Residents in the Tsuen Wan district of Hong Kong were shocked to find a work man working on the 10th floor of a high rise industrial building wearing no safety equipment.
The man, who had been hired to dismantle a glass window so they could install a new air conditioning unit, was seen balancing on a narrow ledge trying to get back into the building through a small window. Witnesses were so afraid of the man’s safety – they called the emergency services to prevent an accident.
The worker tried to jump through the window to exit the danger that he was in, however his first attempt failed, leaving the scared onlookers holding their breath. Luckily on the second attempt he managed to enter the building successfully.
Luckily this worker was OK and didn't slip, trip or fall. But it could have so easily been a completely different story. After all, all it takes is one misplaced step, a step on a loose piece of concrete, a gust of wind and an accident can tragically happen.
In fact, accidents from working at height are the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities and life changing injuries. Yet we see time and time again, people who seemingly have no regard for their own, (or other peoples) safety and are willing to put their lives (and other people’s lives) at risk to will carry out work. There is no clear reason as to why people recklessly put their lives into danger in this manner; it could be that they fear that if they refuse to do the job they won’t have any work in the morning?The one thing we know is that no job is worth risking your life for.
It is your employer’s job to ensure that any work at height has been properly planned, is carried out by people who are properly trained to work at height, and that the correct safety equipment is provided. If you are not presented with the right equipment to carry out a job, you are well within your right to refuse to do the job until you either have either purchased the equipment yourself, or your employer provides you with the correct protective equipment.
The working at height regulations 2005 state that to stay safe you should only carry out work at height if it completely necessary to do so, and even then work should only commence if your workers have access to the right protective equipment.
Not only is it important that you are using the correct safety equipment, it is important that your safety equipment is in good condition. This means that your equipment has no signs of wear or tear, not fraying and not wearing thin. If, when checking your equipment before undergoing the work, you see that there are signs of damage – stop work immediately and replace the damaged item.
Here at SafetyLiftinGear we supply a huge range of safety harnesses, from your basic height safety harness through to more specialist insulated harnesses. If are looking for a specialist safety harness and cannot locate it on our website, please contact our expert customer service team by calling 0808 123 6969 or email sales@safetyliftingear.com
Today is an exciting day as we introduce the LoadSurfer EPT15! The EPT15 is our economical semi-electric pallet truck.
The EPT15 features a compact and light design, and can transport up to 1500kg, or 1.5 Tonnes, making it the ideal pallet truck for warehouses, factories, and even delivery yards, where the timely transportation of often heavy pallets is essential.
This pallet truck even features a lifting and lowering mechanism making it easier to transport pallets of differing sizes and help to easily stack the transported pallets at the end of their journey.
This pallet truck truly is one of the best quality electric pallet trucks we have stocked here at SafetyLiftinGear. To ensure product longevity and that it consistently performs at its best, please use on a smooth, flat surface that doesn't contain any potholes or any obstacles, and, as with any pallet truck, avoid using the EPT15 on a ramp or uneven surfaces as this can cause the load to become unbalanced, or unsecured and could potentially cause an accident.
Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we have made this top quality pallet truck available for purchase, or for hire. To hire this product, simply navigate to the product page, which you can find here, click the blue “hire me” button to add this product to your hire basket and then follow the on screen instructions.
If you have any questions about the EDT15 or any of the pallet trucks in our extensive range, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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What is a Hydraulic Jack?
Hydraulic jacks are a device which enables its user to lift heavy loads in a safe manner. They have a number of applications through a range of different industries, such as the automotive, warehouse, factories and even tradespeople.
Hydraulic jacks are made following the “Pascal’s Principle”. Pascal’s Principle is essentially the application of pressure in a certain way will yield the application of pressure in another way.
Hydraulic jacks are made from two cylinders connected together, with one larger than the other. The cylinders lift objects by applying force to the fluid in a cylinder which in turn, exerts pressure throughout and against the surface of the cylinder. With the addition of a smaller cylinder, it’s possible to generate more force from the larger cylinder, lifting larger weights.
How to use Hydraulic Jacks
More often than not you will be using hydraulic jacks to lift incredibly heavy loads; therefore it is essential that you are using your hydraulic jack correctly.
