All posts tagged height safety

05Sep2016

New to SafetyLiftinGear: Ladder Safety Kits

jodie products

Our new ladder safety kits are ideal for staying safe when working at height.

Falls from height are responsible for a startling number of workplace injuries every year, and around half of all fatal workplace falls involve ladders. We've probably all been up a ladder on at least a few occasions, and when you need to access a hard-to-reach area, a ladder is very often the best tool for the job; however, ladders can also be very dangerous if not used safely.

To help you and/or your employees stay safe on ladders, we are proud to present two brand new additions to the SafetyLiftinGear website: our ladder safety kits. Here's a quick primer on what each one includes:

Level 1 Ladder Safety Kit

The level 1 kit includes the following items:

2-point safety harness
Reusable ladder restraint tie (12mm diameter, suitable for use with any solid brick or concrete wall)
Waterproof PVC kit bag
Scaffold hook (attaches to ladder rung)
Twist lock karabiner (attaches to the safety harness)
Endless lashing (for securing the ladder to the ladder restraint tie)

Click here to view the level 1 ladder safety kit.

Level 2 Ladder Safety Kit

The level 2 kit includes a 10m safety line that allows the user to carry up a variety of items (such as small tools or buckets) with ease. If you purchase this kit, you'll receive the following items:

2 point safety harness
Stainless steel rope grab
Kermantle rope (10m length, 12mm thickness)
Waterproof PVC kit bag
Webbing anchor (attaches safety line to the ladder via a karabiner)
Twist lock karabiner
Reusable ladder restraint tie (12mm diameter, suitable for use with any solid brick or concrete wall)
Endless lashing (for securing the ladder to the ladder restraint tie)

Click here to view the level 2 ladder safety kit.

Who Should Use Our Ladder Safety Kits?

These two kits are designed to keep ladders securely in place and ensure that users remain safe and protected while working at height. They are ideal for any worker who frequently uses a ladder to access hard-to-reach locations, including:

Painters
Window cleaners
Security equipment installers
Cable/telecom workers

Do you work at height on a regular basis? Click here to view our full range of height safety gear.

04Aug2016

More Height Safety Disasters!

mike health & safety

As we've noticed so many terrible examples of poor, or even non-existent height safety during the past few weeks, we decided it was about time that we created a post to highlight our concerns, and show just how common these idiotic actions can be! Just try to look at these photographs without feeling a little bit ill...

(Pinterest)

Lesson #1: The material lift equivalent of giving your mate a boost is never a good idea...

(Pinterest)

In fact, getting your work mates to hold you up is probably one of the worst ideas when it comes to height safety, which is why lesson #2 is to avoid a dizzying situation like the one pictured above!

(Stupid Humans)

Lesson #3: Your workplace probably isn't the best place to practise your tightrope skills. Stick on a harness, and learn how use a scissor lift properly!

(Pinterest)

Lesson #4: If you really want to be air lifted, just keep working like this! The emergency services will soon have you sorted...

(Pinterest)

Lesson #5: For goodness' sake, use the right ladder! It will save you the hassle of improvising this contraption, as well as a few dozen broken bones...

We hope that our latest disaster round-up inspired you to avoid any improvised shortcuts and crazy solutions in the workplace! If you'll excuse the pun, working at height is dangerous on all levels, which is why you should always have the proper safety measures in place, and ensure that you're making full use of the correct height safety equipment!

29Jul2016

Hi-Vis Safety Harnesses: Stay Safe & Be Seen!

jodie products

We sell a wide variety of safety harnesses here at SafetyLiftinGear, many of which are specifically designed for one particular scenario or line of work. The P80E ISOL harness - an insulated harness designed to protect electricians who work at height - is a good example, as is this flame-resistant harness.

Perhaps our best-selling specialist harness range is our collection of hi-vis harnesses, and with autumn and winter just around the corner, we're expecting a huge influx of high-visibility sales over the next few months. Visibility is naturally worse during the colder months, when the weather gets worse and the mornings and evenings grow darker, and in these conditions being seen is often just as important a safety concern as protecting oneself from falls.

Our high-visibility safety harnesses are great because they cover both bases. Not only do they help to prevent accidents while working at height, they also increase the wearer's visibility, which is crucial in certain conditions and working environments. Here are a few examples of what we can supply...

2-Point Hi-Vis Safety Harness: Available in yellow or orange.
Quick Release Hi-Vis Harness: Easier to put on and take off! Buy/hire here.
Hi-Vis Overall Harness: A full-body jumpsuit with high visibility and a built-in harness. Buy/hire here.
Hi-Vis Waterproof Windbreaker Jacket Harness: Ideal for working in poor weather. Buy yours here.

Click here to browse our full range of hi-vis safety harnesses.

22Jul2016

Failure to use Fall Arrest Systems Leads to Another Fatality and Conviction

robin health & safety

A few days ago, SHP published a court review, regarding the recent sentencing of a negligent site manager. This case related to a fatality which occurred in January last year, where 40 year old window fitter Tasadaq Ur-Rehman fell through a skylight, suffering serious head injuries.

On investigation, it was revealed that site manager Faruk Patel had completely neglected height safety procedures, and had continued to do so even after the fatality took place. Although HSE had issued a prohibition for work at height to be suspended, they later found evidence that it had continued under the disregardful management of Mr Patel.

