Health & Safety

01Oct2015

The Dangers of Working in a Confined Space

mike health & safety

Working in a confined space can be very dangerous so it is important that you have the right Confined space equipment, to keep yourself and your work colleagues safe from potential hazards.

A confined space is defined as a space which is enclosed with limited exits, where serious injury can occur from hazardous conditions, such as, using chemicals that could combust, excessive heat from welding or even direct sunlight, the presence of toxic gases, fume or vapours which could lead to unconsciousness or asphyxiation, lack of oxygen in the confined space or even oxygen enrichment.

It is important to be aware that even if the space you are working in is not classed as a confined space when you begin your work, however it may become a confined space if there is a change in conditions, for example, and using toxic chemicals for cleaning purposes could produce toxic vapours. So before you start working in a confined space or a space that could become confined you need to be aware of the potential hazards and ensure that you have the correct equipment.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear we understand the dangers of working within confined spaces supply a range of confined space equipment to help keep you as safe as possible from harm when working in such conditions. We have a huge range of adjustable tripods, winches and gantries to aid your descent into confined places such as manholes and shafts.

As well as a huge range tripods and Gantries we also stock fall arrest blocks, rescue harnesses, gas detectors, and breathing apparatus.

Click here to view our full range of confined space equipment if you have any questions about our Confined space equipment, please call us on 0808 123 6969 and a member of out specialist team will be happy to assist you.

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.

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.

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!

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!

07Aug2015

The Danger of Using Inferior Lifting Equipment

Jodie health & safety

Not all lifting equipment is created equal, and it's important to make sure that the products you use are of a high quality. Lifting heavy loads is extremely dangerous, and if you're carrying out your work using inferior lifting gear, the consequences can be very dire indeed.

Here are two horrifying examples of lifting equipment that simply wasn't good enough for the task at hand:

Welder hospitalised after lifting sling breaks

A male welder and prop maker was working on a structure weighing 4,700 lbs (roughly 2.1 tonnes) that was to be used in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The structure was suspended on a pair of polyester lifting slings, each supposedly with a weight capacity of 5,300 lbs; unfortunately, one of the slings broke whilst the structure was being lifted, and the structure fell onto the welder, breaking his legs and causing multiple fractures in his feet.

Company fined £12k after "horrendous" incident

Pelloby Engineered Limited, a Telford-based company, were recently fined £12,000 (plus £1,057 costs) for an incident that left one employee pinned underneath a two-tonne beam. The worker's legs and torso were crushed by the beam, which had been suspended on a single round sling with an apparent weight capacity of five tonnes. The sling snapped whilst the beam was in the air, leaving the unfortunate employee with what the HSE have referred to as "horrendous injuries" resulting from an "entirely preventable incident".

Here at SafetyLiftinGear, it is our top priority to prevent incidents like these from occurring. All of our products are full tested and certified before we sell them, and our ranges are sourced from some of the world's best lifting equipment manufacturers, giving us - and hopefully you, too - total confidence in everything we stock.

Browse our full range of lifting equipment now >>

29Jul2015

Working at Height: The Three Ts

mike health & safety

Yesterday, we told you all about our new Ergodyne tool lanyards; today, we'd like to show you a video that Ergodyne made to promote their products and encourage people to stay safe whilst working at height:

The video above is all about what Ergodyne call 'The Three Ts': Tethering, Topping, and Tagging. Don't worry if you haven't the time to watch the whole thing - here are The Three Ts in a nutshell:

The Three Ts of Height Safety

The following considerations are absolutely critical for anyone who works at height:

Tethering. This means ensuring that your tools are securely tethered, either to your person or to a secure fixing that will not allow them to fall. This is what SafetyLiftinGear's tool lanyards are for.
Topping. When working at height, do you carry tools, fittings, or other equipment in a work bag? If so, you need to make sure that the bag in question is properly topped; ask yourself what will stop your equipment from falling out if the bag is upturned or inverted, and if the answer is 'nothing', consider buying yourself a new, safer tool bag.

As these unfortunate watermelons found out, even small items (such as nuts and bolts) can do a lot of damage when dropped from height!

Tagging. The third and final 'T' refers to the proper labelling of tool lanyards and other height safety products. Such items should always be clearly marked to identify the weight capacity of the product in question - exceeding the stated weight capacity can be very dangerous, and clear tagging/labelling ensures that workers will be able check the maximum capacity of their equipment at a glance.

Click here for more information about working at height, or visit SafetyLiftinGear's Height Safety section to find out how we can help you to stay safe at work.