Shopping centre design in recent years has tended to focus on building upwards as a way of maximising site density and provide the dramatic spaces retailers require to present their wares. So two-level malls with double-height shop units are not uncommon.

Reducing the number of falls from height is one of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) key aims in 2008, and forms an important element of its 'Shattered Lives' campaign.

Accessing great heights inside a shopping mall can be a difficult challenge for maintenance and cleaning staff.