC (now part of Bureau Veritas), Sheffield Laboratories, Bureaus Veritas, BSI, RAPRA, and Leeds University department of Tribology.

For the last set of Stopper test results see Test Report 7181697 and Test Report 7141067

All our stabilising products are innovative and in most instances patented, they are designed to help prevent ladder accidents by improving the performance of ladders.  Present leaning ladder standards only measure strength and durability of ladders but there aren't any existing stability tests to measure ladder safety performance. We have had to design our own tests as well as products to see if they are "fit for purpose".

In 1994 the Health and Safety Executive's Test (HSL) laboratories at Buxton developed ladder stability tests  which our products passed but here we are 17 years on and the traditional ladder industry both here and Europe has failed  to accept these tests or come up with a robust alternative to truly measure the performance of a 10,000 year old product.  Even today a standard ladder still has to be secured (tied off) to the building it is leaning against.

We believe that safer ladders won't evolve until we leave behind the concept that they must consist of just rungs stiles and feet.

Ladder Stabilisers v Footing

In 2004 after the publication of the Loughborough report on ladder stability that HSE had commissioned they decided that they no longer considered footing a ladder to be recommended means of stabilising a ladder.

Stabilising Devices Users

Stopper users include employees such as Painters and Decorators, Roofers, Aerial Installers, Builders, Telecomm Engineers, Surveyors, Property Inspectors, Electricians, Plumbers, Security Installers, Double Glazing Installers etc. BT Engineers, Sky Engineers.