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.
In the past week, the team at SafetyLiftinGear have been busy helping out with an exciting project in partnership with lifting specialists, King Lifting!
The project was focused around helping to lift Dorian, a restored ship used in both World Wars, namely during the evacuation of Dunkirk.
King Lifting had previously purchased a number of round and webbing lifting slings from us to assist with other lifting applications but in order to lift the Dunkirk ship, further equipment was required.
This time around, SLG supplied a 12ft Modular Spreader Beam frame (4 x 4 meter) with associated shackles in order for the weight of the ship to be properly carried (tare weight of the boat on the crane was 9.7 tonnes), helping it on its way to the next part of its journey.
Eight long years have passed since restoration started on Dorian in 2011, but now she is ready to take to the sea again, ready for the Return to Dunkirk. Organised by the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Operation Dynamo in May 2020, SafetyLiftinGear is proud to have played a small part in the ship’s long and historical story.
We have an extensive range of the spreader beams used to help lift the Dunkirk ship in stock, ready for both hire and full purchase, depending on your needs! And just like many other products in our vast collection, our beams are able to be customised with different configurations and extra struts. You can browse our spreader beams and see images from the project below.
Browse our Spreader Beams >
For more information on our range of lifting slings and spreader beams, be sure to get in touch with a member of the SafetyLiftinGear today by calling 0117 9381 600 or emailing sales@safetyliftingear.com.
The season of giving is far from over, as the whole team here at SLG have been working hard to expand our extensive product offering, providing our customers with even more quality lifting equipment.
Over the past week, SafetyLiftinGear has added several lightweight swivel lifting davits to help your lifting applications on-site run easier, smoother and safer. Available in a choice of working limits, Davit arms for lifting are very similar to jib cranes though limited in reach and capacity. Our collection of Davit arms is highly portable, so you can transport them along with you whenever and wherever lifting tasks are required. However, they can also be permanently fitted to a position on site where continuous lifting applications occurs.
Manufactured with galvanised materials to protect from the elements and corrosion, our Davits are perfectly suited for a range of environments, whether indoors or out. these are designed to help carry out work effectively without risk of physical overload. As with many of our products, our lifting davits can be built to your exact specification to meet your lifting needs. Learn more about the product specifications of our lifting davits below.
Product specifications:
Ready-to-use in 5 seconds
Integrated winch and rope in an ergonomic modern design
Easy to transport, only 25kg
360° rotation over a built-in pivot bearing
Maintenance-free
Model: SD125
1st cable layer: 125/250/500kg
Last cable layer (7): 125/250/500kg
Crankforce 1st cable position: 10daN
Hoisting length one rotation, 1st layer: 20mm
Max cable storage: 24mtr
Diameter cable: 4mm
Davit weight: 25kg
Floor socket weight: 7kg
For more information on any of our lifting davits available at SafetyLiftinGear.com, why not get in touch with a member of the SafetyLiftinGear team? To view our full range of Lifting Davits, hit the button below!
Browse Lifting Davits >
Christmas came early for a Welsh steelworks this week as SafetyLiftinGear came bearing gifts in the form of industrial lifting equipment.
SLG’s Cardiff depot rented out a whole host of heavy-duty haulage products to a local site ahead of planned maintenance works over the Christmas period.
The sizeable hire consisted of some of our most popular industrial-use items, including the following:
With 11 of each product, the client looks set to make light work of any heavy lifting that comes their way over the Christmas period.
Should St Nick need any help lugging presents while he’s soaring over Wales, he’ll know exactly where to go for a helping hand.
The specialist air hoists ordered by the firm are capable of lifting up to six tonnes in weight, which equates to roughly the same as a fully-grown African elephant.
While it’s unlikely the guys and gals at the Welsh steelworks will be using these air hoists for such a mammoth task, it’s reassuring to know that our air hoists are more than fit for the job.
Meanwhile, our beam clamps are no weak link either. In fact, they are capable of lifting about the same weight as a cruise ship anchor, ensuring any industrial heavy-lifting tasks are plain sailing all the way.
If you are interested in hiring any lifting equipment for your heavy-duty hauling, why not get in touch with SLG today? We offer a huge range of lifting gear for a wide variety of tasks and are sure to have just what you need to get your job off the ground.
To find out more about our lifting gear for hire, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.
Contact Us
May we take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and we look forward to continuing business with you in 2020.
Please be advised that our last day for sending next working day items by courier will be Friday 20th December for delivery on the Monday 23rd. If goods are not dispatched on the 24th, they will be held and dispatched on our return in the new year, 2nd January 2019.
Our last working day before Christmas will be Tuesday 24th December.
We will be closed over the holiday period but will re-open on Thursday 2nd January.
Yours sincerely,
All the staff at SafetyLiftinGear.com
An employee of a painter and decorator in the Northamptonshire area was left permanently paralysed from the chest down after suffering a devastating fall during a job.
The accident occurred while the worker in question was installing a roof ladder on a pitched roof at a property in Mawsley.
