Ladderway system for underground raises

An improved ladderway system for an underground raise, the system comprising:

• an elongate tube made of a substantially rigid plastic material and adapted to be received in the raise, the tube having a series of steps moulded into an interior side wall thereof so as to form a ladder extending substantially a full length of the tube, each step comprising a generally planar platform protruding inwardly from the interior side wall of the tube;
• a pair of elongate handrails attached to the steps and extending substantially the full length of the tube;
• and,
• wherein a plurality of the steps are each formed with a pair of enlarged side wings, each of the side wings of the pair of enlarged side wings is moulded with a recess for receiving a respective handrail of the pair of elongate handrails therein, and wherein the plurality of the steps formed with the pair of enlarged side wings is less than the total number of steps so that the recesses for receiving the respective handrails are provided at spaced vertical intervals which are larger than spaced vertical intervals between adjacent steps when in use.