The dangers of working at height have hit the headlines once again this week after two companies were heavily fined for putting their workers' safety at risk.
According to industry watchdog, Safety & Health Practitioner, an incident in April 2016 saw pipe repair workers in Bilston exposed to significant risk during a job at a warehouse owned by James Durrans & Sons Ltd.
The contractors, working for Kingswinford Engineering Co Ltd, were hired to fix pipework on the roof of the warehouse; however, the conditions provided were shockingly reckless, posing a variety of dangers for those working on the job.
The nature of the task required workers to be hoisted to the roof in a forklift man-cage; however, the forklift fell short of the roof, leaving a three-foot gap.
The roof was then only accessible by climbing from the cage to the roof. Worse still, the roof itself was said to be slippery and wet with no protective barrier in place to prevent a fall.
An investigation by the HSE concluded that neither the warehouse owners or the repair company had conducted a proper risk assessment and no safety system had implemented for the job.
The HSE findings highlighted that both James Durrans & Sons Ltd and Kingswinford Engineering Co Ltd had assumed the other had the safety procedures covered.
This gross negligence led both parties to plead guilty to breaching sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The result saw Kingswinford Engineering fined to the tune of £18k with costs of £9k, while Durrans & Sons were fined an even heftier £100k with costs of £20k.
The news story highlights the importance of worker/contractor safety on site and the financial ramifications associated with such an oversight.
Despite the lofty fines levied against both companies involved, the price could have been far steeper should an accident have occurred.
If you or your company are involved in working at height, suitable and appropriate fall protection measures are a must – it could save a life.
For more information on fall arrest and fall protection, call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online using the button below.
Get in Touch
A full body harness is a harness designed to hold the wearer upright in the event of a fall from height. If worn correctly, a full body harness will distribute the energy generated during free-fall across the wearers' body evenly, reducing the potential for serious injury.
Full-body harnesses should be the first choice when it comes to working at height because they offer:
When looking at how full body harnesses are designed, there are a few common features that you can expect to see on any full body harness:
Before you carry out any work at height, you should always assess the potential risks. Unfortunately, falling from height is a common cause of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. It's important that you know when a full body harness is, or isn't required. Your employee should carry out a full risk assessment before you carry out any work at height, notifying you if a full body harness is required while you complete your tasks.
In situations where a fall from height is a serious risk, you don't want to be putting on any old harness and making your ascent. Choosing a full body harness that suits your weight and job requirements is paramount for your safety. Your full body harness should always:
All of our full body harnesses can be found in our height safety range. We stock a variety of full body harnesses, including hi-viz full body harnesses, full body rescue harnesses and harnesses and lanyard rated to 140kgs. Give us a call on 0117 9381 600 if you have any questions.
A Doncaster based construction firm has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £803 in legal costs after one of their young workers suffered a serious fall.
The unnamed 18-year-old employee was working on the first floor of a house being built in West Butterwick, Scunthorpe. The worker was using a trowel to remove mortar from some breeze blocks when he stepped backwards and accidentally fell through an unguarded stairway. The injuries he sustained from the fall include; two fractured ribs and contusions.
The HSE investigated the incident and concluded that Trumax Building Ltd had not put the required safety precautions in place. Neither a proprietary guardrail system or traditional scaffold guardrails were used to prevent people from falling through the opening.
Trumax Building Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The HSE Inspector who handled this case said:
'This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out the correct control measures and safe working practices, particularly to protect young and inexperienced workers. In this case, someone suffered serious injuries that could have been avoided by installing guardrails around the stairway opening to prevent workers from falling from height.'
Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we work tirelessly to provide the PPE and equipment required to keep workers safe while working at height. Our Height Safety category features a range of products that can ensure safety whether your line of work is construction, tree surgery, or any other profession.
Browse Our Height Safety Products Now >
We recently received the good news that SafetyLiftinGear's parent company, Tacklestore Ltd, has achieved the Achilles BuildingConfidence Standard!
View Our Membership Certificate >>
The Achilles BuildingConfidence Standard is a standard specifically designed for the construction industry.
The certification is a mark of credibility, and companies who have achieved this standard can be relied upon to deliver a highly compliant service.
We hope that this standard will help SafetyLiftinGear's construction industry customers to feel confident when buying and hiring our products!
Browse Our Product Range >>
Do you remember the extensive range of Pramac material handling solutions we announced not too long ago? Well, you're in for a real treat because our line of Pramac products just expanded, and now includes a selection of petrol and diesel powered generators. Generators can be invaluable when it comes to providing power in remote areas or during a power outage. As long as you have a supply of fuel, you can keep power tools working, lights on and batteries charging! So, don't end up stranded in the dark, keep reading to find out more about our selection of Pramac generators.
With performance and efficiency in mind, Pramac designed the powerful and strong E3250 generator to become your new best friend when you work in remote or challenging locations. This single phase, open phase generator is fitted with a Honda GX160 engine and recoil starting system. It has a fuel tank capacity of 3.1 litres and will last for roughly 2.65 hours when running at full capacity.
