All posts by robin

22Jul2016

Failure to use Fall Arrest Systems Leads to Another Fatality and Conviction

robin health & safety

A few days ago, SHP published a court review, regarding the recent sentencing of a negligent site manager. This case related to a fatality which occurred in January last year, where 40 year old window fitter Tasadaq Ur-Rehman fell through a skylight, suffering serious head injuries.

On investigation, it was revealed that site manager Faruk Patel had completely neglected height safety procedures, and had continued to do so even after the fatality took place. Although HSE had issued a prohibition for work at height to be suspended, they later found evidence that it had continued under the disregardful management of Mr Patel.

During the investigation, it soon became clear that the manager's neglectful attitude to safety extended beyond the events which led to his worker's death, and included:

A failure to provide scaffolding and proper fall arrest systems for the job being undertaken.
Overseeing an unsafe working environment where suitable handling equipment was not being used, and the existing equipment was being misused, and had not been secured properly.
A failure to follow the most basic of health and safety measures, such as providing suitable PPE, making potential hazards clear with safety signs, and ensuring that a member of the team was first aid qualified.

As a result, Mr Patel was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for manslaughter by gross negligence, as well as eight months for health and safety offences, which seems like something of a small price to pay in relation to the needless loss of life caused by his lack of care. The aspect which most shocks us about this case, is the sheer scale of his indifference and incompetence, which makes it something of a miracle that no further injuries or fatalities were caused.

Another baffling yet all-too familiar aspect of this case, was the manager's ignorant and misinformed view of his responsibility, as Mr Patel openly expressed his opinion that each individual was responsible for their own safety. While it may be true that a safe workplace requires it's workers to employ safe working practices, it is first and foremost, the responsibility of those in charge to provide them with the tools to do this. Mr Patel was responsible for providing his workers with the training, knowledge and equipment needed to work safely, but it's startlingly clear that he failed miserably on all counts.

If you're an employer/manager who one day finds themselves in a similar situation, your ignorance will not provide you with a valid excuse, and will not pardon your actions (or lack of). If you oversee operations at height, you have a duty to provide fall arrest systems and personal protective equipment for your workers, in order to eliminate the potential dangers posed by working at height. If you aren't sure about what your operation needs, then make sure that you reach out to the professionals for advice, as there is no doubt that you will be held accountable if and when something goes wrong.

If you need advice on choosing the correct fall arrest equipment, please get in touch with the SafetyLiftinGear team, so that we are able to help you avoid choosing the wrong product, or failing to prepare for the demands of your job!

13Jul2016

Our Southampton Depot is Now Open!

robin general news

If you live or work in Southampton or the surrounding area, you'll be pleased to know that this is our newest depot location!

Whether you own a local business that requires lifting and material handling gear, or if you're carrying out temporary operations in the area, which calls for the use of locally hired equipment, we have everything you could possibly need - all stored in a convenient location at great prices! Whatever the demands of your job may be, big or small, our friendly team will be able to find the deal that's best for you.

Best of all, our new Southampton location will also be part of our convenient click and collect system, which means that you'll be able to order all your required items online, to be picked up from your nearest depot.

Some of the equipment we supply includes:

Height Safety

*Harnesses

*Fall Arrest Blocks

*Roof Anchor Systems

Lifting and Rigging

*Chainblocks

*Leverhoists

*Webbing Slings

Material Handling

*Pallet Trucks

*Platform Tables

Sack Trucks

and more!

If you're looking to buy or hire our high-quality site equipment in Southampton, you can get in touch by calling 0800 860 69 69. If you'd like to visit our depot, you can find us here:

Unit 4 Southampton Trade Park,

Third Avenue,

Southampton

SO15 OAD

06May2016

Failure to Provide Height Safety Gear Results in a Hefty Fine

robin health & safety

Once again, a demolition company from Nottingham has been fined for breeching height safety procedures, for allowing their employees to work on a roof without any fall prevention measures in place.

Every day we check the news in the world of health and safety, and find it staggering how many companies are willing to disregard the safety of their employees. Luckily, this case did not lead to a fatal accident or serious injury, but this most certainly could have been the case if the issue had been left undetected.

The company in question were removing tiles from a steep roof without any form of PPE or fall arrest equipment, which meant that the individuals could have come to serious harm, had they fallen and slipped whilst carrying out the work. Those responsible were fined £6,000 by the courts, and were ordered to pay £765 in costs, although the financial debt is nothing compared to the guilt they would have had to endure if something had gone wrong.

Whether it's in the form of bank note, or worse, the life of an unsuspecting worker, those who ignore height safety will have to pay out eventually. That's why it's important to invest in proper height safety gear, to save money and lives, as well as securing your company's reputation.

For more Health and Safety news and advice, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

23Mar2016

New Pallet Trucks & Floor Cranes from SafetyLiftinGear

robin products

We've just added some new products to our extensive selection of equipment, so we thought that we'd tell you a bit more about them in today's blog.

