THE LATEST ARTICLES
Filter News By: Clear Filter
What is the difference between a ramp estimate and quote?
At Rapid Ramp, our estimate provides you with an early approximate price based on the initial information. In contrast, our quotation is a fixed price determined after a comprehensive site assessment. A quote also includes CAD drawings of the system, which you can present to your client.
Is Your Polling Stations Wheelchair Accessible?
You know the venues chosen as polling stations for election day, but have you ensured they are wheelchair accessible? We specialise in high-quality modular ramps and steps and have installed access to a variety of sites, including churches, car parks and prefabricated buildings for previous elections.
Condition Improvement Fund (CIF)
Every year, eligible academies, sixth-form colleges, and voluntary-aided (VA) schools have the chance to apply for capital funding through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). The Department for Education (DfE) gives priority to schools with significant structural needs, focusing on keeping educational buildings safe and in good working order. This involves funding projects that address health and safety issues, ensure building compliance, and tackle structures in poor condition.
What Are Mobile Medical Trailers?
Mobile medical trailers are commonly modular prefabricated structures built off-site and then transported to their specified locations. They are utilised in both the NHS and the private healthcare sector for various purposes, including but not limited to blood donations, vaccination programs, health screenings, and GP appointment rooms. To facilitate access, an accompanying modular ramp or step unit is often necessary to overcome a door threshold.
How Much Does It Cost To Install A Ramp?
The cost of installing a ramp can vary depending on the specifics of your project. Factors we consider include project size, installation timeline, and the number of Rapid Ramp fitters needed. Our approach ensures transparent pricing to support your tender submissions. We provide estimates typically within 24 hours and offer quotes post site survey.
What Is A Temporary Classroom?
A temporary classroom typically takes the form of a portable modular structure positioned in a parking lot or within the school's playground. This setup allows students to continue receiving face-to-face learning either on-site or nearby, even when construction activities are in progress. Additionally, an accompanying ramp is often required to connect the building and the ground, addressing the elevation difference.
Do You Provide Custom Access Ramps?
With a track record spanning more than three decades, we excel in producing custom access ramps. Like a Meccano kit, our system has modular sections that can be customised in an extensive range of lengths, widths, heights, configurations, and colours to suit different access specifications.
What Is A changing Places Toilet?
A Changing Places Toilet is a large, accessible restroom equipped with additional space and specialised equipment designed to cater to the requirements of individuals with severe disabilities. In contrast to a typical accessible toilet, Changing Places facilities are equipped with amenities such as privacy curtains, lifting hoists, and adult-sized changing benches.
Improvements Towards An Accessible City
Navigating physical barriers in cities can be a daunting task for many individuals with disabilities. The challenges they face range from a lack of drop kerbs to inaccessible toilets and buildings. However, there are numerous improvements that can be made to reduce these struggles and ultimately create a more inclusive and accessible urban environment. This article explores several suggestions aimed at enhancing accessibility for disabled city dwellers.
What Is A Modular Ramp?
A modular ramp comprises of interchangeable prefabricated sections that are easily assembled, disassembled, and reconfigured to suit each project’s specific accessibility needs. Similarly to other ramps, they provide access to buildings and spaces for disabled and able-bodied users. In addition, they can often provide walkway access over obstacles such as pipes and cabling during maintenance works.
An Accessible London – Rapid Ramp Playing Its Part
Ensuring accessibility for all individuals in cities, including London, is of utmost importance. While significant improvements have been made in recent years, there is always room for further modifications. At Rapid Ramp, we are committed to doing our part by supporting local authorities, businesses, and schools in their efforts to enhance accessibility. We specialise in providing modular wheelchair ramps, offering practical solutions to facilitate smooth and safe passage for individuals with mobility challenges. By collaborating with various stakeholders, we strive to contribute to the ongoing mission of creating inclusive environments for everyone in our cities.
Do You Offer Wheelchair Ramps In Scotland?
Yes, we continue to provide modular access ramps and step solutions across Scotland for your public and commercial building projects. Our ramps are fully compliant with Parts M and K of the Scottish Building Regulations, ensuring they meet the highest standards for safety.
How Much Does A Wooden Wheelchair Ramp Cost?
The cost of a wooden wheelchair ramp will depend on various factors, including the design, size, usage, labour time, and if it needs to comply with access regulations, e.g. Document M and K. Unfortunately, a wooden ramp is designed as a one-use option and requires costly, consistent maintenance to prevent warping, rot, splintering, and cracking. Modular steel ramps are far superior in terms of long-term productivity, reusability, cost efficiency and safety (e.g. a fire-resistant material).
