08Dec2015

BLOODHOUND Rocket Car Workshops: A Great Activity for the Christmas Holidays!

Admin general news

The BLOODHOUND team have nearly completed the build of the BLOODHOUND SSC, a supersonic car that is designed to break the 1,000 mile per hour barrier. Throughout the project, the team have been hosting various events and engaging with schools with the aim of getting children inspired to become the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers. It is for this reason that SafetyLiftinGear are proud to be partners with BLOODHOUND Project - we are their official suppliers of lifting and handling products.

Over Christmas, the BLOODHOUND team will be hosting educational and fun workshops at The Technical Centre in Bristol. You and your children will learn about the science behind building a jet- and rocket-powered race car, tour the supersonic car itself, and if that's not enough, you can also take part in a workshop wherein you and your children can build and race your own rocket car.

These workshops will run from Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd December. For more information or to book your tickets, please click here.

04Dec2015

Lifting Equipment in London: Visit our Trade Counter!

Admin general news

Earlier this year, we announced that we were planning on opening a new SafetyLiftinGear depot in West London. We are now proud to announce that our new West London Depot is now open, and ready to trade.

Last year safety lifting gear took its first steps into expansion with the opening of depots in Bridgewater, London, Leeds and Cardiff. This year we have continued to expand, opening a new safety lifting gear depot in West Drayton.

Our West Drayton Depot is a 5 minute drive from ideally located for our customers, old and new, from Slough, West London, and the surrounding areas to come and take advantage of our tool repair and hire service, or to purchase our full range of products.

This new depot opening brings the company’s UK footprint to 6 depots and trade counters, including our head offices located in Bristol. No matter which Depot you visit, you can expect a warm welcome, second -to-none expert advice, and excellent customer service.

This year we also expanded into lifting equipment hire. A new service created, so our customers could rent our products instead of purchasing them. This service has proven to be hugely popular with our customers and so now our entire range is now available to hire. You are now able to hire lifting equipment from our website or at one of our 6 trade counters around the UK.

Information of all our trade counters can be found on our contact page.

03Dec2015

Should You Be Wearing PPE?

Admin health & safety

Construction sites are very dangerous places to work, being surrounded by heavy machinery, noisy power tools, large trucks and Lorries, entering confined working spaces, or being in contact with potentially hazardous materials (Asbestos) chemicals and gases, can greatly increase the risk of accidents. So if you are working on, visiting or managing a building or construction site, you need to ensure that you and your staff are dressing appropriately.

We at SafetyLiftinGear, take Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) extremely seriously. Here is an example of the products that we stock in our specialist PPE section:

Ear protection

When you are working in loud environments where you are exposed to loud noises it is important to take care of your hearing, prolonged exposure to loud noises can lead to noise related hearing loss, or tinnitus. You can protect yourself against noise by using our Ear defenders. Our ear defenders offer comfort and protection with a noise reduction rating up to 34dB.

Click here to view our full range of ear defenders

Eye Protection

By law eye protection must be worn when you are in a hazardous area, if you are employing people to work on your site it is your responsibility to provide eye protection. When choosing eye protection it is important that they are comfortable, and that they are designed to protect you from the potential hazard such high speed flying metal particles, small stones, or chemical splashes. You will also need to consider if you are going to be using ear protection with them, or a respirator, as these items can affect how the glasses fit.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear our safety goggles have a soft, adjustable head strap to ensure that they are comfortable and can be used with your ear protection and respirators if needed. Click here to View.

Dust Masks

Every year people are dying because of prolonged exposure to hazardous substances while at work. Dust masks help prevent the development of respiratory illnesses caused from the inhalation of hazardous substances while you are working. Many hazardous substances are fine dusts, smoke, gas and vapour, most of which you cannot see.

When you are choosing your dust mask, make sure it is suitable for the potential hazards you could be facing in your workplace. Here at SafetyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of dust masks that will protect you from a range of hazardous substances, click here to view our comprehensive range.

High Visibility Clothing

When you are working on a building or construction site, you are at increased risk of injury by large trucks, and Lorries when they are entering, navigating and exiting a work site. High visibility clothing is made from materials with florescent pigments and reflective bands over the shoulders and around the waist. Make sure that you are choosing the correct high visibility clothing for the working conditions, and the task that you are carrying out.

Here at Safety Lifting Gear we stock a huge range of high visibility wear, including safety jacket harnesses, high visibility overalls, and high visibility jackets. Click here to view our full range of high Visibility clothing.

Did you know that here at SafetyLiftinGear we can also offer Custom branded workwear? Just head over to Safety Life Gear where all of the Personal Protection Equipment is Customisable. So if you want to proudly display your companies name and logo on your high visibility jacket you can!

03Dec2015

Should You Be Wearing PPE?

Admin health & safety

Construction sites are very dangerous places to work, being surrounded by heavy machinery, noisy power tools, large trucks and lorries, entering confined working spaces, or being in contact with potentially hazardous materials (Asbestos) chemicals and gases, can greatly increase the risk of accidents. So if you are working on, visiting or managing a building or construction site, you need to ensure that you and your staff are dressing appropriately.