New Floor Cranes

In addition to the new pallet truck, we also have a new range of folding floor cranes, available in 0.5 tonne, 1 tonne, and 2 tonne options. These numbers denote their WLL, but keep in mind that the capacity reduces as the jib is extended. Each floor crane is lightweight and portable for your convenience, with folding legs for easy, compact storage, and the specifications for each one are as follows:

0.5 Tonne Crane

Max lift height (min jib extension) = 1800mm

Max lift height (max jib extension) = 2200mm

Lifting Capacity Range = 125kg - 0.5tonne

1 Tonne Crane

Max lift height (min jib extension) = 1860mm

Max lift height (max jib extension) = 2270mm

Lifting Capacity Range = 250kg - 1tonne

2 Tonne Crane

Max lift height (min jib extension) = 1880mm

Max lift height (max jib extension) = 2320mm

Lifting Capacity Range = 500kg - 2tonne

To see our full range of products, click here!

For news about our latest deals, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

10Feb2016

Browse Our Most Popular Electric Chain Hoists

robin products

At SafetyLiftinGear, we provide a selection of electric chain hoists, which are suited to a multitude of different lifting applications, and are ideal for lifting loads that are too heavy for a manual hoist. Whether you work in construction, the industrial sector, or any other profession which requires heavy lifting, you are sure to see the benefits of using our electric hoists. We also supply our hoists in a comprehensive range of WLLs and voltages, to ensure that you have the perfect fit for your job.

Here are a few of our most popular single phase electric hoists:

250kg Electric Hoist, 110 volt

This electric hoist is made by Duke, and is ideal for smaller loads, with a WLL of 250 kg. It also has a generous lift height of 3mtr to 40 mtr, at an impressive speed of 10 meters per minute. Like all of our chain hoists it is heavy duty but light, making it easy to transport and hard-wearing.

250kg Electric Hoist, 240 volt

For those who require an electric hoist with a higher voltage, we also supply this Duke 250kg hoist which operates at 240v. Like the 110 volt version, this hoist is ideal for a number of lifting applications and is very easy to maintain. Both come supplied with a chainbag, and 3 mtr pendant control with an emergency stop, making them extremely safe to use.

1tonne Electric Hoist, 110 volt

For larger loads, we also supply 1tonne electric chain hoists, which have a lifting speed of 2.5 meters per minute. While these hoists have a higher WLL, are just as compact and easy to transport as our 250kg models, making them incredibly versatile and practical.

1tonne Electric Hoist, 240 volt

As with our 250kg options, we also supply our 1tonne electric hoist in a 240 volt version, to suit the varied requirements of our customers and their working conditions. This hoist also comes with a standard 3 mtr pendant control, although we are able to supply a longer pendant upon request . Like all of our Duke electric hoists, this has an official enclosure rating of IP54, which provides protection from dirt and water ingress.

Before choosing from our range of electric hoists, be sure to select the correct voltage and weight load limit, in order to carry out your operation as safely and securely as possible. If you have any questions about our electric chain hoists, please get in touch, and we will do our very best to answer all of your queries.

05Jan2016

Improve Your Lifting Safety in 2016

robin health & safety

Lifting heavy equipment can be extremely dangerous. It is crucial that correct training and equipment is used to prevent accidents and fatalities in the workplace.

Last year it was reported that a 37 year old warehouse worker died in a tragic accident on his first shift as saw operator for a business in the Cardiff docks area.

There were no eye witnesses to the accident but it is believed that the worker may have been attempting to attach lifting chains around a girder unsupervised. Staff members found him pinned between two pieces, attempts were made to remove the girder but Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Although training was provided, there was no clear instruction about which method for moving or cutting the two tonne steel columns should be used. It came to light that the company did not have written guidance on how to lift the girders, leaving their employees to create their own ways.

The company was fined £112,000 and ordered to pay £98,000 in costs.

Accidents like these, whether they end in a fatality like the above case, or a worker ends up hurt are tragic, because they are so easily preventable.

As an employer it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are working in a safe environment by providing comprehensive training to all your employees and training them to use the right equipment and wear the correct PPE at all times.

Before engaging in any type of heavy lifting, you need to ensure that all of your equipment meets or exceeds the working load limit (WLL) of the load you are planning on lifting or moving.

Additionally you must also ensure that any lifting tasks are correctly planned, supervised and conducted in a safe manner, with people who are fully trained to use the equipment needed. You must also perform an inspection of all the lifting equipment that you will be using. Do not use equipment that is worn or damaged in any way.

Here at SafetyLiftinGear we stock a fully comprehensive range of top quality heavy lifting equipment, including a large range of beam clamps, chainblocks, leverhoists, electric hoists, wire rope hoists, round slings, chainslings and more. Click here to view our extensive lifting equipment range.

22Dec2015

Heathrow Decorate for Christmas With SLG Lifting Gear

robin general news

In the run up to Christmas, Heathrow Airport uploaded this lovely time-lapse video, which shows the step by step process of their Christmas vision coming to life! From hanging orbs to giant Christmas trees, this video reveals how the team behind these beautiful decorations put everything together, to create a wonderful display for the holiday season.

To view the video, click below:

Having watched the video, you will have noticed that this scale of Christmas decorating requires a lot more than your standard step ladder to put a plan into action! A large scale operation such as this requires a whole host of equipment to achieve the desired result, and we are proud to say that the lifting gear in this video was in fact, provided by our West London depot!

From the LoadSurfer material lift to pallet trucks and safety harnesses, SafetyLiftinGear supplied a range of items for the project, in order to help the team at Heathrow put their display together safely. It's great to be able to put our name to such an incredible project, and we are also very pleased to be able to share a more light-hearted safety gear story with you!

For more health and safety news and company updates, please follow us on Twitter.

Get in touch to learn more about our training courses!