Local painter and decorator, Ian Ramsay, was hired to paint the exterior windows and soffit boards of a nearby property in the region, which also included dormer windows within the roof.
The latter detail proved pivotal and ultimately led to the aforementioned accident that resulted in the serious injury occurring.
In an effort to access the dormer windows, Ian Ramsay’s employee fell from height while setting up a ladder, sustaining crippling injuries in the process.
Following a subsequent investigation by the Health Safety Executive, the body deemed that the whole incident could have been avoided, had the work at height hierarchy been followed and appropriate planning and equipment been used.
The absence of compliant scaffolding in particular was noted as being a crucial oversight that played a large role in the accident occurring. A thorough risk assessment should have identified this job as one where the use of ladders was not appropriate.
While the incident occurred back in early August of 2018, the hearing only came to its conclusion this week.
During the hearing, the employer, Mr Ramsay, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
As a result, he was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 160 hours of unpaid work and fined over £2100 with a supplementary surcharge of £85.
In the wake of the hearing, HSE Inspector, Rachel Grant, had this to say:
“Those in control of any work at height activity must make sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people. This includes using the right type of equipment for working at height. In this instance, the painting of the soffits and windows was not short duration work and should have been done from appropriate work platforms. Ladders were not the appropriate equipment.”
The serious consequences of the fall highlight once again the importance of implementing the proper working at height precautions and the sheer magnitude of failure to do so.
Neglecting to use the appropriate equipment suitable for the task at hand can not only hinder the job itself but, in this case in particular, lead to the permanent paralysis of an employee, altering lives as a result.
To avoid any such incident occurring at your workplace, implementation of the correct height safety measures isn’t a recommendation, it should be a pre-requisite.
At SafetyLiftinGear.com, we have a wide variety of height safety equipment, ranging from fall arrest blocks to safety harnesses and accessories.
Keep you and your workers safe by stocking up on the correct safety equipment for your job and use the appropriate working at height gear whenever necessary – failure to do so could be devastating.
For more information on working at height safety gear, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.
Lugging heavy goods up and down flights of stairs can be hard work that does no favours to your back. What’s more, it can be extremely time consuming and, at times, quite dangerous, particularly when it concerns heavy loads.
Cut the time, danger and hassle out of your next floor-to-floor lifting job with the labour-killing qualities of these awesome powered stairclimbers, now available at SLG!
The handiwork of SANO UK Powered Stairclimbers, every one of the SANO stairclimber products available at SafetyLiftinGear.com is built to the highest specification available.
With over 15 years of industry experience, SANO has been providing top-quality stairclimbers since 2003. Based in Ipswich, the company continues to go from strength-to-strength, with consistently high-calibre products.
Fortunately, the range of SANO stairclimbers at SLG are no exception…
SAL 110kg-170kg Powered Stairclimbers
Extremely light and impressively speedy, the SAL range from SANO makes manoeuvring heavy packages and crates up flights of stairs a doddle!
Easy-to-use, safe and using a battery-powered mechanism, the SAL stairclimber lifts itself onto each step automatically, providing precision efficiency as you scale with effortless ease.
Meanwhile, this handy hand truck glides down as smoothly and safely as it scaled up, with the motor acting as an eddy current brake, reducing the risk of accidents in the process.
Despite being the lightest stairclimber in the world at just 16kg, the SAL is surprisingly strong and capable under weight.
Available in three different weight capacities (110kg, 140kg and 170kg), the SAL line has the ability to climb as many as 48 steps/minute.
Ideal for transporting lockers, furniture, drinks, copier paper and files.
Ideal for transporting white goods such as washing machines, floor sanding machines, gas cylinders and more.
Ideal for large items such as refrigerators, doors, windows, kitchen worktops, tiles and more.
The HD range from SANO makes light work of heavy lifting, providing you swift and safe transport solution whether you're going upstairs or down.
Capable of handling loads of up to 360kg and steps of up to 22cm, the robust composition of the rugged, aluminium frame coupled with puncture-proof tyres and aluminium toe-plates make the HD line a solid choice – figuratively and literally.
With two climbing speeds and two operational modes (single-step and continuous), the HD has the ability to climb 16 steps/minute when carrying a heavy load and even includes an integrated step-edge braking system for enhanced safety during use.
Ideal for transporting high and heavy objects, such as: electrical enclosures, drinks dispensers, gaming machines, large boilers, solar heating vessels, heavy rolls of linoleum or stacks of crates.
Ideal for transporting heavy items with a low centre of gravity, such as: copiers, cast-iron stoves, boilers, linen trucks, batteries for telephone systems, lift motors etc
Ideal for transporting heavy items across flat surfaces with minimal effort, as well as transporting them up and downstairs.
Ideal for transporting loads on flat surfaces and up/downstairs, with adjustable handles to match the centre of gravity.
For more information about any of the SANO stairclimber products available at SafetyLiftinGear.com or to find out more about powered stairclimber products in general, why not drop us a line? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.
0117 9381 600
