August 2016

31Aug2016

Company Fined £30,000 for Unsafe Lifting Practices

mike health & safety

Lifting large objects can be dangerous business, and it's critically important to carry out the right safety measures in order to minimise the risk of an accident. Failure to adhere to the lifting safety regulations can lead to serious injuries (or worse), and the responsible parties may face prosecution, hefty fines, and even imprisonment.

To see just what can happen when lifting safety guidelines are ignored, you need look no further than the example of Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd, a Merseyside firm that was hit with a £30,000 fine this week after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

What happened?

On the 30th of June, 2014, two workers were moving a structure using a forklift truck. Their goal was to lift the structure from its trestles and manoeuvre it away, but as the structure was being raised up, it twisted around and swung into the cabin of the forklift truck, striking its driver.

That forklift driver, a 46-year-old man from West Lancashire, came away from this incident with serious flesh wounds and a broken arm. This week, his employer (Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd) plead guilty to workplace safety violations at Liverpool Crown Court, resulting in a £30,000 fine (plus costs of £7,670).

How could this have been prevented?

Speaking after the court hearing, a representative from the Health & Safety Executive issued the following statement:

"Had the company taken basic steps, such as providing suitable training so that those undertaking the lift were in a more informed position to assess and then adequately manage the risks, this incident would have been avoided."

With that in mind, here's a breakdown of how this unfortunate incident and the subsequent court hearing could have been prevented:

Employee training. Workers who are required to undertake tasks such as this one should be fully trained to identify risks and take any necessary safety precautions in order to ensure the safe completion of the job at hand.
Risk assessment. Trained workers should know how to carry out a full risk assessment ahead of commencing a lifting/handling job. In an ideal version of this scenario, someone would have completed a risk assessment and spotted the possibility that the structure might twist towards the forklift.
Use of the correct equipment and safety measures. Preventing accidents means taking the right precautions and select the right tools/equipment for the job. In this case, it seems likely that a forklift was entirely the wrong solution for the task at hand, and a different piece of lifting equipment should have been utilised instead.

Source: SHP Online

25Aug2016

More New Arrivals: Platform Trucks & Moving Skates

Admin products

We told you we were constantly expanding our catalogue! Scarcely a day after we introduced you to our superb new multi-directional screw clamps, a whole raft of new new products have arrived here at SafetyLiftinGear HQ. This particular set of items should appeal to customers seeking an efficient materials handling solution - here's a quick rundown of what's new on our website today:

Heavy-Duty Steel Platform Truck

This sturdy, easy-to-manoeuvre platform truck comes in three different sizes (see options above) and is ideal for all sorts of different working environments, including warehouses, shops, labs, workshops and garages. Each truck has a maximum weight capacity of 1850kg, making it easy to shift heavy items with minimal effort.

Folding Plastic Platform Truck

This lightweight plastic truck folds away for easy storage and transportation. It can carry loads of up to 150kg, and the telescopic handle can be adjusted to the height of your choosing.

Steel Nesting Platform Trucks

These trucks have a sleek 'nesting' design, making it easy to store several of them in a relatively small space. The trucks are made of powder-coated steel that's resistant to rust and scratching; each one can cope with loads weighing up to 700kg.

Manual Platform Stacker

Click here to view this product

With a maximum capacity of 400kg and a maximum lift height of 650mm, this manual stacker is perfect for transporting loads that are too large to carry yourself. The lift function is operated by a foot pump, and the polyurethane wheels give great manoeuvrability.

Moving Skates

2000kg // 4000kg // 6000kg

Finally, these new moving skates make moving heavy loads a speedy and practically effortless task. Simply lift your load using a jack or roller crowbar and position the skates underneath.

Click here to browse our full range of materials handling equipment!

24Aug2016

New Arrivals: Multi-Directional Screw Clamps from Elephant

mike products

We're always scouring the market for the very best lifting equipment available, and as a result, our product range is constantly expanding. The latest exciting addition to the SafetyLiftinGear range: multi-directional screw clamps, made in Japan by Elephant Lifitng.

These remarkable products boast the title of 'Lightest Clamps in the World', but don't be fooled - just because they're incredibly lightweight doesn't mean they're not also exceptionally strong! The clamps are made of a special steel alloy, and Elephant's manufacturing process utilises a unique heat treatment technology that endows the clamps with a very tough finish.

More details about these impressive new products can be found below.

Premium Screw Clamps: At a Glance

Multi-directional functionality allows the clamps to lift in both the horizontal and the vertical positions
Circular double cam lock method allows you to lift, drag, and suspend heavy loads
Two attachment points (one for vertical suspension, one for horizontal)
Loads can be hoisted at angles of up to 10 degrees without slippage
Extremely resistant to vibration
Hexagonal screw heads are compatible with ratchet wrenches

Our multi-directional screw clamps are available in three different weight load limits:

1000kg
2000kg
3000kg

Click here to view them all, or contact SafetyLiftinGear if you have any questions about these top-quality lifting products.

