Trench plates and footbridges

The Ramp People's extensive range of Trench plates and footbridges ensure pedestrians and vehicles can safely pass over trenches during construction works...

How to make your business accessible for customers

Every year we see an increase in the number of people living with some type of disability in the UK and with it, the economic value of these people also increases. The ‘purple pound’ as it’s also called is more valuable than ever and businesses that are willing to make small but significant adjustment to improve accessibility to their goods ...

What is a Safety Management System (SMS)?

Many workplaces recognise the importance of workplace safety and most even commit some focus and resources to workplace health and safety, yet many still fall short of successful operational safety and health (OSH). Often this is because of a lack of a formal system in place to hold managers and employees accountable for health and safety and to ...

How to use a loading ramp safely

Loading ramps provide the ultimate safe and simple method to manoeuvring your vehicles and industrial equipment into your truck and van. Here at The Ramp People we supply a great range of truck ramps and van ramps suitable for all industries and we understand the importance of being able to rely on them all year round. We have highlighted some primary safety precautions to take when using loading ramps to ensure they work best for you.

1) Forwards not backwards.

Now this may sound obvious, but when you are driving your vehicle up your ramp (or any inclined surface) there's always a danger of tipping over backwards. The smaller the vehicle or equipment you are moving the greater the risk so ensure you have it secure or can get it loaded on to the van or truck in one motion. Does your vehicle have rear wheel drive? Try driving up the ramp backwards, in reverse, so that the powered wheel is uphill.

2) Stay on the ramp

There are always risks when manoeuvring on a ramp, especially with varying sizes of vehicles and equipment. Safety is of paramount importance so our ramps come with highly durable, anti-slip surface and optional raised edges to ensure your equipment can stay safe and secure.

3) Keep the ramp attached

Be sure that the ramp is tightly secured to the trailer, with a chain, safety straps or hook connection option which our own ramps are offered with. Our ramps are built with an optimised weight so they can work perfectly with your equipment and stay connected as you load your vehicles on and off your van or truck.

4) The ramp angle should be low

Don't set your ramp up on too steep a gradient, the steeper the ramp, the greater the likelihood of the vehicle coming back down or falling off either side is increased. In line with EU guidelines, the maximum recommended gradient for loading is 1:33, all of our ramps are built with this in mind. If you are loading items with low ground clearance you will require a smoother gradient. Make sure the van or truck is on a surface that's lower than the one that the vehicle is being loaded from (ie. the pavement) so that the ramp will be fairly level.