Our company standards dictate that a self-closing gate shall be fitted to the top of external fixed ladders.

We have 10+ ladders that lead to the various roof areas of the building, but all of these have a railing protected platform from which you exit 1.5-2m into the roof area. From there, persons accessing the roof area hook onto a mansafe system (along with other controls).Roof areas are accessed on average 2 times per year, one of these is by a specialist contractor inspecting the mansafe system and ladders, one is by our engineers for general repair or investigation. The roof edges are not protected by railings.

My understanding is that self-closing gates are installed in conjunction with railings to create a complete barrier around roof edges.

I have concerns that the task of fitting 10+ self-closing gates and subsequent increase in difficulty accessing the roof when carrying equipment is actually increasing the risk.

Thoughts?

If you select the correct design of self-closing gate there should be no issue with either installation or access.

In your description you do not mention what form the exit from the platform takes - is it merely an opening or does this have you company mandated gate?

The gate does not necessarily need to be immediately above the last rung but should cause people to stop and think of their location before stepping out on to nothing.

Opening a gate to walk along a short platform to the ladder achieves this aim.