In the past, SafetyLiftinGear has helped a variety of different people and organisations to transport and relocate many different things such as this Dunkirk Little Ship, way back in January of this year.
This trend doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon either, with the latest news that we'd like to bring you of how we helped to relocate a male forest elephant in the Ivory Coast!
Wildlife veterinarian Dr Richard Harvey (http://www.izvg.co.uk/) was asked to assist the Ivory Coast Ministry of Water and Forests to transport a male forest elephant named Hamed.
Hamed was relocated from a small village in the south of the Ivory Coast to N'Zi River Lodge Reserve due to him being a little out of control and causing damage to a number of things, including heavy machinery, vehicles and people's homes!
The situation was getting out of hand and raised concerns for both Hamed and the local population. As a result, Hamed was required to be moved to a safer environment where he could no longer cause harm to others or himself. But, as you can imagine, to move a fully-grown elephant you require specialised equipment. That's where we come in.
To make the transportation of Hamed as safe and effective as possible, we supplied Dr Harvey with a selection of our strong, reliable webbing and round slings. These were used to secure and lift Hamed safely onto a trailer where he was transported to his new home.
Take a look at the images of the lift below:
If our round and webbing slings are good enough to help lift an African male elephant, they'll be more than suitable for your lifting applications! All our lifting slings are made with the finest of materials to ensure a safe, effective and reliable lift. They are extremely tough yet lightweight and offer incredible flexibility that minimises shock during the lift.
You can browse our full range of round and webbing slings below!
Round Slings > Webbing Slings >
If you would like to learn more about our range of polyester round and webbing slings, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the SLG team today - we'd love to help you!
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an industry that looks set to boom. Hard hats and hi-vis jackets may not be everyone's idea of a multi-billion industry, but according to predictions made by Fortune Business Insights, the PPE market is set be worth $85.72 billion globally by the year 2026.
Growing concerns about the environment, employee safety and large-scale regeneration and infrastructure projects look to be the key drivers behind this rapid growth. Let's take a look at what the future may hold for these vital products.
Growing concerns about the environmental impact of business and industry are dominating headlines in many parts of the world right now. All sorts of industries are striving to adapt and make their processes more sustainable, and the PPE industry is no exception. Many companies are looking at ways to develop eco-friendly products, either through more energy-efficient machinery or by utilising recycled materials. Some companies are even turning to plastics made from organic materials such as sugar cane.
With products like that already beginning to appear, there can be little doubt that PPE manufacturers will soon be investing in sustainable and hard-wearing materials that are good for workers and the planet. We can't wait to see what materials will be used to make the PPE equipment of tomorrow.
The topic of the environment leads us to the predicted boom in large-scale infrastructure projects across the globe. Whether it's the building of green technologies or wider public transport infrastructure, big construction projects are set to be key market drivers for the PPE industry.
In the UK, High Speed Rail 2 could potentially employ 30,000 people to build and design the railway alone, showing the sheer scale of labour required for projects of this scale. With more construction jobs set to be created over the next few years, it's no surprise that the market is set to boom internationally. Thousands more employees will be needed to work on expansive new projects, and protective workwear is bound to have a key role to play.
Keeping employees safe is a critical concern for modern businesses. With growing concern for safety and increasing legal protection for workers, employees can now expect more PPE equipment to be provided for them in their place of work. In the UK, companies are legally bound to protect their employees and follow workplace safety legislation.
As more legislation is passed by Parliament and devolved assemblies in the UK, we can expect to see industries tightening safety regulations and supplying more types of PPE and safety equipment to prevent hazardous accidents. With fatal accidents falling in the UK over the past decade thanks to health and safety protections, it's no wonder that companies worldwide are beginning to introduce more regulations in order to keep employees safe.
At SafetyLiftinGear.com, we have everything you need to keep your employees safe and your warehouse running smoothly, including a range of personal protective equipment for all workplace scenarios.
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We have reduced the prices of our 2.6mtr, 3.2mtr and 3.8mtr telescopic ladder by up to 15%!
You can now purchase our best-selling telescopic ladder for £46.78, £58.78 and £69.58 respectively when purchased online – amazing prices for a ladder suited to a variety of jobs and applications.
Our aluminium telescopic ladder is made from high-quality aluminium alloy, providing a strong, reliable product that is also lightweight and easy to transport. Perfect for a range of tasks in a variety of environments. Our telescopic ladder:
Order Your Telescopic Ladder >
You can take a closer look at our aluminium telescopic ladder in action below:
For more information on our new reduced prices on our telescopic ladder, contact a member of the SLG team today by calling 0117 9381 600 or emailing sales@safetyliftingear.com.
Different types of work require different safety measures. Therefore, it is vital that when working at height, you are properly equipped to complete the specific task-at-hand. However, with so many different working environments, operations and equipment, it can be a challenge to know exactly what type of equipment is needed for what task. Here, we break down the features of working at height, what is required when doing so and the several different working conditions, providing the necessary equipment needed to carry out work in the safest possible way.