Accessibility Checklist For Polling Stations
Every individual, including those with disabilities, deserves an accessible experience at polling stations without any barriers hindering their right to vote. These barriers may include physical challenges like steps, inadequate signage, lack of accessible toilets, and issues with building access. This article explores critical accessibility considerations for voters, including temporary solutions such as ramps.
What Type of Ramp Is Suitable For Stages?
The chosen ramp suitable for your stage will often depend on the threshold height that needs to be overcome, its usage and how long the system will be in situ (if temporary or permanent). Various performers with different mobility levels utilise stages. Within the entertainment industry, service providers such as theatre owners and event organisers must guarantee that performance spaces, including stages, are wheelchair-accessible in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010.
Do Your Ramps & Steps Require Building Control Sign-Off?
Specific minimum requirements, safeguards, and features are necessary to achieve building control sign-off for ramps and steps. For example, Building Regulations specify a minimum width of 1500mm for public-use ramps and 900mm for dwelling ramps. Additionally, ensure you have assigned a Building Control Officer (BCO) for the project. The term 'building control officer' generally refers to a local authority employee. In contrast, an 'approved inspector' refers to a private sector individual who is often your point of contact for sign-off.
Guide To Choosing An Access Ramp
Access ramps are designed to overcome obstacles like kerbs, door thresholds, and obstructions like pipes and cabling. Different ramp types have their own weight capacity; for example, our modular ramp has been tested to bear loads up to 1,000kg. Regardless of the variation selected, all ramps are intended to assist individuals using wheelchairs. This guide delves into questions related to selecting ramps, covering aspects like available types, applications, and adherence to ramp regulations.
Why Do I Need Steps With Handrails?
For safety purposes, we always recommend choosing access steps with handrails. Handrails are designed to provide the user with stability and support; without them, a user could trip and fall over. Also, if you require sign-off from the building control, a platform is mandatory with any step unit.
Do Public Access Steps Need to Comply With Building Regulations?
Yes, it is often the case that public access steps need approval from building control authorities. If your project specification necessitates this, any step system must adhere fully to the requirements outlined in Documents K and M of the Building Regulations. Additionally, it should include other essential safety measures and features to prevent falls, collisions, and injuries in a public environment.
How To Make A Christmas Market Accessible
The holiday season brings joy with its festive atmosphere and various events, such as markets held throughout the UK. Since these gatherings offer a service to the community, it's crucial for them to comply with the 2010 Equality Act, ensuring accessibility for everyone. By incorporating temporary adjustments, individuals with disabilities can enjoy equal opportunities to partake in the festivities.
Recommendations For An inclusive Building Design
An inclusive design should be implemented from the earliest phases of a building project (design and planning) and considered throughout to ensure standards are maintained. Within the design, the types of signage, lighting, visual contrasts and materials should be reviewed, as well as how access to the building will be accomplished.
Platform Slip Resistance Test
We are delighted to report that the Rapid Ramp Platform continues to provide a professional, tested standard of slip resistance. As evidenced by a recent pendulum test, the mesh platform was successfully evaluated to provide adequate levels of grip in both wet and dry conditions.
How To Create An Accessible Workplace For Disabled People
There are countless reasonable adjustments that employers can and must legally implement to create an accessible workplace for disabled people. Ultimately, improvements are made to empower the disabled workforce and to help individuals efficiently accomplish the day-to-day requirements of their job role.
Fire Safety Design Regulations For Schools
It is important that professionals such as designers, contractors, building control officers, fire safety officers and school leaders remain updated with the latest fire safety guidelines and regulations, including the Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100) produced by the Department for Education.
How Strong Is A Modular Ramp?
We understand that you care about this question, and ensuring the safety of your clients while using our product is as crucial to us as it is to you. With that in mind, our modular ramp has undergone a weight-loading test, proving to support a recommended loading capacity of 1,000 kg.
What Type Of Wheelchair Ramp Is Suitable For Car Parks?
Every day, car parks serve a diverse array of users, granting entry to various service levels such as shopping malls and hospitals. It is the duty of car park owners, as service providers, to guarantee wheelchair accessibility to these facility levels in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010. Typically, this obligation is met through the installation of lift access to different levels and the provision of access ramps as needed.
What Does DDA Stand For?
DDA stands for the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The act protects the rights of disabled people, including (but not limited to) those with a physical disability, mental impairment or visual impairment. Please note that The Equalities Act 2010 replaced the Disability Discrimination Act in England, Wales and Scotland.
What Is An Expanded Metal Ramp?
