health & safety news l Morrisons on the right lines


To ensure the safety of the 1,000 staff employed at Morrisons' new £90 million Regional Distribution Centre in Bridgwater, Somerset, over 6,000m of safety walkway lines and 500 pedestrian symbols were required.


When fully operational, 1.8 million cases will be moved through the site each week, so with such heavy pedestrian, fork lift and trailer traffic, the long-term durability of these lines and symbols was paramount. Selection of the coating used to create them was vital as ‘cutting corners’ on costs may mean that they may fade, deteriorate and have to be replaced sooner than anticipated. "After rigorous testing, and comparing various products, we


worked with the Morrisons team to specify RapidShield," said a spokesman for DLA Architects. "Morrisons had previous experience of the durability and cleanability of RapidShield at other sites and this, coupled with the right price and the fact that it could be applied and cured


much quicker than conventional coatings, proved to us that we only really had one choice.”


Certified RapidShield Contractor Quality Marking Services Limited used the latest preparation equipment to clean and prepare the areas for the markings. Special floor masks were


used for the line markings and symbols, and RapidShield was successfully installed and cured instantly by UV light after application. The contract was completed within the seven weeks allocated for the job, and following the initial ‘snagging list’ there was no requirement to re-visit any of the internal markings. Clearly visible from the M5, the RDC will be fully operational early in 2012 and will serve all its 65 stores in the South West and South Wales. The striking green building is clad with horizontal panels of various willow colours all inspired by the famous ‘Willow Man’ that stands close by overlooking the motorway. The centre has an overall floor area of 760,000 sq ft comprising ambient, chilled and frozen warehouses.


www.rapidshield.com


Arco publishes signs catalogue


Safety company Arcohas launched a comprehensive Safety Signs catalogue, complete with over 3,000 signs that meet current BS and potential future EN standards, plus expert advice to help businesses prepare for any changes.


The Arco Safety Signs catalogue is available as a point of reference and advice for all businesses. The catalogue helps businesses choose safety signs to warn of remaining risk or to instruct employees of the measures they must take to stay safe in the workplace. All of the Arco signs available through this catalogue meet the ISO 7010 standard and new symbols will be phased in when they become available to meet the ISO EN 7010 standard. The Health & Safety (Safety, Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996 state that it is a legal requirement for all businesses


Transmon spots 'invisible' man


and commercial organisations with public access to buildings to highlight health and safety risks through the use of suitable signs. Supporting these regulations is an active British Standard ‘BS 5499-1:2002 Graphical symbols and signs – safety signs which is designed to provide clear guidelines to the use and appearance of safety signs in the UK. The ISO 7010 Graphical symbols – safety colours and safety signs’ standard was introduced in 2003 to develop consistency between safety signs used throughout Europe, however it sat alongside the British Standard as a recommended best practice rather than a requirement. It has now been proposed that ISO 7010 will become ISO EN 7010 meaning that it will become a European Normative, where the standard must be written into UK and EU law after an introductive period. When ISO 7010 becomes an EN standard it is important that workplaces are prepared. It will not be a legal requirement to change existing signs and there will be an introduction period of notice prior to it becoming law but all-new safety signs will have to conform to the new standard.


To aid companies choosing the correct sign out of the thousands available, the Arco catalogue contains the essential safety signs in the workplace, all of which conform to the new legislation.


www.arco.co.uk/safetysigns 18 ShD February 2012 www.PressOnShD.com


Transmon Engineeringsays its new Pedestrian Alert System uses RFID technology to help reduce the number of accidents involving unseen pedestrians and fork lift trucks.


The system can be fitted to almost any fork lift truck, and detects the presence of a pedestrian via an RFID active tag that should be worn by workers onsite at all times. The RFID active tags pulse a signal several times every second, activating the system when it enters the proximity detecting field (approximately 7m from a forklift). A clear warning in the form of a beacon, buzzer or LED alerts the driver and pedestrian that they are close.


“The Pedestrian Alert System is designed to be used in addition to, not instead of, the correct training,” says Paul Sercombe of Transmon Engineering, adding that the Pedestrian Alert System should also not be considered a replacement for operation supervision or responsible driving. “The responsibility to ensure that the RFID


active tag key rings are worn by all pedestrians, at all times, lies with the supervisor or manager,” he says. The Pedestrian Alert System is particularly suited to loading and unloading areas, or for areas with limited visibility at intersections between pedestrians and fork lift trucks or the exits from warehouse aisles. It is also useful when visitors are onsite, such as visiting lorry drivers or during busy times when temporary staff are employed. Transmon has also introduced a similar system that automatically warns pedestrians of a forklift’s presence in a specific area.


“Even car manufacturers are incorporating this type of alarm system into new models,” adds Paul. “Warning sounds or alarms are incorporated into quieter electric or hybrid cars to alert pedestrians to the vehicles’ presence and sensors alert drivers to pedestrians crossing their path in slow moving traffic, for example.” www.transmon.com


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