If you are in the market for purchasing a new ladder, you may have heard of Bailey ladders. Bailey ladders are generally highly regarded among Australian consumers, particularly for their innovative safety features which are rarely found on generic ladders.

You could be forgiven for thinking that Bailey is a particular shape or design of ladder, but it is actually the name of a brand. This is analogous to other products which are referred to by a brand name, another prominent example of this being how toasted sandwiches are sometimes called by the brand name of the company which first released the toasted sandwich maker.

The Bailey brand manufactures a large range of ladder solutions. Similarly to other companies, they make aluminium ladders, which strikes a balance between tensile strength and ease of portability. They also manufacture fibreglass ladders. Like aluminium, fibreglass is strong and lightweight. While aluminium is arguably the better option for ladders, it is not suitable for all uses. This is because aluminium is a metal, which means that it conducts electricity. Conversely, fibreglass acts as an insulator. For this reason, electricians opt for fibreglass ladders to eliminate the risk of electric shock from a wayward live wire touching the ladder that they are in direct contact with. The bailey brand makes some of the best aluminium and fibreglass ladders on the market.

As noted above, Bailey ladders are prized for their safety features. These include a unique bracing solution reducing the likelihood of the ladder collapsing when it is in use, and a specially made tread which reduces the chance of slippage. Movement of the ladder when it is in use is the main risk of using ladders, as injuries from falling off a ladder can be severe, and even fatal in some cases.