Francis Camilleri, Technical Director at Cardiff-based TB Davies, has been appointed Chair of the British Standards Institution's B512 Technical Committee, the body responsible for developing and maintaining UK and European ladder safety standards.
The BSI B512 committee sets the national standards for portable ladders in the UK and coordinates the UK's contribution to European ladder standards through CEN Technical Committee 93. Its membership includes representatives from the Ladder Association, the Health and Safety Executive, Trading Standards, and industry bodies. The committee is responsible for standards, including BS EN 131, which governs the design, testing, and marking of ladders used across construction, trade, and domestic markets.
Camilleri has been a member of B512 for six years alongside his role as Chair of the Ladder Association Technical Committee, through which he has represented the UK at the European standards level and contributed to revisions of key ladder standards. His appointment as Chair of B512 marks a further step in that work, giving him a direct role in setting the direction of the UK's standards programme for portable access equipment.
The appointment comes at a time when ladder safety is under the spotlight in the UK. Ladder Association market surveillance research has found that more than 80% of telescopic ladders tested in recent exercises failed critical safety assessments, with many falsely marked as compliant with the EN 131 standard. The problem is particularly acute on online marketplaces, where platforms have no legal requirement to verify the safety of products sold by third-party sellers.
Francis Camilleri said:
“Ladder standards exist to protect people who work at height every day. The B512 committee does important, often unseen work to ensure those standards remain current, rigorous, and enforceable.
“The volume of non-compliant products reaching the UK market is a serious concern. One of my priorities as Chair will be to ensure that B512 continues to provide the technical foundation that regulators, enforcement bodies, and responsible manufacturers need to tackle that problem. Standards are only effective if they are clear, up to date, and actively used.
“I am proud that this appointment recognises the work TB Davies and the wider Ladder Association have put into standards development over many years. It is a responsibility I take seriously.”
Robert Adamson, Standards Development Manager at BSI, said:
“Francis brings a strong combination of technical knowledge and practical industry experience to the role of Chair. His track record in the Ladder Association and his long-standing involvement with B512 mean he understands both the standards landscape and the real-world safety challenges the committee exists to address.
“We look forward to working with him as we continue to develop standards that keep people safe when working at height.”
TB Davies is a fourth-generation family business founded in Cardiff in 1945. The company manufactures and distributes ladders and access equipment from its 3.5-acre site in Splott, Cardiff, supplying major retailers such as Wickes, Screwfix, Toolstation, and Dulux Decorator Centre, as well as blue-chip clients such as BT and National Grid. It holds the exclusive UK licence for Little Giant Ladder Systems.
