Executive Hire News › Archives › July 2009 › Executive Report : Safety solutions
Executive Report : Safety solutions
EHN reviews the latest products and initiatives exhibited by hirers and suppliers at the recent Safety & Health Expo.
The fact that several major national hire groups took prominent stands at the Safety & Health Expo, held recently in Birmingham, showed how important this topic continues to be for our industry. It also demonstrated how hirers are fulfilling a key role in sourcing and supplying innovative products that they can offer to their customers.
New additions highlighted in Speedy’s display included the HAVmeter, developed by Edinburgh-based Reactec as a means of measuring and managing operatives’ exposure to HAV. In practice, each tool user is allocated a pager-sized electronic meter, which attaches to equipment and is held in place by a strong magnetic tag. It measures vibration in line with the Health & Safety Executive’s points system, and alerts the employee with amber and red lights on reaching the legal exposure limits. At the end of the working day, the operator returns the meter to a base station that recharges it and downloads the data, which can then be transferred to a laptop as a permanent record of an individual’s HAV exposure.
Thermal imaging
Speedy, which was recently presented with the British Safety Council’s International Safety Award for promoting a positive safety culture, also unveiled the Flir i50 hand-held thermal imaging camera for detecting electrical problems, identifying mechanical issues and verifying repairs by electricians, railway engineers, telecommunications workers and other professionals. Other recent fleet additions prominent on the stand included the Power Tower, a battery operated push-around lift platform offering a 5.1m footprint, which is distributed to the hire industry by Red Band UK. Also shown was the Safebrace system from Towers & Sanders, for keeping access tower components together simply for better security and to facilitate transportation.
A-Plant’s latest initiatives on show included its new HAV Product Selector, a pocket-sized guide that lists vibration data for popular tools from manufacturers such as Hilti, JCB, Makita, SPE International, Stihl and Wacker Neuson, and provides general advice on HAV management. A-Plant announced that it is also offering the Reactec HAVmeter system.
An updated version of A-Plant’s Site Safety Pack was on display. This comprises a 56-page Health & Safety Handbook explaining regulations concerning issues such as HAV, dust, noise and work at height, as well as appropriate measures that can be implemented. Also launched at the Expo was the hirer’s Customer Training Solutions brochure outlining courses that are offered on topics ranging from access towers and abrasive wheels, to water rescue safety and work at height.
HSS had two stands back-to-back, one promoting the hirer’s training initiatives and the other showing products from its fleet for certain tasks. The company launched its new training brochure, which lists more than 100 courses that can be offered at dedicated training ‘centres of excellence’. Usually appended to a large HSS Supercentre depot, there are now 19 such facilities covering the UK and Eire, the most recent having been opened in Solihull.
“These centres have specific training facilities, with courses delivered by dedicated Training staff,” said Dave Bennett-Bull, Head of Training Development. “We offer courses from organisations like PASMA, IPAF, the Ladder Association and NEBOSH, and can also tailor training to individual requirements. We will shortly open our first confined spaces safety training facility in Beckton, east London, which will be ideally placed for the Olympic Games site.”
Work at height solutions
Amongst the specialist work at height products on display at the Expo were several from the comprehensive Euro Towers line-up. The Klik Mini Fold is an extremely compact folding unit that offers six platform heights from 0.2-1.7m, yet is only 1.5m long by 0.7m wide. Also shown was the popular Microfold 1000 podium step, which has a telescopic handrail section, lockable castors and offers platform levels of 250, 500, 750 and 1000mm.
Euro Towers also promoted its Klik Ladder Frame tower system, available in 0.7 and 1.35m widths and in three, four or five rung sizes.
It is designed to use the minimum number of multi-purpose components so that no separate ladders or guardrail frames are necessary.
The Phat Eddie is a heavy-duty addition to Bravi UK’s Eddie Lift range. The two-person, push-around unit offers a maximum 3.6m working height, a carrying capacity of up to 300kg and incorporates a sturdy box-section scissor pack. Battery operated, it has a double-entry gate system enabling operators to enter from either side, and wall protection buffers are fitted. The platform measures 1.2 by 0.8m, and a narrower version is available that facilitates entry through standard doorways, while still offering a 300kg carrying capacity.
Joint MD Stuart Honeywood, reported “huge interest at the Expo from professionals in diverse industries. They are aware of risks associated with work at height, but are unsure of where to obtain appropriate solutions, so there is an obvious hire opportunity here. We’ve also had a lot of interest in our Leonardo self-propelled lift, which gives a 4.9m working height. More contractors find themselves working in cramped locations and need suitable equipment.” Hirers that have recently added the Leonardo to their fleets include P.E.T Hire of Crewe and the access specialist AFI-Uplift.
New from JLG Industries is the modular Liftpod, a lightweight work platform that breaks down into three components for easy transportation by one person. Each part weighs less than 29kg, and the assembled machine weighs in at 67kg. It offers a 4.32m working height, a 150kg carrying capacity and is designed to be powered up and down either by attaching a cordless drill to an integral socket, or via an optional rechargeable battery pack. The platform can also be lowered manually if required and integral wheels give manoeuvrability.
SpanSet UK launched its Proof Loader Kit, a re-usable personal fall protection system designed to provide an anchorage point that can be quantified. It can be used on solid substrates such as concrete slabs or natural rock features and a simple trigger action is designed to facilitate placement into holes. A proof-testing tool allows testing of the anchors to 6kN.
Castle Group launched a revised range of pocket sized Sonus sound level and noise exposure meters. They allow dual frequency measurement to avoid repetitious sampling and are said to be particularly suitable for hearing protection calculations. Data can be downloaded into special software for producing graphs and tables that can be pasted into other popular applications. •
Supplier Contacts
Bravi UK - www.bravi.uk.com
Castle Group - www.castlegroup.co.uk
Euro Towers - www.eurotowers.co.uk
JLG Industries - www.jlg.com
Reactec - www.reactec.com
Red Band UK - www.redbanduk.co.uk
SpanSet UK - www.spanset.co.uk
Towers & Sanders - www.scaffold-tower.co.uk
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