Guardrails and safety ladders have an important role to play in offshore operations, where a fall from height could mean landing on a hard metal surface, or even being lost overboard. In the most recent annual statistics published by the Health & Safety Executive, slips, trips and falls constitute almost half of all reported injuries […]
Guardrails could soon have a new kind of rooftop technology to protect, as scientists at Stanford School of Engineering have developed a new material that, to most people, is likely to look like a kind of solar panel. While ordinary solar panels absorb energy from the sun and turn it into electricity, however, this new […]
The Access Industry Forum is hosting the Work at Height Zone at the upcoming Safety & Health Expo 2013, with edge protection and ladder safety two issues likely to make the agenda. Safety & Health 2013 is due to begin on May 14th at the NEC in Birmingham, but it is the second day that […]
The build-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, could see British edge protection receive its moment in the spotlight, and build on the legacy of London 2012. During the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, all eyes may have been on venues like the Velodrome and Aquatics Centre, where Team GB won 12 and […]
Edge protection remains an issue with a minority of construction firms, according to a new report from the Health & Safety Executive. Between February 18th and March 15th, unannounced visits to building sites by HSE inspectors revealed a limited number of edge protection concerns, along with other worries relating to working at height with a […]
One of the world’s most iconic structures has been given new edge protection, in the form of modernised guardrails fitted to the spiral staircases of the Statue of Liberty. The stairs are the only way for most visitors to reach the crown of the structure, almost 400 steps above the ground; while there is an […]
The technology of roof rails is very much physical – the strength and sturdiness of the guardrails themselves, the mass and weatherproofing of their rubber counterweights that provide extra stability, and so on. However, installing roof rails on buildings across the EU could have benefits for the digital community too – and, in particular, for […]
Edge protection is an important element during the construction of new roofs, helping to make sure those working on the structure are not placed at unnecessary risk, particularly if the roof surface itself is incomplete. But it could also play a part in the use of a space-age sounding material that is actually almost as […]
We often talk about guardrails and man anchors as safety precautions during construction, or for roofs that perform some kind of function, such as green roofs and solar panel installations. One issue we rarely focus on in detail, however, is the need to maintain the roof itself against weather damage; and with the winter months […]
The worst of the winter weather may already have passed in the UK, but with springtime snow a common feature of recent years, it might be worth using the warmer intervals to install safety ladders. While you might simply plan not to access your roof during any icy or snowy spells in the coming months, […]
Edge protection around fragile roofs and skylights could prevent seven fatalities a year in the construction industry, according to a Health & Safety Executive report. The rate of fatalities due to individuals falling through weak and unprotected skylights, and fragile roof surfaces, is more than one every two months. HSE inspector Frances Bailey adds: “”Many […]
Rubbish chutes are an important addition to building sites, allowing waste to be carried quickly and safely to the ground. However, if you are keen to improve the environmental profile of your firm, rubbish chutes can help you to do so. Chutes are available in a broad range of different colours, with top hoppers and […]
Safety barriers can keep your operations safe if you’re a non-power business trying to capitalise on the opportunities presented by renewable energy. Opus Energy, a business-to-business energy supplier, recently conducted research showing how many British firms plan to introduce on-site renewable energy generation – and how many have already done so. The survey found 15% […]
Fixed safety ladders hold several potential benefits in terms of preventing falls, while allowing access to the necessary parts of roofs and other elevated surfaces. However, one often-overlooked advantage of safety ladders over mobile scaffold towers or fixed scaffolding is that they are less prone to alteration by employees. The Health & Safety Executive has […]
Man anchors received an unexpected moment in the spotlight on the BBC’s recent Stargazing Live broadcast. On the final night of this year’s series, Thursday January 10th, astronomer Mark Thompson was in Derby to unveil a newly built Herschel telescope that aims to replicate William Herschel’s famous 40-foot telescope, built in the 1780s. Although the […]
While you’re enjoying some classic Christmas entertainment in the days to come, don’t let it dissuade you of the importance of edge protection for those who work at height. Classic movies like Mary Poppins were made before health and safety concerns made their way to the big screen – and while the sight of untethered […]
Edge protection could remain in substantial demand through until at least 2025 in order to protect individuals installing and maintaining solar panel arrays. That is because the price of solar panels has been predicted to continue falling until at least that point, leading to substantial growth in the total installed area of panels worldwide. The […]
The harsh weather conditions of the past few weeks have continued into December, and the first headline-grabbing snowfall of the winter is a good time to look at safety ladders, and the benefits they bring when scaling a building to reach the roof. We’ve already looked at man anchors in the past couple of weeks, […]
Last week we looked at the many and varied applications for man anchors in different weather conditions – including wind, rain and ice. With temperatures falling rapidly since midweek as the heavy rains subsided and more settled conditions arrived, it is the latter of these dangers that is likely to become increasingly concerning as the […]
Man anchors are an excellent all-round method of protecting employees working at height against trip, slip and fall risks. Roof rails should always be in place anyway, but man anchors provide an extra level of protection in extreme weather conditions, such as strong winds, heavy rain, or slippery ice. Often you won’t want to work […]
The value of walkovers cannot be overstated, particularly on buildings where the roof is necessarily made of fragile materials. In one recent case, a 44-year-old man from Preston, near Hull, was given the task of cleaning greenhouse gutters at a salad farm. He was given no protection – such as a guardrail or man anchor […]
The HSE has published its Health and Safety Statistics 2011-12 report, bringing together all of the reported incidents over a 12-month period. In the report, two-thirds of all fatalities can be accounted for by just four types of incident, one of which is falling from height. Moving objects, structural collapses and vehicle collisions contribute the […]
Safety ladders and roof rails can allow safe and secure access to green roofs – which could be essential during periods of high temperatures or little rainfall. Research carried out in the US recently looked at how plants might cope with extreme weather conditions, such as the heat and low rainfall seen in south-western Ohio. […]
Safety ladders can not only provide a safe means of climbing a structure where access is required; they can also reduce the risk of unwanted entry elsewhere on the site. With safety ladders that are fixed into place and surrounded by a supporting cage, it is possible to ensure that only the intended route to […]
Missing safety barriers, poor edge protection and other concerns about working at height led the HSE to halt work at 32 sites in Bradford, the north-east and Scotland during the first three weeks of September. In three separate regional reports, the HSE has highlighted the importance of complying with the rules relating to edge protection […]