Big news: the SafetyLiftinGear website has had a makeover! Our design has been updated, which we hope will make it easier for you to find and purchase the equipment you need, but more importantly, SafetyLiftinGear.com is now fully responsive!

This means that our website now 'responds' to the screen on which you're viewing it. If you're using a smartphone, for example, we now look like this:

This new functionality should make it significantly easier for mobile and tablet users to browse our range and place orders online. You can still shop in three different currencies (GBP, EUR or AED), and you've still got hundreds of different items to choose from - we've just made it a bit simpler for those viewing the site on small, touch-activated screens.

The other major change is the addition of a 'Hire' option. Most of our gear is now available to hire as well as to buy; this means that, when you're looking at a product on our website, you may well see this underneath the usual 'Add to Basket' button:

Clicking the 'Hire Me' button will add the product in question to your 'Hire Basket'. This new feature allows you to select as many products as you like for hire, then send an enquiry to the SafetyLifitnGear team, who will respond with a price quotation as quickly as we can.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to return to the SafetyLiftinGear homepage and try our new website for yourself; alternatively, use the following links to navigate to a specific department:

• Lifting Equipment
• Height Safety
• Material Handling
• Event Rigging
• Rope Access
• Chains & Rigging Equipment

Thanks very much to ecommerce web design specialists Designer Websites for their work on our new and improved site.

Remember how, back in April, we told you that SafetyLiftinGear is an official partner of The Bloodhound Project? Remember seeing the photos of our lifting equipment in action, helping to make this record-breaking supersonic car a reality? Yes?

Well, we're pleased to announce that a date has been set for Bloodhound's world debut. The car will be making its first public appearance at Newquay Aerohub on Tuesday 17 November, 2015. This event will consist of a 200mph trial - that may sound fast, but it's actually not even a quarter of the final target. Bear in mind that the Bloodhound team are aiming to eventually hit 1,000mph!

After the trial in Cornwall, Bloodhound will be fitted with air brakes and winglets before being sent to South Africa for high-speed testing (that's right - 200mph doesn't even count as 'high speed'!) in the summer of 2016. After that, it's full speed ahead - no pun intended - for a world land speed record attempt!

You can keep up with all the latest updates from Team Bloodhound at www.bloodhoundssc.com. Alternatively, why not visit our Lifting Equipment section to see some of the products that are being used to build this spectacular supercar?

We at SafetyLiftinGear have been working in the lifting industry for decades, and this experience has helped us to become one of the leading suppliers of lifting equipment in the UK and beyond. Of course, there are lots of other companies to choose from when you're looking for lifting gear, but we firmly believe that SafetyLiftinGear is the best possible choice.

Here are five reasons why:

1) High Quality
Quality and reliability are crucial factors when it comes to lifting gear. You don't want a hoist or a sling that's going to let you down right in the middle of a job - who knows how much damage that could cause? We manufacture many of our products ourselves, so we can personally vouch for the quality of these items; products that are sourced from other suppliers (such as our Elephant hoists) have been chosen for their renowned, market-leading reliability, so no matter what you purchase from SafetyLiftinGear, you won't be disappointed.

2) Value for Money
We don't describe our lifting equipment as 'cheap', but our products do represent excellent value for money. SafetyLiftinGear's prices are as low as can be, and the outstanding average lifespan of our lifting gear ensures that you won't have to spend any additional money on replacements any time soon.

3) Buy Online or In Person
We like to be flexible, and so we offer our customers several different ways to buy. You can order directly from our website and pay online; you can place an order on the website and pick it up in person ('Click & Collect'); or you can just pop into one of our depots and make your purchase there.

4) Demonstration Videos
Have you seen SafetyLiftinGear's YouTube channel? We've uploaded loads of useful videos in the last couple of years, and they're all designed to help you get the most from our products. For example, if you're not sure how to use your new scaffold hoist or chain block, all you have to do is hop over to YouTube and let our staff walk you through it.

5) Ongoing Customer Support
Some companies stop caring about their customers as soon as the money's in the till. Not SafetyLiftinGear, though - we want to make sure that you're totally happy with our service, and there are loads of different ways to get in touch with our team if you need any help. You can telephone 0808 123 69 69, email sales@safetyliftingear.com, or message us on Twitter or Facebook.

Click here to browse our full range of high-quality lifting equipment.

Earlier this year, Ben Hiscox - an avid footballer and a valued member of the SafetyLiftinGear sales team - was killed in a footballing accident at the age of 30. In the wake of Ben's tragic passing, we set up the Ben Hiscox Memorial Fund to honour his memory and provide financial support for those he left behind. Our aim was to raise £10,000, and we are pleased to announce that this target has now been reached.

The grand total was £10,155.54, which was presented to Ben's partner Zoe Mathews last week (see photo above). This money will be used to:

• Support Ben's family during this very difficult time
• Place a memorial bench for Ben in Stoke Gifford
• Donate to Headway, a brain injury charity that would have helped Ben to recover from his injury had the circumstances been different

We would like to say a huge 'thank you' to everyone who donated - we know that Ben's family were devastated by his death, and his presence is sorely missed here at SafetyLiftinGear.

If you would like to donate to the Ben Hiscox Memorial Fund, you can do so here.

Follow SafetyLiftinGear: Facebook // Twitter // Google+

We love making our customers happy here at SafetyLiftinGear, and so it makes us particularly happy when customers get in touch to give us some glowing feedback!

Here are a few of the positive reviews we've received via Twitter in recent months - if you want to talk to us about anything, give @GearSafe a tweet today!

Impressed? Want to experience our top-notch customer service for yourself? Get in touch now, or click here to return to the SafetyLiftinGear homepage!

We get a lot of enquiries from people looking to rent - rather than buy - our products, usually because they've got a one-off job that requires a special piece of equipment that they're unlikely to use again afterwards. Over time, equipment hire has become just as big a part of the SafetyLiftinGear service as the items we sell outright, and almost all of our products are now available to rent as well as to purchase.

If you are interested in hiring our lifting gear, our height safety equipment, or anything else you've seen on our website, give us a call on 0808 123 69 69 or email sales@safetyliftingear.com to discuss your requirements with a member of the SLG sales team. Alternatively, you're welcome to visit any of our five depots throughout the UK - click here to find your nearest.

Praise for SafetyLiftinGear's Equipment Hire Service:

We never shy away from a high-profile project here at SafetyLiftinGear, and this one's a humdinger. Our lifting equipment is currently being used in the ongoing expansion of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, which will see the stadium's seating capacity increased to approximately 61,000.

Once completed, this gargantuan project will see the Etihad overtake Arenal's Emirates Stadium to become the 2nd largest ground in the Premier League (Manchester City's local rivals Man United have the #1 spot; Old Trafford has a capacity of more than 75,000). According to mcfc.co.uk, Man City's official website, the aim of the expansion is to "ensure everyone can enjoy watching the Boys in Blue score goals", and additional tickets will be available from the start of the 2015/16 season in August.

Here's what SafetyLiftinGear have provided for this ambitious infrastructure project:

• Lever Hoists (all sizes)
• Chain Blocks (up to 5 tonnes)
• Wire Rope Winches (all sizes)
• Electric Chain Hoists (110V)
• Chain Slings (up to 30 tonnes)
• Webbing Slings (up to 20 tonnes)
• Round Slings (all sizes, up to 50 tonnes)
• Alloy Bow Shackles (up to 35 tonnes)
• Ratchet Lashings (up to 5 tonnes)

We are very excited about this project and wish Man City all the best in the 2015/16 season!