Managing work at height follows a hierarchy of controls – avoid, prevent, restrain, arrest, which begins with the question “can the work be done safely from the ground?” Fall arrest equipment should only be considered as a last resort if other safety equipment cannot be used. For situations where work cannot be completed from the ground collective protection equipment such as nets and railings must be considered first.
A common solution is utilising scaffolding or mobile platform (MEWP) that provide easy and safe access at height. If none of the above methods can be implemented, individual fall protection equipment safeguarding from falls must be used. i.e. restraint equipment.
The basic features of individual fall protection equipment protecting against a fall from height are:
RESTRAINT:
FALL ARREST:
All fall protection systems must comprise three basic components:
As mentioned, different work conditions consist of different height safety requirements and procedures as a result of the environment they occur in and the dangers involved. Here we take a look and break down the safety requirements for working on a roof, fragile surfaces, ladders and scaffolds and the correct equipment that is needed to carry out work safely.
All work on roofs is highly dangerous, even a job that can take only minutes to complete consist of potentially fatal risks. Therefore, proper precautions are needed to control all the risks that are involved. The individuals managing and conducting the work need to be properly trained, competent and must fully plan the work to be completed in relation to the main risks, causes of accidents and equipment required.
Falls from roofs, either through fragile surfaces and openings or from roof edges can occur on both commercial and domestic projects as well as new build and refurbishment jobs. Many deaths happen every year involving smaller buildings working on the roof of domestic dwellings, which tend to fall under two types:
Work on a fragile surface roof requires a combination of stagings, guard rails, fall arrest and safety nets slung beneath and close to the roof. All roofs should be treated as fragile until they have been confirmed as not. Fragile rooflights are also a hazard as some may be difficult to spot in certain light conditions or maybe hidden by paint. These areas must be protected by using either barriers or covers that are secured and labelled with a warning. Here at SLG, we provide a number of products that ensure when working on sloping and flat roofs, you are completely protected against falls. You can view our best products for working on flat roofs below.
Fall Arrest Harness > Fall Arrest Block >
Every time a ladder is used to carry out work at height, a pre-use check needs to be conducted to ensure that it is safe for use. This should be carried out by:
The benefit of carrying out pre-use checks is to identify any immediate or serious defects that can cause an accident. The areas of most concern are the ladder’s stiles, feet and rungs. Once this has been completed and you are satisfied that the ladder is in good working condition, you must then ensure that all of the required safety precautions to carry out work whilst on the ladder are in place, including wearing the right equipment. At SafetyLiftinGear, we provide a range of secure ladder safety equipment that ensures your safety whilst working at height, including quality fall protection kits.
Ladder Safety Kit Level 1 > Ladder Safety Kit Level 2 >
Tower scaffolds are one method used to prevent a fall when working at height on a sloped roof. The type of scaffold selected needs to be suitable for the work and erected and dismantled by people who have been trained and are competent to do so. However, despite scaffolds existing to prevent a fall, dangers still exist once the scaffold has been set up, with many people injured each year as a result of falling from them. Incidents with scaffolds often occur as a result of dangerous methods of erection or dismantling, defects in the erected scaffold or the scaffold being misused. To ensure maximum safety whilst working on a scaffold, it is recommended that all workers wear appropriate protective equipment, such as specialist scaffold harnesses. You can view ours below!
Scaffold Harness Kit >
When using mobile elevated work platforms such as cherry pickers and access platforms, there are a number of safety precautions that need to be implemented in order to avoid and prevent falls from occurring. Such as:
If all of these things are adhered to, then the likelihood of a fall or serious consequences as a result of a fall occurring is dramatically decreased. You can find our best-selling access platform harness below!
Safety Harness Kit For Access Platform >
In order to avoid potentially fatal falls when working at height, it’s vitally important that you understand the specific requirements of every task you carry out. The working environment needs to be assessed by competent and qualified people, who can identify dangers and hazards before they cause a real accident. When the work is actually being carried out, the importance of wearing the correct equipment as well as setting up the necessary safety precautions cannot be understated. As well as the above products, we supply a whole range of height safety equipment, perfect for a variety of operations at height. You can browse our extensive collection below.
Browse Height Safety Equipment >
If you have any questions regarding our range of height safety equipment or any of the listed products, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
A roofing company boss has been sentenced to jail after one of his builders fell 30ft to his death whilst working on a £7 million home in Kensington.
The owner of G&L Scaffolding and Roofing, Kevin Leathers, 41, had “flagrantly ignored” safety warnings when father-of-five Jon Currie, 36, was not wearing a harness when he fell, leading to “catastrophic brain damage” and ultimately his death in July 2017.
The experienced scaffolder lost his footing while taking down a temporary roof of corrugated iron panels. Leather pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and was eventually jailed for eight months, having been previously warned about his employees working in dangerous conditions.
