Step-Over Platforms
Step-over platform kits for pipes, cables and roof obstacles: standard, mini and made to suit. Free design service, quote within one hour.
Not Sure What You Need?
Send a sketch, a photo or your measurements. We draw it up free and quote within one hour.
Step-Over Platforms: Which One You Need
A step-over platform is a set of treads and a walkway with handrails that takes people over an obstacle instead of climbing across it. On roofs and at ground level that obstacle is usually pipework, plant, cable trays, air-conditioning ducting or a change in level. We supply three types: standard step-over kits for obstacles 600mm to 1400mm high, mini step-over kits for trip hazards with 200mm or 400mm clearance, and bespoke step-overs made up from the same stocked parts when neither kit fits.
This guide helps you pick the right one. Both kit ranges are held in stock with next-day delivery on stock orders, tube is cut to length free, and our free design service will draw up a layout for anything non-standard. Send us the obstacle height and a photo and we will quote within one hour during working hours.
| Range | Clears | Sizes | Listed standard | Versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard step-over kits | Pipework, plant, equipment and changes in roof level | Obstacles 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1400mm high. All kits 1000mm wide | BS EN 14122 Part 3 | Freestanding for membrane, asphalt and PVC roofs. Fixed for concrete roofs and floors |
| Mini step-over kits | Trip hazards: cable trays, low pipework and other low obstacles | 200mm and 400mm height clearance. 3, 4 or 5 treads long | EN 516 Class 1-C | Freestanding on base weights, or fixed on galvanised steel flanges |
| Bespoke step-overs | Obstacles the kits don't suit: metal roofs, taller or wider obstacles, tight spaces | Made up from stocked kit components, key clamp fittings and tube cut to your lengths | Designed to EN 14122 parts 3 and 4 | As required |
Pick the Right Type in Three Questions
- How high is the obstacle at its highest point? Low trip hazards that need 200mm or 400mm clearance: mini kit. Obstacles of 600mm, 800mm, 1000mm, 1200mm or 1400mm: standard kit. Over 1400mm: bespoke.
- What surface will it stand on? Membrane, asphalt or PVC roof: a freestanding standard kit or a freestanding mini kit, so nothing goes through the waterproofing. Concrete roof or floor: a fixed standard kit. Mini kits suit any flat surface. Metal roof: bespoke, because standard kits are not listed for metal roofs.
- Is there room? Every standard kit is 1000mm wide. If plant leaves less room than that, or the route has several obstacles in a row or turns a corner, go bespoke.
| Your site | Start with |
|---|---|
| Cable trays or low pipework across a roof route | Mini step-over kits |
| Pipework, plant or ducting 600mm to 1400mm high | Standard step-over kits |
| A step between two roof levels | Standard kits, or bespoke if the step is over 1400mm |
| A metal roof | Bespoke step-overs |
| Less than 1000mm of clear width | Bespoke step-overs |
| A place to stand and work at height, not a crossing | Access platforms |
How a Step-Over Is Built
Where normal access is blocked by plant, machinery or the shape of the roof, people otherwise climb over the obstacle. A step-over replaces that with treads and an anti-slip walkway over the obstacle, with a double handrail and toe-boards on the larger units.
Our step-overs are built from galvanised steel tube and tubular fittings. The frame is bolted, not welded, so it can be assembled, adjusted, repaired or moved later without specialist tools. Because every kit uses standard components, the same stocked parts can be rearranged into a bespoke step-over when a kit doesn't fit.
- Freestanding versions stand on the roof without penetrating it. Standard freestanding kits (STMB) have base feet to suit membrane, asphalt and PVC roofs. Mini freestanding kits stand on two 26kg base weights.
- Fixed versions bolt down. Standard fixed kits (STCR) are for concrete roofs and floors. Mini fixed kits use galvanised steel flanges as feet.
Not Sure What You Need?
Send a sketch, a photo or your measurements. We draw it up free and quote within one hour.
Standards Each Range Is Listed To
| Range | Standard |
|---|---|
| Standard step-over kits | Listed to BS EN 14122 Part 3 |
| Mini step-over kits | Listed to EN 516 Class 1-C |
| Bespoke step-overs | Designed to EN 14122 parts 3 and 4 |
The listing tells you what the product is designed to. Whether the finished installation meets the Work at Height Regulations and your site's requirements is for whoever installs and signs it off.
Materials and Finish
- Standard kits: galvanised steel tube and tubular galvanised fittings, nylon treads and toe-boards. Galvanised steel resists corrosion outdoors.