An expanded metal ramp has a perforated mesh surface that is often diamond-shaped to allow water to drain through rather than puddle, freeze, or become slippery. The surface is achieved by cutting and stretching sheet metal until it forms the shape required. The same technique is used within our Rapid Ramp manufacturing process.
Part K – What Does It Cover?
Part K of the building regulations covers provisions to prevent falls, collisions, and injuries. The document also covers ramps, handrails, ladders, and stairs. Please do get in touch if you require ramps and steps. We have a system for temporary and permanent use.
How To Design Outside Steps?
Outside steps need to withstand exposure from extreme weather conditions and often need to comply with Part M and K of the Building Regulations if they are for public use or provide access to a council-owned dwelling. We further advise a slip-resistant walkway surface and a fire-resistant step system for users’ safety.
Designing A Narrow Wheelchair Ramp
In projects with limited space, a narrow wheelchair ramp may be the only feasible option. We typically only install compact modular ramps when alternative entrances are impractical. However, suppose strict compliance with Part M and Part K of the building regulations is necessary. In that case, adequate space is crucial to ensure the ramp meets the required gradient and width specifications for full compliance.
How Much Does A Ramp Cost?
The cost of a ramp varies by project and is influenced by factors such as the required configuration, installation location, the client’s project details, and notes from the site survey. Our smallest straight standard modular ramp starts from £2,500. Estimates are subject to a site survey, and VAT exemptions may apply.
Do You Provide Wheelchair Ramps In Ireland?
Rapid Ramp serves Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for any public access ramps & step projects. Service packages include Supply Only, Supply & Installation and Ramp Rental. These are available across all regions for public access projects.
What Are Part M Ramps?
We appreciate ramps and part m of the building regulations can be puzzling; therefore, we have broken down the main fundamentals concerning ramped access. If you require part m ramps, please get in touch as we have a fully compliant system for temporary and permanent use.
Do Schools Need An Accessibility Plan?
Yes, it is a legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 for schools to have an accessibility plan. This needs to be approved by their governing or trust board. Fundamentally, it must support disabled pupils in accessing and benefiting from education, facilities, and services.
How Can I Determine The Appropriate Access Ramp For An Airport?
When discussing airport access ramps, we first need to look at an example of passenger footfall for context: London Heathrow was one of the world’s busiest airports, with over eighty million passengers passing through in just 2019 alone (Heathrow Airport Limited, 2020).
Improving Hospital Discharges (NHS Long Term Plan)
People in the UK are living longer than ever before. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that in 2019, the life expectancy for women increased to 83.6 years, up four months compared with 2018. For men, this increased to 79.9 years, up three months.
Ramps suitable for hospital beds & Patient equipment
Patient-moving equipment such as hospital beds and stretchers are in use daily in healthcare and NHS facilities. At times, these are moved in and out of buildings, and provisions need to be made to allow a quick exit for beds in the event of a fire.
Improving disabled access at UK festivals
Most people can enjoy access to music at any time, anywhere. However, for disabled festival-goers, e.g. wheelchairs users and individuals with disabilities, seeing their favourite band live can be mentally or physically challenging without the correct provisions in place.
What is a DDA compliant Ramp? - Compliance with Disability Discrimination Act
The Equalities Act 2010 replaced the Disability Discrimination Act of 2005 (DDA). However, the term 'DDA compliant ramp' is still commonly used when discussing laws protecting the rights of disabled people to access buildings, services and spaces.
How To Build A Modular Wheelchair Ramp
Building a modular ramp is much faster than using traditional methods like timber or concrete. You can either assemble the kit yourself using our detailed step-by-step video or opt for our supply and installation service. We handle all aspects of the installation internally to ensure a smooth and efficient process. Additionally, our fitters hold CSCS Labourer cards, which verify their skills and competence, and they undergo comprehensive DBS checks.
What Is A GRP Ramp?
A GRP ramp refers to a ramp system that features a GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) surface for added strength and durability. This composite material, made from plastic reinforced with glass fibres, is known for its lightweight nature, high durability, and resistance to corrosion. We offer modular ramps with a GRP surface that provides excellent slip resistance, making them ideal for high-traffic public areas such as schools and train stations.
Why Do We Talk About ‘Warm-to-Touch’ Handrails?
In bitter weather, uncoated metal handrails can become extremely cold, while in strong sunlight, they can become unbearably hot. This can cause discomfort and hesitation, potentially leading to users unintentionally releasing their grip and increasing the risk of falling. Handrails that remain warm to the touch help users maintain a secure grip, offering greater comfort and safety in all weather conditions. This feature enhances the practicality and reliability of the handrail across varying climates.
