Head for Heights
Published: 06 October, 2011
Working at height is almost inevitable if a shopping centre is to be kept safe and clean. So how can managers fulfil their responsibility to keep both workers and shoppers safe?
More than anything, working safely at height is a matter of planning the task correctly, and then choosing the right tools for the job. And with the access industry constantly bringing new equipment to the market it pays to keep up-to-date with the latest solutions. Typical of the challenges thrown up by the largest shopping centres was a task at Meadowhall earlier this year. The Meadowhall Interchange Footbridge – which runs from the Meadowhall transport interchange directly into the Meadowhall shopping centre – needed repainting. At 80m it’s hardly the Forth Bridge, but because it spans a river and a three lane road it needed specialist equipment so the painting contractor Bagnalls turned to AFI-Uplift powered access machines to carry out the work because they offer industry-leading outreaches.
The Upright SB85J and Genie S125 straight booms hired from AFI have outreaches of 23.40m and 24.40m respectively, and working heights of 28.00m and 40.10m. AFI also supplied a JLG 450AJ articulating boom, which has a working height of 15.72m.
Bagnalls branch manager Richard Britten says: “It was important that the painting work was completed quickly to minimise any disruption at Meadowhall. By using the AFI machines our contractors were able to complete the contract in just over three weeks.”
“The machines gave us the required outreach to span the River Don from each side and they provided sufficient working height to access the footbridge’s tower and suspension lines safely,” he adds.
And Teupen, the German manufacturer, is still pushing the envelope for tracked spider lifts with its Leo Spiderlifts range after 25 years of innovation.
For example, the new Leo 23GT benefits from improvements to power distribution, electronic systems and component layout designed to enhance fuel efficiency, speed and productivity, smoothness of handling and durability.
Other modifications are aimed at reducing machine wear and tear and improving stowed ‘shape’ for transit. The upper boom fits on an improved, fully positive support for better protection during transit. The upper boom pedestal has been slightly repositioned, providing more secure, compact stowage. Boom cables and hoses have also been rerouted to gain maximum protection within the machine superstructure and minimise potential snag points.
Steve Hadfield, managing director of Ranger Equipment, Teupen’s exclusive UK and Ireland distributor, said: “Teupen innovation is customer-driven. The current updates are about engineering ‘wished-for’ features and refinements into each model so that hirers and users can achieve greater efficiency and profitability.
“Powered access users are becoming more sophisticated and more demanding, and user populations are growing in more and more sectors,” explains Hadfield. “Current spider lift design is being shaped by the desire to do more from one chassis position, and to improve the speed, ease and flexibility of moving between positions when it becomes necessary.”
Illustrating the machine’s versatility in the most difficult environments, Forrester Access used its new Leo 23 to carry out a steam clean of the North Aisle roof to the 7th century Pershore Abbey. Director Rob Forrester says: “The telescoping plus articulating boom design, basket rotation and hydraulic track adjustment allowed us to negotiate difficult sloping ground and tombstones, and get the reach and fine positioning needed close to the roof.” And he adds: “We were able to carry out the whole contract without having to erect scaffolding, bringing the job within the client’s budget.
Danish suppliers are also bringing new solutions to the market, and Urban Access, UK partner of Skako Lift of Denmark, has delivered the UK’s first FS320Z, articulated Falcon Spiderlift to Higher Access, the Bury-based access hire company.
The New FS320Z model boasts a 32m working height while providing an impressive industry leading horizontal outreach of 16m between the 10 to 23m range of working heights.
Higher Access decided to invest in the New FS320Z after months of product trials, refinement and feedback with the supplier.
Inspect and survive
But some places no machine can reach, and then there is no alternative but to send an operative up high to work on a roof or gantry. This presents health & safety challenges that cannot be ignored. Those responsible for shopping centres and retail parks have a legal obligation to ensure that work equipment is safe to use at all times, and this means a rigorous inspection regime is crucial.
According to Graham Willmott, marketing director of Safesite, this is essential when it comes to fall protection equipment as faulty equipment could quite easily result in serious injury or even death.
So what are managers’ duties when sending people to work on roofs?
Willmott says installing a fall protection system only goes part of the way to ensuring work at height is carried out safely. Once equipment has been installed it must be properly maintained and examined at least once a year and if companies do not comply with these, they can be held responsible should an accident occur, particularly if the equipment is found to be faulty or uncertified.
