CONSTRUCTION & SITE SAFETY | SPANSET
AT THE HEIGHT OF SAFETY
SpanSet tells us the story of its award-winning Self-retracting Lanyards, which are reducing fall distances and improving safety across the world.
While it is clear to all involved in working at height in the UK that staff need appropriate equipment to protect them against falls, what is not so obvious is the fact that sometimes, if not designed correctly, that very equipment can also pose serious hazards.
This is where SpanSet’s award-winning product range offers major advantages over other available products and ensures that users are effectively protected from falls from height, the injuries resulting from collisions with any nearby hazards and the forces exerted by the safety equipment.
“The crucial issue is all about how fast the equipment can stop and the forces it subjects the user to in doing so,” said SpanSet’s sales director, Pete Ward. “This is where our Self-retracting Lanyards are in a class of their own, as they safeguard users against the obvious danger of a fall from height while also protecting them from the less well-known dangers of either stopping too fast or too slow.”
Involved in work at height for 20 years, SpanSet developed both the single (SSL) and double (DSL) Self-retracting Lanyard after a request from an international customer.
Mr Ward explained: “Energy-absorbing lanyards conforming to EN355 have been the norm for European scaffolders for many years, but the big concern with them is that not enough consideration has been given to clearance height at low levels.”
“In the USA self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) have become popular because they eliminate excess in the lifelines and reduce potential freefall,” he continued. “Exxon approached us to see if it was possible to safely construct a scaffold when the SRL
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needs to be anchored at foot level, to which the answer was no. As a result, we developed our hybrid DSL and SSL, which can be anchored at any height and will arrest the fall with an impact of less than 6kN whether one or both of the anchor points are attached to the structure.”
It is this key feature – along with the fact that they are the only devices available that can be used by a 140kg worker, can have both legs attached simultaneously and can be anchored at foot level – that makes SpanSet’s Self-retracting Lanyards unique.
They are ideal in situations where there is low clearance and a lack of overhead anchorages (such as scaffolding) and they retract exactly like a fall arrest block, but can be used like a lanyard, anchored anywhere from below foot level to overhead.
CE certified to EN360 and compliant with the dynamic performance requirements of EN355, the SSL is available with two anchor options, while the DLS is available in three configurations to cater for the UK, European and Asian markets.
“We are really proud of these lanyards, which are the first truly effective hybrid products on the market and just one of SpanSet’s recent product innovations,” added Mr Ward. “With nearly 5,000 sold in 2014 we see great potential for hybrid-style retractable lanyards and are looking forward to further success with this innovative safety product range in the future.”
To find out more, visit:
www.spanset.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION & SITE SAFETY | TOMORROW’S HEALTH & SAFETY YEARBOOK 2015/16
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