- Mini kits: galvanised steel, aluminium extrusion and reinforced nylon treads, so they need little maintenance.
- Bespoke step-overs: galvanised steel or aluminium. Aluminium suits jobs where the weight has to be kept down.
Where Step-Overs Are Used
- Roof access routes. Maintenance staff and contractors cross pipework, ducting and plant on the way to the work. Step-overs sit alongside roof edge protection and skylight guardrails on the same route.
- Cable trays on new buildings. Wates Construction used twelve mini step-overs, in 200mm and 400mm clearances, to make a maintenance route over cable trays at Coundon Court School in Coventry.
- Tight roofs. A Portsmouth mechanical design and installation firm asked about STMB600 and STMB800 kits. Photos showed too little room, so we designed a narrow step-over with a maximum width of 800mm. Read how it was done.
- Large ducting. A customer on the Isle of Wight needed three platforms over very large ducting and wanted the weight kept down, so we supplied them in aluminium. See the aluminium step-overs.
- Changes in roof level. Where one roof section sits higher than the next.
- Plant rooms, warehouses and factories. Conduits, cable runs and machinery across walkways. See industrial access walkways.
- Away from industry. A bespoke step-over feeding platform gave safe access over obstacles in a tight space around an aviary.
How to Order
- Measure the obstacle: height at its highest point and the width you need to cross.
- Note the surface: membrane, asphalt, PVC, concrete, metal sheet, or an internal floor.
- Check the clear width available. Standard kits need 1000mm.
- Decide freestanding or fixed.
- Send the measurements and a photo through request a quote, or call 01905 779944.
- We confirm the kit or the bespoke parts list and the price within one hour in working hours.
Why Buy Step-Overs from Fisher Alvin
- Kits in stock. Ten standard kits and twelve mini kits, with next-day delivery on stock orders.
- Quote within one hour. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, from your measurements and a photo.
- Free design service. Send photos and dimensions and we draw up a layout and parts list for a non-standard step-over.
- Free tube cutting. Extra tube for a bespoke layout arrives cut to length.
- No welding. Everything bolts together, so a step-over can be changed or moved later.
- Founded in Birmingham in 1912, now based in Cradley Heath.
Step-Over Platform Questions
What is a step-over platform?
A set of treads and a walkway with handrails that takes people over an obstacle. It gives a safe route over pipework, cable trays, plant or a change in roof level instead of climbing over them.
Which step-over do I need?
Go by obstacle height. Low trip hazards needing 200mm or 400mm clearance suit a mini kit. Obstacles 600mm to 1400mm high suit a standard kit. Over 1400mm, on a metal roof, or with less than 1000mm of room, you need a bespoke step-over.
What is the difference between standard and mini step-overs?
Standard kits clear obstacles 600mm to 1400mm high, are 1000mm wide and are listed to BS EN 14122 Part 3. Mini kits clear low trip hazards with 200mm or 400mm clearance, come in 3, 4 or 5 tread lengths and are listed to EN 516 Class 1-C.
Do step-overs need fixing to the roof?
Not always. Freestanding standard kits are for membrane, asphalt and PVC roofs, and freestanding mini kits stand on two 26kg base weights, so neither needs fixings into the surface. Fixed versions are available for concrete and other surfaces you can bolt to.
Can I use a standard kit on a metal roof?
Standard kits are not listed for metal roofs. Send us the roof details and we will advise on the components for a bespoke step-over that suits it.
Can you make a step-over narrower than 1000mm?
Yes, as a bespoke step-over. For one roof with very little room we designed a narrow step-over with a maximum width of 800mm.
Are the kits delivered assembled?
Kits are supplied flat packed with full assembly instructions, and mini kits come partially assembled. They go together without specialist tools and with no welding.
How quickly can I get a step-over?
Standard and mini kits are stock items, with next-day delivery on stock orders. Bespoke step-overs use stocked parts, so there is no wait for fabrication.
Step-Over Platforms Guides and Related Ranges
Guides: roof step-over platforms for pipes and cables, how to choose a step-over, industrial access walkways and when a standard step-over won't fit.
Projects: Coundon Court School, aluminium step-overs, feeding step-over platform and all projects.
Choose a kit: standard step-over kits, mini step-over kits or bespoke step-overs. Also see access platforms, roof edge protection, skylight fall protection, self-closing gates and key clamps and galvanised tube.
Recent projects
A few of the jobs we have supplied. Every one was quoted, drawn up and delivered by the Fisher Alvin team.
Tell Us the Job. We Quote Within One Hour.
In working hours, with a free design service if you need the layout drawn up. Or call 01905 779944.