When arranging for equipment to be examined and recertified, it is vital that the person doing the work has adequate knowledge of the equipment and is competent to assess the risks. “All too often we come across equipment which is clearly unsafe to use but has been passed by those who are not fully competent to carry out the inspections,” says Willmott.
Fall Protection Systems are a particular area of concern. These may be guardrails, lifelines, anchorage points, bespoke steelwork or ladders. Whatever the system, it was installed to specific standards and to protect particular areas.
However brackets on a lifeline system can become loose, be fitted incorrectly or the system’s shock absorber be deployed. Guardrails are often removed by third parties while installing new equipment or have additional equipment attached to it. These systems must be recertified in order to ensure they are safe as a fault can have a serious impact on the system’s performance.
In some cases Personal Protection Equipment is required for use with fall protection. “If PPE has been deployed, shows signs of wear and tear, UV degradation or is out of date, it must be withdrawn from use immediately,” says Willmott. “And where more than one piece of PPE is being used, it is essential that the different items are compatible. If a combination of PPE is being used, the person selecting that combination is seen as the ‘manufacturer’ and so becomes the responsible person,” he points out.
Competency can be demonstrated by certification as well as experience. In the case of a company, they should be affiliated to a recognised industry representative group so that they are updated regularly on changes to legislation and standards.
Many companies undergo inspections by their insurers as part of their indemnity, employer and premises insurance. These companies might believe that these inspections validate risk assessments, operating method statements and equipment inspections, but the reality is that they simply evaluate the financial risk of a potential claim. The British Safety Industry Federation now believes those who believe that their systems have been competently inspected by their insurers could be in difficulty when trying to defend themselves should an HSE inspection take place.
“Inspection and recertification of a fall protection system is much more than merely ticking a box and issuing a certificate,” Willmott concludes. “If an accident occurs and it is found that the equipment is faulty then you can be held accountable so it is crucial to ensure equipment is inspected at least annually by a competent person. And remember, if in doubt – ask the experts.”
As an example of the proactive approach to fall protection systems, property management company Mainstay has committed to an ongoing testing and inspection programme with a single specialist provider; Eurosafe Solutions.
Eurosafe Solutions now takes care of the testing and inspection programme for the majority of Mainstay’s property portfolio, ensuring that each building receives an annual physical inspection of its fall protection systems to meet with Work at Heights and CDM regulations.
Kevin Boreham, Mainstay’s head of health, safety and compliance, says: “We take our responsibilities regarding work at heights very seriously and it was important that we could ensure that contractors are provided with adequate protection when carrying out maintenance works to the exterior of buildings.”
Under the Mainstay contract, cable-based fall protection systems are tested every 12 months, as is PPE associated with work at heights and eyebolts on roofs. In addition, abseil anchors are tested every six months, to meet the requirements of Work at Height legislation
John Boyle, director of Eurosafe Solutions, explains: “For property management companies, such as Mainstay, we provide peace of mind to ensure their fall protection systems are being regularly reviewed to provide maximum protection to workers. We have robust systems in place to ensure that all buildings within the portfolio are tested and inspected well in time of their due date and we can also provide training for contractors and staff in the correct use of these systems and PPE, if required.”
Fall protection
One new product that is changing the face of fall protection is the ZT Safety Harness from ZT Safety Systems. The harness can be worn as a fall restraint or fall safety harness and significantly there are no groin straps, so it’s very comfortable to wear and importantly avoids the damage that groin straps can cause in the event of a fall.
It has no loose straps or lanyards, so there is no risk of catching these on door handles or wing mirrors whilst entering or exiting a vehicle. There is no ‘D’ ring so it’s also comfortable to wear while driving. Restraint or shock absorbing lanyards can be connected easily to the harnesses front point attachment. Between work at height tasks and during breaks the lanyard can be removed and stowed, without the need to remove the harness or change.
The design of the ZT Safety harness eliminates the use of groin straps and instead uses a system that works with the body to distribute and absorb the forces experienced in the event of a fall. The harness combines an integrated harness and lanyard with performance work-wear trousers or overalls. It employs a patented leg gaiter system with lanyard and front point attachment.
The product has gone through rigorous testing here in the UK with the independent testing centre at Millbrook – famously used for the crash testing of cars – performing a series of drops on weighted dummies to measure the forces applied to the body. The results of the ZT Harness were compared with a typical groin strapped harness.
The impact forces recorded during testing showed reduced trauma impact by up to 40 per cent. And the potential for whip-lash was also reduced by 200 per cent