Prosecutors stated that Leathers had been sent a letter reminding him of strict health and safety requirements and that his working practices were “unsafe” when his crew were spotted working without safety harnesses. When Mr Currie fell, he and another worker were again not wearing safety harnesses and no risk assessment had been carried out to identify potential dangers. Curries was also not qualified for the job that he was doing that day. Prosecutor stated that Leathers “failed to exercise his duty of care and as a result, Jon Currie died while working for him. Leathers intentionally breached or flagrantly ignored the law.”
Passing sentence, Judge Joanna QC said “after the letter in April, Leather could not have been warned in clearer terms about the dangers of the activities undertaken. He failed to take appropriate steps. If death results from such failures you must expect to receive an immediate prisons sentence.”
Leather was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence after Curries fell working on an extension to a double-storey basement.
This is another example of the extreme dangers faced when work is carried without the required equipment. Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we provide quality, effective height safety equipment including harnesses, lanyard and fall arrest blocks that assure your safety when working at all heights. You can browse our range below!
Our Height Safety Equipment >
For more information on our height safety equipment or to speak to one of our experts about any of our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today by calling 0117 9381 600 or emailing sales@safetyliftingear.com.
From construction to shipping and mining to engineering, lifting equipment is used by a wide range of different industries for various tasks and applications. Often created using robust metals and other long-lasting materials, the majority if not all lifting equipment is designed and manufactured to last the test of time. However, regardless of where lifting equipment is used, it will no doubt be subject to some degree of pressure, strain and stress at one time or another and as a result, will need to be inspected and tested to ensure it is still safe and suitable to use.
There are two primary reasons as to why you will need to conduct inspections on your lifting equipment:
Both of the above pieces of legislation declare that all lifting applications are properly planned, which involves utilising the correct equipment that has been properly tested and inspected. PUWER states that all lifting equipment must be ”safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate.” Therefore, to ensure that you stay on the right side of the law, it’s imperative to regularly inspect your lifting gear.
As well as there being two reasons to conduct lifting gear inspections, there are also two types of lifting gear inspections. Firstly, there are inspections that can be carried out by yourself. It’s recommended that these are conducted before each lifting operation to ensure that the task can be performed as safely as possible.
The second type of inspection is a thorough, professional inspection conducted by a qualified person. These inspections should be completed once every six to twelve months, depending on the type of gear. Generally, loose lifting equipment such as eyebolts and shackles should be looked at every six months, whereas other equipment should be every twelve months. Once these inspections are complete, you will receive a certificate which confirms the equipment is suitable for use until its next inspection.
In order for your equipment to pass its lifting gear inspections, it’s important to keep it in good working order. Here are some things that you can do to ensure your lifting gear maintains a longer service life:
Did you know that SLG offers professional lifting gear inspections? If you need to get your equipment inspected, simply get in touch us and a member of our qualified team can help! For more information or to get any more lifting gear inspection questions answered, do not be afraid to contact us.
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If you don't provide your employees with the equipment they need, it can pose a serious safety risk to them, and a serious legal threat to your business. AU Roofing and Building Ltd found this out the hard way after one of their employees sustained serious injuries. We've got the inside scoop on the story for you here.
Back in October 2018, a team of employees from AU Roofing and Building Ltd were working on a roof in Elmes Avenue, Kent. The team of roofers were required to carry buckets of materials by hand down the scaffold access ladder to the street level below.
One particular employee, Davey Battams, struggled to keep 3 points of contact with the ladder as he descended down the ladder, and fell the remainder of the way onto the pavement. Battams suffered serious back injuries and was unable to continue working.
The HSE investigated this accident and was able to determine that the employer hadn't provided the basic lifting equipment aids that should be in place for tasks such as this. A simple wheel and pulley would have given workers a safer way to lower the broken tiles while dramatically reducing the chances of an accidental fall.
In court, AU Roofing and Building Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and the court issued them a fine of £28,800!! On top of this, they were also ordered to pay legal cost amounting to £4,213.70.
At SafetyLiftinGear, we know that the right equipment could have prevented this accident from ever happening, and while we can't go back and change the past, we can advise you on how to work safely in the future. Here are just a few different pieces of equipment that AU Roofing and Building Ltd could've purchased to lessen the risk of a fall.
Our ladder fall protection kits are designed to keep you tethered to the ladder, preventing an accidental slip or fall from height.
Designed to take the pressure completely out of your hands, our powered scaffold hoist can move cumbersome items from on top of the scaffold to ground level safely.
These simple, manual pulley systems can take the strain of heavy items and lower them to safety, leaving your hands free to grip the ladder.
When you need to lift or transport important materials you'll find the following lifting solutions safe and easy to use.
If you can't find a lifting solution that fits the requirements of your upcoming job, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. Our friendly sales team will talk you through various different lifting options to help you find one that's right for the task at hand.
0117 9381 600