During the investigation, it soon became clear that the manager's neglectful attitude to safety extended beyond the events which led to his worker's death, and included:

A failure to provide scaffolding and proper fall arrest systems for the job being undertaken.
Overseeing an unsafe working environment where suitable handling equipment was not being used, and the existing equipment was being misused, and had not been secured properly.
A failure to follow the most basic of health and safety measures, such as providing suitable PPE, making potential hazards clear with safety signs, and ensuring that a member of the team was first aid qualified.

As a result, Mr Patel was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for manslaughter by gross negligence, as well as eight months for health and safety offences, which seems like something of a small price to pay in relation to the needless loss of life caused by his lack of care. The aspect which most shocks us about this case, is the sheer scale of his indifference and incompetence, which makes it something of a miracle that no further injuries or fatalities were caused.

Another baffling yet all-too familiar aspect of this case, was the manager's ignorant and misinformed view of his responsibility, as Mr Patel openly expressed his opinion that each individual was responsible for their own safety. While it may be true that a safe workplace requires it's workers to employ safe working practices, it is first and foremost, the responsibility of those in charge to provide them with the tools to do this. Mr Patel was responsible for providing his workers with the training, knowledge and equipment needed to work safely, but it's startlingly clear that he failed miserably on all counts.

If you're an employer/manager who one day finds themselves in a similar situation, your ignorance will not provide you with a valid excuse, and will not pardon your actions (or lack of). If you oversee operations at height, you have a duty to provide fall arrest systems and personal protective equipment for your workers, in order to eliminate the potential dangers posed by working at height. If you aren't sure about what your operation needs, then make sure that you reach out to the professionals for advice, as there is no doubt that you will be held accountable if and when something goes wrong.

If you need advice on choosing the correct fall arrest equipment, please get in touch with the SafetyLiftinGear team, so that we are able to help you avoid choosing the wrong product, or failing to prepare for the demands of your job!

15Jul2016

Expedition 5: Crossing the World's Largest Islands Using PETZL and G-Force Products

mike general news

Anthony Lambert and Louis Nethercott are two former Royal Marine Commandos who are aiming to set a new world record by traversing Earth's five largest islands (Borneo, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, Greenland, and Baffin Island) on foot. They're calling this endeavour Expedition 5, as you can probably imagine, it's an absolutely mammoth undertaking that will demand a lot of careful planning, a lot of strength and determination, and - crucially - a good deal of expedition equipment and safety gear.

And that's where we at SafetyLifitnGear come in.

We're pleased to announce that our PETZL products will be among the items Anthony and Louis use to achieve their lofty goal. PETZL, as we've mentioned previously, are a French company specialising in high-quality fall protection and rope access equipment - their extensive product range includes:

Fall arrest harnesses
Safety helmets
Headtorches
Karabiners
Self-braking descenders

Click here to see our full range of PETZL products >

Everyone here at SafetyLiftinGear is proud to be behind such an ambitious, inspirational endeavour as Expedition 5, and we are confident that Anthony and Louis will succeed, especially given the calibre of the equipment they're using! PETZL products are synonymous with sturdiness and reliability; each and every item is manufactured to exacting standards, making the company's range a superb choice for challenging environments such as those included in Expedition 5. The two men will also be using a variety of SafetyLiftinGear's own G-Force products, which are of an exceptionally high quality as well.

Useful Links:

Expedition 5's Official Facebook Page
@Expeditionfive on Twitter
Donate to Expedition 5 (all donations will be put towards the expedition's expenses; any money left over will be donated to Help for Heroes and The Royal Marines Charity)

11Jul2016

Huge Savings on Height Safety Equipment

adam products

Clearance Sale: Order Now While Stocks Last!

If you're looking for a great deal, then you're in luck! We've reduced the prices of a huge selection of Height Safety Equipment and even though these products are hugely popular, there's still time for you to place your order! Here are a few of the items currently on offer here at SafetyLiftinGear:

Restraint Rope Lanyard
Harnesses
Hi-Viz Jacket
Shock Absorbing Lanyard
Hi-Viz Overall Harness

There is limited stock on these items so once they're gone, they're gone for good! Hurry and place your order now - all of these items can be found in our Height Safety clearance section.

To view the rest of our clearance deals, click here.

30Jun2016

Working at Height: Unsafe Practices Can Lead to Severe Injuries

mike health & safety

It's easy to underestimate just how dangerous working at height can be. Remember, 'working at height' doesn't always mean standing on top of a skyscraper; the UK Health & Safety Executive defines it as "work carried out in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury". Whether you're standing on a scaffold or an upturned box, if there's a chance you could fall and hurt yourself then it counts as working at height.

And when you're working at height, it's crucial to take the appropriate height safety measures. Again, it's easy to underestimate the measures that might be required - everybody knows that you need some sort of fall prevention system in place when you're working on a rooftop, but people are often perfectly happy to use, say, a stepladder without considering whether or not it's safe to do so.

But just as some lucky people have fallen from great heights and emerged relatively unscathed, many people have fallen off stepladders and ended up badly hurt. Earlier this month, The Construction Index published a story about two BT employees, both of whom fell from stepladders while at work and suffered injuries of varying severity. The first man lost his senses of smell and taste; the second was left with long term memory problems, partial vision loss, and multiple fractures to his skull and spine. These two incidents occurred within hours of one another; BT eventually pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and ended up paying a fine of £600,000 (plus costs of £60,000).

This unfortunate story deftly illustrates the importance of height safety measures. Never assume that you/your workers will be safe because 'it's not that high' - be sure to assess the risks properly and take any measures necessary to minimise the risk of an accident.

Click here to browse SafetyLiftinGear's full range of height safety equipment.

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