Latest info in the industry for Safety Lifting Equipment

22Sep2015

Prevent Serious Safety Failings

mike health & safety

As we have mentioned time and time again, working at height is very dangerous, and failing to follow the proper guidelines and safety precautions can and will get people hurt.

If you do not take the necessary precautions when working at height, the Health & Safety Executive may visit your site to ensure that you are following the law. This is what happened to a scaffolding company in London recently; a passer-by was so concerned about the working conditions of the company’s employees and the safety of the public that she raised her concern with the HSE.

The HSE visited the site and found that the scaffolding was poorly erected and there was a lack of safety precautions put in place to prevent objects from falling to the street below. The HSE served a notice to stop all work on this unsafe construction until it was deemed safe. It is stated in the Work at Height Regulations 2005 that "every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury." (6.3)

Time and time again, we see that employers and even employees are not taking the correct safety precautions to protect themselves from harm. Over 60% of deaths during work at height involve falls, but by wearing a harness and using anchors and fall arrest blocks, these accidents are easily prevented and people’s lives are saved.

Another important point made above is the safety of the general public when you are working at height. The Work at Height Regulations also states "every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person and to take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object." (10. 1)

When working on scaffolding, it is important to have nets around the scaffolding to catch any objects that fall from it. You can also protect people by simply attaching your tools to a lanyard. This simple precaution can help save lives (and your tools!)

Thankfully, the malpractices of the London scaffolding company did not end up causing any serious injuries or any harm to passers-by. However, the company’s owner did get receive a fine and a suspended prison sentence.

Visit SafetyLiftinGear’s Height Safety department and make sure you have all the safety equipment you need.

21Sep2015

Sack Trucks from SafetyLiftinGear

robin products

We offer a wide range of sack trucks here at SafetyLiftinGear, but knowing which sack truck you need for the job can be difficult. We have many different types of sack trucks, each one made to handle different weights and with different features; today, we're here to help you choose the right one for your requirements.

Sack Trucks with Solid Tyres (from £21.95)

One of our most popular products is our 150kg sack truck with solid tyres. Solid tyres are a popular choice as these types of tyres are puncture proof. Also featuring standard handle for easy load support and a fixed toe, this heavy duty truck is ideal for transporting small, heavy loads.

Sack Truck with Pneumatic Tyres (from £29.16)

This sack truck is another one of our top sellers, and for good reason, This sack truck has rubber strips on the sides of the truck to protect the goods that you are transporting, and features a P-handle so you can pull the truck along with one hand, allowing you to keep one hand spare so you can open doors or provide extra support for your goods.

Aluminium Sack Trucks (from £44.98)

This heavy duty truck can transport loads of up to 300kg and has pneumatic tyres so it performs great on rough terrain.

Our aluminium sack truck is not only lightweight, it also features puncture-proof tyres and a dual handle. This means that the truck has handles on both sides, so you can support the goods that you are transporting along with a looped handle on the top allowing you to pull the truck along with one hand, making this the ideal sack truck for delivery drivers and couriers.

Stair Climbing Sack Trucks (from £48.95)

Finally, we also have a range of stair climbing sack trucks. These sack trucks have unique, triangular triple wheels, which are designed especially for when the truck wheels hit a large curb or stairs. The wheels will easily move up the step, turning a two-man job into an easy one-person job.

The large handle is designed to provide a firm grip when climbing or descending stairs, steps, and large curbs. As well as having a maximum load limit of 200kg, this stair climber also features a large folding toe, meaning that it's perfect for transporting large items. These sack trucks are ideal for couriers, delivery drivers and furniture removal specialists.

You can view our full range of sack trucks here. If you are having any difficulty with deciding which sack truck is best for your business, don't hesitate to contact our friendly team.

15Sep2015

Need Bespoke Lifting Equipment? We Can Help!

mike products

Perhaps the single most important thing to bear in mind when you're shopping for lifting equipment is that each and every product has its own WLL (Weight Load Limit). Whether you're purchasing a chain sling, an electric hoist, or some other form of lifting gear, it's absolutely crucial to check the WLL, as this tells you the maximum weight you'll safely be able to lift using the item in question. If you need to transport a load weighing 5 tonnes, each piece of lifting equipment that you use to do so must have a weight load limit of AT LEAST 5 tonnes. Exceeding the WLL of your lifting gear may cause it fail, which can obviously cause a lot of damage.

But what if I can't find any lifting equipment with a high enough weight load limit?

If you're planning to lift a particularly heavy load, you may struggle to find equipment that's capable of safely supporting that much weight. Those who visit our 4 Leg Chain Sling department, for example, may initially think we only provide slings for weights of up to 17 tonnes.

But 17 tonnes is merely the highest weight load limit available in our standard range. We're actually capable of supplying chain slings (and many other lifting products) that are suitable for much heavier loads - it's just that these products are made-to-order, so you'll have to get in touch with us directly.

If your project is too big for our standard range of lifting gear, we encourage you to contact us and discuss your requirements with a member of the SafetyLiftinGear team. We have providing lifting equipment for a huge variety of large and/or unusual briefs in the past, and we'd be more than happy to provide a bespoke solution to suit your needs.

10Sep2015

When Load Restraint Goes Wrong

mike health & safety

Before you hit the road, you should always use the appropriate load restraint equipment to ensure that whatever you're carrying stays put for the duration of the journey. This is particularly important for heavy loads, of course, but it applies to loads of all sizes over journeys of any length. Whether you're hauling a tonne of bricks from Land's End to John O'Groats or simply forklifting a few pallets to the other end of the warehouse, securing the load should always be your top priority.

