WORKING AT HEIGHT LOAD SAFE – STAY SAFE
Kevin Wilkinson, Business Development Manager at Catnic, explains that working at height on vehicles is an area of concern for the construction sector. A robust approach to health and safety can be maintained by taking advantage of the latest systems and raising awareness of the issue.
The construction sector remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in and perhaps unsurprisingly, falls from height make up the largest percentage of accidents. Although this might conjure images of construction workers scaling tall buildings, the actual definition from the Health & Safety Executive states that: “Work at height means work in any place were, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.”
The shocking reality is that a fall of just 1.2 metres can cause a person severe injury or in the worst case scenario – prove fatal. When you investigate the statistics and see that more than 75% of major falls from vehicle incidents occur during loading and unloading activities – then it is clear that the industry needs a practical solution.
As such, Catnic has developed a range of LoadSafe platforms, which provide safe and easy access to trailer bed vehicles when unloading deliveries to site or at builders’ merchant yards. Options are available for use in both flat surfaced delivery yards as well as the uneven ground found in the majority of construction sites. Platforms are lightweight and have been designed to be easily positioned on-site using plant equipment. Handrails and stairways also help to create a secure work area for personnel.
A robust and durable solution, the LoadSafe platforms have been hot dip galvanized for longlife and allow for swift vehicle entry, as each product has been designed to move easily away from the trailer bed – allowing drivers to position a vehicle without difficulty or restricted access.
Furthermore, the latest addition to the range is the 8m LoadSafe, which has been developed for construction sites where stable access is required on uneven ground. Here, water filled ballast tanks provide a counterbalance weight to maintain a stable fixed ground unit. An added advantage is that the 8m platforms are able to sit on two sealed linear bearings – meaning only one person is required to slide and lock the platform into position.
There are a variety of options to select from. For example, included within the range is a 6m access platform suitable for merchant yards, which commonly have to cope with a variety of vehicle sizes and access constraints – meaning a smaller and more flexible solution is needed.
The fact that we have product solutions available is the first step towards rectifying the problem. However we also have to recognise that greater awareness is needed about the dangers of working on vehicle trailer beds.
The 2.5m End Trailer Platform is ideal for distribution yards, where safe working access is required onto trailer beds and where there is a need to strap and secure large building materials. This can be used on standard 12m trailers and encourages safer working practices and forklift exclusion zones. An 11m platform is available for use in distribution loading bays, and offers a dual stairway for multiple access, allowing for the efficient loading and offloading of vehicles.
www.tomorrowshs.com
The reality is that for many, because it is something they do day in, day out and they do not perceive this job as working at height – there is an entrenched lack of fear, which results in complacency. As anyone working in health and safety knows – complacency can lead to accidents.
Ultimately, what we are trying to do is help change attitudes and to keep everyone unloading or offloading building materials from a vehicle in any environment – as safe as possible.
www.catnic.com/products/loadsafe @CatnicUK
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