To use your hydraulic jack correctly, first make sure you have placed your jack on an even surface, with no grit, oil or dirt on the surface.
Maintaining Hydraulic Jacks
Maintaining your hydraulic jacks is vital to ensure that they continue to function correctly. To completely protect your hydraulic jack, it is important to protect them from the elements and from collecting dust and debris. This can be achieved by keeping your jack covered, and to ensure that the jack is not exposed to harsh elements for prolonged periods of time, as this will cause the seals on your jacks to prematurely deteriorate.
We recommend that you store your hydraulic jack with the ram piston retracted. This will prevent any damage occurring to the piston that will cause the jack to not function in a safe manner.
Types of Hydraulic Jacks
There are many types of hydraulic jacks available on the market, with all of them providing their users with different functions. Below are some of the hydraulic jacks that we stock here at SafetyLiftinGear, along with their many uses.
Standard cylinder jacks are extremely versatile; they can be used to lift heavy items and loads, or they can be used horizontally for pushing a load, or keeping an object firmly in place.
At SafetyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of standard hydraulic cylinders that have been specifically designed to endure the often harsh conditions of the modern workplace and construction sites. With cylinder jacks starting from 10 tonne through to 100 tonnes, we are confident that you will find the cylinder jack that meets your exact requirements.
For more information, or to browse our range of standard cylinder jacks, click here.
These are the smallest jacks that we currently have available, and are ideal for lifting loads in areas where you only have a small clearance. But don’t mistake their small size to mean that they are unable to withstand large weight. Some of these little jacks can take up to 200 tonnes!
We have a huge range of pad jacks available here at SafetyLiftinGear. Ranging from 10 tonne to 200 tonne!
Click here to view our full range!
Low profile jacks are similar to the standard cylinder jacks in that they are used for both lifting and pushing objects. The only difference is the size!
These are not as small as our range of pad jacks, but they are still intended for use for loads in which there is not a lot of clearance space. Just like their larger counter parts, these jacks can be used in a vertical position to lift the heavy load, or in a horizontal position to help either secure a load, or push the load.
We have a range of low profile jacks available here at SafetyLiftinGear ranging from 10 tonne through to 200 tonnes.
To view our full range, click here.
Centre hole jacks can also be used to lift heavy objects and push objects like the cylinder, low profile and pad jacks. They also have an additional pulling feature. The jack has a hole that runs through the centre of the ram which can be used to feed a chain through to help create tension. These are used to tighten wire ropes on structures like suspension bridges.
Here at SafertyLiftinGear we stock a huge range of centre hole jacks or hollow cylinder jacks ranging from 20 tonne to 100 tonne. So if you need a heavy duty centre hole cylinder, we are confident we will have one that suits your requirements.
For more information, click here.
Bottle jacks - whose name comes from the fact that they look like milk bottles, feature a vertical shaft which supports bearing pad, it is this bearing pad that directly takes the weight of the item that is being lifted.
Bottle jacks are most commonly used within the automotive industry for lifting heavy vehicles such as cars or Lorries to allow for inspection or service under the car itself, but this isn’t their only use! Bottle jacks have proven themselves useful in many industries such as plumbing, where they are often used for pipe bending, or material lifts in warehouses.
Here at SafetyLiftinGear we stock a range of bottle jacks ranging from 2 Tonne to 30 Tonne.
Click here to view our full range.
To view our full range click here!
Floor cranes are an essential piece of equipment for any factory, warehouse, garage or workshop, not only do they provide you with the ability to lift heavy, awkward shaped objects, loads or materials safely and easily, they are designed to be portable, meaning you can lift heavy objects in various locations around your premises with ease.
Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we sell a variety of floor cranes from folding floor cranes to counterbalanced floor cranes. Whatever your requirements, we are confident that we can provide you with a top quality floor crane that meets your exacting standards.
These robust floor cranes are perfect for using and storing in a variety of locations, particularly in workshops or garages! Why? because they are perfect for lifting, moving and positioning heavy components like engines. This particular folding floor crane from Euro Press Pack is fitted with incredibly robust polyamide wheels and castors, meaning it works smoothly and quietly!
To find out more about this versatile crane, simply click the button below:
Heavy-Duty Folding Floor Cranes >