Another single phase, open frame generator, the Pramac E5000 offers great performance at a competitive price. This Pramac generator can hold up to 5.3 litres of fuel, and run continuously for 2.42 hours at 100% capacity. You can rely on the Honda GX270 engine and recoil starting system to keep your electricals running all day long.
This Pramac generator is designed to be ultra-quiet, making it perfect for working during unsociable hours or in busy residential areas. It features a Yanmar L70n diesel engine, high-quality parts and can run for an impressive 14.52 hours on full power - a truly professional generator option.
This is just a small taste of the Pramac generators we now stock! Please click the button at the end of this blog to see the full range. As always, if you have any questions about our new Pramac generators or any of our other products, don't hesitate to get in touch.
Shop All Pramac Generators >
When it comes to working at height, you really can’t put a price on safety. That being said, if you could, 20% off is a great place to start!
Now, for a limited time only, SLG is offering 20% off Globestock fall arresters: namely the Globestock G.STOP 7mtre and Globestock G.STOP 14mtre ranges.
In the words of Vanilla Ice, G.STOP – collaborate and listen; Globestock’s back with a brand-new invention!
Okay, those may not have been Mr Ice’s exact words but the point still stands: if you’re in the business of working at height, the G.STOP deserves your full, undivided attention.
While not “brand-new” per se, the G.STOP remains a truly standout product in the fall arrest category and, at 20% off the regular retail price, now is the perfect time to find out exactly why.
While Globestock may sound more like a festival than a safety brand, don’t let the name fool you – these guys are experts in the field of safety gear and the G.STOP is proof of just that.
Offering complete mobility with the added reliability of bronze, aluminium and stainless-steel components internally, the G.STOP Fall Arrester provides practical protection with minimal restriction for those working at height.
Made using precision machined components, the high-quality materials also provide maximum performance. Even in harsh environments – such as off-shore and mining environments – the G.STOP provides you with unwavering peace of mind as well as ample protection.
Even in the event of a fall, the reassuringly efficient braking system reacts quickly and smoothly for a prompt arrest that exerts minimal force on the user.
The G.STOP is also highly versatile and can be mounted both vertically and horizontally, in conjunction with a suitable anchorage point, while it can also be used in conjunction with the G.Tripod for support in confined spaces.
Both the Globestock G.STOP 7mtre and Globestock G.STOP 14mtre are virtually identical in their features with the primary difference that the former provides 7m cable length, while the latter boasts 14m.
At 20% off, the G.STOP 7mtre and G.STOP 14mtre are two products you’ll fall head over heels for, safe in the knowledge that Globestock will be there to catch you when you do.
What are you waiting for? Don’t delay – this offer is only available until October 31st. Save yourself a Halloween fright and get your order in early to avoid disappointment!
For more information on Globestock products or fall arrest systems, why not drop us a line? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online using the button below.
Globestock is a well-established player in the safety solutions field. For over 30 years, they have been designing, manufacturing and supplying high-quality confined space, working at height and load arrest safety equipment. So, if you haven’t already heard of them, it’s time you did!
Globestock source all of their materials from the UK, most of their materials actually comes from the West Midlands where Globestock is based. This dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of Globestock’s products plus it gives Globestock lots of control over what goes into their products!
Ok, so now you know a little bit about Globestock, let’s take a look at some of the exciting new Globestock products we’ve added to our site…
These Globestock tripod kits offer everything that you need to complete a confined space task. Complete with confined space tripod, mad riding winch and recovery fall arrester, this kit ensures you are 100% prepared to complete the job at hand. Currently, we supply these kits with three different winch lengths: 14 metre, 20 metre or 34 metre. This makes us confident that we’ll have a Globestock tripod kit suitable for your needs.
The Globestock G.Guard series of load arrestors is designed to instantly stop the descent of an overhead load. It behaves in a very similar way to a seatbelt, while the load descends steadily, the brake will not engage. But, if the load enters into a free-fall then they automatic braking system is triggered, bringing the falling load to a stop.
These load arrestors are incredibly versatile and have been used for fall arrest applications on car production lines, in theatres and even in nuclear power stations! We offer G.Guard Load arrestors in a selection of maximum weight capacities and cable lengths.
Find all of them here >
The G. Winches from Globestock are manually operated winches that can be used to raise or lower people as necessary. This style of winch is perfect for use in confined spaces where there’s a requirement to act quickly and possibly a lack of electrical power sources nearby. G. Winches feature:
Shop G. Winch Man Riding Winches here >
The G. STOP fall arresters are made using in high-quality precision cut components. These fall arresters will perform reliably whether you’re working offshore, in a mine or in any other adverse conditions. When a fall occurs, this G.STOP fall arrester’s braking system is activated. Then, the fall is gently arrested to provide minimal stress on the user’s body.
We offer these Globestock G.STOP fall arresters in a range of lengths to suit all requirements. To take a closer look, simply click the button below:
View G.STOP Fall Arresters & Accessories >
This blog covers the majority of the new Globestock products we’ve recently added to the site, but there are a few extras and accessories that you can view by checking out the extensive range of Globestock products in our Height Safety category. To take a shortcut there, click the button below.
View all Globestock products here >
available on orders over £100 inc VATavailable on orders over £100 inc VAT
0117 9381 600