22Aug2016

Lloyds Bank Manufacturing Team Complete Sponsored Walk for BBC Children in Need

mike general news

SafetyLiftinGear recently sponsored the Lloyds Bank Manufacturing team on a 40-mile charity walk. This sponsored walk aimed to raise money for BBC Children in Need, and we were pleased to hear that the Lloyds team managed to raise more than £13,000 for this very worthy cause.

A charity walk may not sound particularly challenging, but be assured that this was no ordinary stroll: 40 miles is a very long way, and the Lloyds Manufacturing team took two days to complete it. That's two days of uneven terrain, sore legs, and painful blisters!

With this in mind, we'd very much like to congratulate the team for completing their walk and for raising so much money for BBC Children in Need. Well done everybody!

18Aug2016

Confined Space Equipment - Secure & Easy-to-Use Solutions

robin products

When performing work tasks or rescue operations in confined spaces, operations can be complicated by narrow exit and entry ways, making safe retrieval more difficult. Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, state that you must have sufficient precautions in place to protect your workers when performing operations in limited access areas, which makes confined space equipment an essential element for working safely and legally.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we provide a wide range of confined space equipment, which covers all aspects of safe rescue and retrieval operations. Here are just some of the products we provide:

Rescue Tripods

We have a great selection of rescue tripods as part of our confined space range, all of which are adjustable, secure, and easy to transport. As well single tripod systems, we also provide a choice of integrated tripods, such as tripod and winch combinations. For those who require a more versatile product, which covers an enhanced range of applications, we also provide multi-purpose tripod and gantry set-ups, which can be used for both confined space working and material lifting.

Rescue Harnesses

The use of a high-quality safety harness is a vital element of confined space rescue, and should provide both security and comfort. At SafetyLiftinGear, we stock a specially designed safety harness that is designed to compliment our range of confined space rescue equipment. It has a variety of anchor points for versatile attachment, and also comes in a choice of sizes for an accurate fit.

Confined Space Kits

For those who require a complete confined space rescue system, we provide a choice of confined space kits, which contain a variety of items from our full range. These kits contain rescue and recovery devices which cover all aspects of confined space safety, allowing you to act efficiently in the event of an emergency. As well as larger items such as our tripod and winch systems, these kits also contain personal safety equipment, such as breathing apparatus gas detectors.

To see our full range of confined space equipment, click here. If you have any questions regarding our items, or if you are unsure as to what kind of set up would suit your operations, please feel free to get in touch.

11Aug2016

Shaun Gash Takes on Kilimanjaro, With Support From SafetyLiftinGear!

mike general news

If you follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed some very exciting goings-on over the past few weeks, as Shaun Gash set off on his inspiring ascent to the top of Kilimanjaro!

You may remember our work with Shaun from this post back in April 2015, which was shared just after he completed a gruelling 10 kilometre, military-style obstacle course - just one of many challenges Shaun has undertaken to push his physical boundaries, while also raising money for charity. The challenges Shaun has undertaken are highly demanding, and are made all the more impressive by the fact that he has managed to achieve all of this as a T5/6 paraplegic, after suffering a car accident 24 years ago.

Before taking on the Born Survivor course, Shaun came to us with a request for a bespoke safety harness, which was used by him and his teamates to help him complete the course. We are happy to say that Shaun was obviously pleased with the equipment we provided, as we are also providing the kit for his latest endeavour!

Shaun set off on the Rongai route of Kilimanjaro on the 5th of August, and we are eagerly awaiting updates on his progress over on the Kiliwheels Twitter page!

To find out more about the challenge, and the fantastic charities being funded by this amazing feat, head over to the Kiliwheels site.

10Aug2016

Spreader Beams - Increasing the Lifting Loads of your Sling

Admin products

Lifting wide, heavy loads requires you to attach a sling to either end of the load enabling you to lift it efficiently. But the problem with this, is that it increases the horizontal forces on the sling because the angles of the sling are less than 90 degrees. These forces add to the weight that's being lifted of the load, so this requires a larger lifting force to lift the load. Spreader Beams are hugely beneficial because it eliminates the amount of horizontal forces applied on slings, allowing you to have a larger lifting force. Spreader Beams are popular with indoor cranes because the beams are built with a single point connection, so they take less crane height to lift due to there being no rigging above the beam.

Here are Safety Lifting Gear we have an excellent range of Modular Spreader Beams, each with a different working load limit and length in beams. All of our beams are versatile and fully certified, and tested. If you're looking for a strong, cost effective Spreader beam, you've come to the right place!

To view our full range of Modular Spreader Beams, click here.

Get in touch to learn more about our training courses!