Otherwise, you might end up like the motorists in these videos...

1. Shelves come loose from trailer

Everything seems fine in the first 15 seconds of this video...but then the flimsy length of tape that was barely keeping those shelves on the trailer broke, and it all went rather wrong. Again, kudos to the motorist who filmed this - not everyone would be able to get out of harm's way that quickly!

2. Boxes take a high-speed tumble

The text at the start of this video tells us that the camera's owner was doing 100 kph (roughly 62mph) when their fellow motorist lost their load, and this really illustrates the importance of using the right load restraint equipment. If your car hits something at more than 60mph, it doesn't really matter what that something is - it's going to do a lot of damage!

3. Mattresses go flying

We're not entirely sure how those two mattresses ended up in mid-air, but we're almost certain it could have been prevented if the owner had strapped them down properly!

4. Huge crate slides off lorry

Okay, now we're just lost for words. Do these people not think to secure their loads at all? Do they think that everything will just magically stay put?

If you don't want your load to end up on YouTube, make sure you secure it with the correct load restraint equipment. It will prevent damage and - more importantly - save lives!

27Aug2015

New: 15m Fall Arrest Block & Recovery Winch

adam products

As you've probably noticed, we're constantly adding new products to our catalogue here at SafetyLiftinGear. Technology is constantly moving forward, and we are keen to ensure that we stay ahead of the pack at every turn. As far as we're concerned, nothing but the latest, most reliable, most cutting-edge equipment will do!

The latest addition to our range is this 15m Fall Arrest Block, which can now be found in our Height Safety department:

Not only is this sturdy fall arrest block extremely well-suited to working at height, it comes with a built-in recovery winch facility that allows you to be winched up or lowered down safely in the event of a fall. The recovery winch is easy to operate, and when it's not in use, the product functions just like any of our other high-calibre fall arrest blocks.

Here's a little more information about the new product:

Our 15m fall arrest block comes with a 2 year warranty as standard. It is suitable for a working at height in a wide variety of environments, including:

Construction sites
Scaffolds
Roofs
Bridges
Confined spaces

If you require a fall arrest block with a longer working length, we also offer a 20/25m version of this product, which also includes a recovery winch facility and comes with a 2 year warranty.

Click here to browse SafetyLiftinGear's full range of height safety gear, or give us a call on 0808 123 69 69 to discuss your requirements with a member of our customer service team.

25Aug2015

Product Focus: Ratchet Lashing Straps

mike products

SafetyLiftinGear's ratchet lashing straps are widely used by numerous transport companies in the UK and beyond. Rest assured that, if you're transporting a heavy load and you want to make sure it stays put, we can provide the perfect solution.

Why are ratchet straps so important?

Because failure to restrain the load(s) you're transporting can have grave consequences. We've seen many photos of heavy loads that came loose in transit because weren't properly restrained; this results in damaged goods and, worse still, road accidents. According to gov.uk, unrestrained objects falling from vehicles caused a total of 22,000 road impact incidents in Britain over the course of 2013.

Simply put, our ratchet lashing straps help to protect your cargo and minimise the likelihood of an accident while you're on the road. They're an extremely important safety consideration!

What ratchet straps do SafetyLiftinGear offer?

Our Load Restraint department is home to more than a dozen different ratchet lashing products, all of which are fully tested and certified before sale. Some of these products are supplied with claw hooks, rave hooks or chassis hooks; others are endless. All are made of high-strength polyester webbing, ensuring superb performance across the board.

It's important to always heed the MBS (Minimum Breaking Strength) of the ratchet straps you purchase - this figure represents the weight capacity of the strap, and should not be exceeded under any circumstances. The MBS of our ratchet lashing straps ranges from 500kg to 10 tonnes.

Do SafetyLiftinGear sell any accessories for my ratchet lashing straps?

Yes - we provide wear sleeves and corner protectors to help you protect your ratchet straps and extend their lifespan.

Click here to see our full range of ratchet lashing straps, or give us a call on 0808 123 69 69 for more information on any of our products.

19Aug2015

Lifting Chains Available to Purchase or Hire

mike products

SafetyLiftinGear is your one-stop shop for lifting chains and accessories!

No matter what you're trying to lift or what kind of chain you need to do so, SafetyLiftinGear's Lifting Chains department has you covered. We sell hundreds of different lifting chains, chain slings, components and accessories - here are a few reasons to put your trust in our chains:

All products are fully tested and certified before sale. This ensures that your lifting chains are sturdy, reliable, and fit for purpose.
Our lifting chains have been used in a number of high-profile projects. For example, we recently supplied chains and other lifting equipment to company handling the expansion of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium!
We have a solution for every job. From lightweight ornamental chains to heavy-duty chain slings capable of lifting enormous loads, our range of lifting chains effectively has something for everyone. Furthermore, we are capable of supplying bespoke lifting equipment solutions for jobs that our standard products can't handle, and if you're at all unsure about which chain you need, our friendly and knowledgeable customer service team will be more than happy to help you out.

Click here to browse SafetyLiftinGear's full range of lifting chains and purchase the products you need online. Many of our lifting chains are also available to hire; for more information, contact us now or use the 'Hire Me' button on the relevant product pages.