When is PPE Needed?

According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), PPE should be used “when all other measures are inadequate to control exposure”. PPE is generally advised to be used as a last resort, when risks to employee health cannot be avoided or controlled in any other way.

Do I need PPE?

If your workplace is found to have risks to your health that cannot be controlled by any other means, you might need PPE. If PPE is needed, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure PPE is provided to all employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work. It is also the responsibility of the employer to provide said PPE free of charge, whether it is returnable or not (Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974).

Workplace PPE from SafetyLiftinGear:

We at SafetyLiftinGear, take Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) extremely seriously. Here is an example of the products that we stock in our specialist PPE section:

Ear protection

When you are working in loud environments where you are exposed to loud noises it is important to take care of your hearing, prolonged exposure to loud noises can lead to noise related hearing loss, or tinnitus. You can protect yourself against noise by using our Ear defenders. Our ear defenders offer comfort and protection with a noise reduction rating up to 34dB.

Click here to view our full range of ear defenders

Eye Protection

By law eye protection must be worn when you are in a hazardous area, if you are employing people to work on your site it is your responsibility to provide eye protection. When choosing eye protection it is important that they are comfortable, and that they are designed to protect you from the potential hazard such high speed flying metal particles, small stones, or chemical splashes. You will also need to consider if you are going to be using ear protection with them, or a respirator, as these items can affect how the glasses fit.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear our safety goggles have a soft, adjustable head strap to ensure that they are comfortable and can be used with your ear protection and respirators if needed. Click here to View.

Dust Masks

Every year people are dying because of prolonged exposure to hazardous substances while at work. Dust masks help prevent the development of respiratory illnesses caused from the inhalation of hazardous substances while you are working. Many hazardous substances are fine dusts, smoke, gas and vapour, most of which you cannot see.

When you are choosing your dust mask, make sure it is suitable for the potential hazards you could be facing in your workplace. Here at SafetyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of dust masks that will protect you from a range of hazardous substances, click here to view our comprehensive range.

High Visibility Clothing

When you are working on a building or construction site, you are at increased risk of injury by large trucks, and Lorries when they are entering, navigating and exiting a work site. High visibility clothing is made from materials with florescent pigments and reflective bands over the shoulders and around the waist. Make sure that you are choosing the correct high visibility clothing for the working conditions, and the task that you are carrying out.

Here at Safety Lifting Gear we stock a huge range of high visibility wear, including safety jacket harnesses, high visibility overalls, and high visibility jackets. Click here to view our full range of high Visibility clothing.

Did you know that here at SafetyLiftinGear we can also offer Custom branded workwear? Just head over to Safety Life Gear where all of the Personal Protection Equipment is Customisable. So if you want to proudly display your companies name and logo on your high visibility jacket you can!

02Dec2015

The Importance of Height Safety Measures and Risk Assessments

mike health & safety

Recently, two more news stories have come to our attention which highlight the importance of implementing proper health and safety procedures, particularly when working at height.

The first of these concerns Wayne Morgan, a scaffolder from Castleford who has been prosecuted following the death of one of his workers. It was revealed in court that the accident occurred due to an incorrect use of scaffolding edge protection, which left a gap for the individual to fall through and fatally injure himself. The employer was subsequently sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £15,000 in costs, having breached Regulation 8(a) of the Work at Height Regulations.

A demolition company in Glasgow has also experienced similar circumstances in recent times, after a 50-year-old worker fell when carrying out work from a mobile scaffolding platform. A cable tray swung and hit the worker, causing him to fall five feet from the platform he was working on, and fracture both his right elbow and left arm. The platform had not been put together properly and was missing several essential items, made worse by the fact that no proper risk assessment or inspection had been performed before use. The company in question, DSR Demolition, were subsequently fined £5,000 for breeching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations.

Accidents at work are terrible for both the companies concerned as well as their employees, often causing lasting and unrepairable damage to the lives of those involved. Employers who are found guilty of workplace negligence not only have to deal with the legal implications of their actions, but also with the guilt that comes with bearing responsibility for causing the accidents. They also have to accept that their company may suffer long-term reputation issues following the events, which in the worst scenarios could lead to them ceasing to work in their profession altogether.

For employees and their families, the consequences could be worse still, resulting in serious injury and in the worst cases, death. As illustrated in the story above, even short falls can be dangerous, making it impossible for the victims to return to work for a period of time due to their physical and psychological trauma.

In order to prevent situations like the examples mentioned above, it is vital that employers follow a short list of simple procedures:

Provide the correct height safety equipment for specific jobs, ensuring that all factors have been taken into account.
Ensure that all equipment is regularly tested and is suitable for use.
Conduct proper risk assessments and make sure that all staff are properly briefed on safety procedures.

We provide a large number of height safety solutions here at SafetyLiftinGear, all of which are intended to provide maximum protection whilst working at height. To see our full range, click here.