Health and Safety

Ajax is pleased to announce we’re exhibiting at the Hillhead exhibition from the 21^st-23^rd June. The UK’s leading quarrying, construction and recycling exhibition will be taking place at a limestone quarry in Buxton. The three-day event will showcase the latest solutions and technologies in the quarrying and mining industries.

Safety in quarrying & mining industries is of the upmost importance and the Ajax team will be on hand to discuss the safety challenges your sector faces. The Ajax team will doing live demonstrations of our fail-safe solutions for hazardous working environments; including our mobile step units for tanker access, pallet gates and industrial access stairs with gantry.

Mike Godbert, Ajax Technical Manager commented “We’re extremely pleased to be exhibiting at the Hillhead exhibition this year and utilising this platform to showcase our tried and trusted access solutions from our product portfolio. Ajax continuously aims to provide quarrying and mining industries with the very best results in supporting safer working environments”

Visit stand J9 and talk to one of our Ajax technical advisors for more information on our custom-made access solutions and how it can improve your workplace environment.

If you’re interested in attending the Hillhead exhibition please email ajax@canalengineering.co.uk – we look forward to seeing you there!

Mezzanines help to maximise space and create extra capacity within a warehouse or factory facility. All companies with employees working on a mezzanine should be aware of all the relevant safety implications involved with working at height. It’s critical that employee safety is always protected and mezzanines are regularly checked for potential hazards.

According to research carried out by the HSE, falls from a height were the most common cause of fatal accidents in the UK in 2019/2020.

See our five tips for improving the safety standards on your mezzanine:

1. Mezzanines are by nature dark environments so careful consideration needs to be given to lighting the environment. You need to ensure the mezzanine is well lit to improve visibility as this will reduce the risk of trip hazards when working at height.
2. Ensure the warehouse is well organised to lower the chance of trips and falls. This is particularly important as stock starts to grow, the use of a mezzanine floor will provide extra capacity to store stock and keep the area free from hazards.
3. Employees should adhere to training procedures and should notify their employer if they feel there is any danger not being addressed when working at height. All employees should receive training to ensure they have solid knowledge of current regulations, risks and a thorough understanding of safety equipment.
4. As outlined in the Ajax whitepaper -working at height, risk assessments must be carried out by an employer. The Working At Height Regulations 2005 states that employers and self employed contractors must assess risks as well as organise and plan work so it is carried out safely.
5. Most importantly, install robust pallet gates. The HSE states that all companies should ensure their mezzanine floors have adequate protection to prevent workers from falling when loading and unloading pallet gates. If there is an opening on the mezzanine floor for pallets to be moved then the space should be effectively secured with appropriate gates. Pallet gates work in conjunction with a mezzanine floor by enabling an employee to safely load items from a height with no need to stand by an open edge. There have also been some instances with inferior or non-compliant ‘gates’ where these installations are dangerous to operate or are routinely left open and accidents waiting to happen! Safety pallet gates are required to allow for forklift access whilst separating personnel on the mezzanine from the platform edge and moving pallets. The Ajax pallet gates fully achieve this requirement.

The technical team at Ajax Safe Access have developed an extensive range of safe access solutions to improve productivity and support a safer working environment. For more information and to discuss safety access systems please call: 0115 986 6321 or email: ajax@canalengineering.co.uk

Ajax understands safety in the workplace is of the upmost importance and the construction of pallet gates provide the necessary all-round edge protection to prevent injury. Recently, our Technical Sales Manager Mike Godbert shared his technical expertise on standards and guidance on pallet gates in the workplace:

Our Ajax pallet gates are designed and fabricated here in Nottingham, we have been fabricating safe access pallet gates for around 30 years and have built a considerable archive of unique bespoke solutions for many blue chip retailers and manufacturers.  We also produce a range of standard sizes for a single and double pallet gate with a load height of 1800mm high.  These sizes are available in our very popular ‘Roll-Over’ design as well as the more traditional ‘Swing-Arm’ version.

Our Roll-Over pallet gate is the more popular option as it takes up less space when closed and is ideal if you are unloading from the top or vacuuming powders for example as you can leave the load in position whilst unloading whereas with the swing arm you have to remove the pallet from the load area.

Rollover Pallet Gate (pictured above)

 Swing Arm Pallet Gate  (pictured above)

Both design options offer compliant edge protection to all operators and workers as no matter if the gate is open or closed the operator is always protected from falls.

Our pallet gates are designed in line with the following standards :-

• BS EN 1991-11:2002 category (XII)
• BS EN 1993-1-1:2005
• BS EN 1990:2002
• BS EN ISO 14122-3 CLAUSE 8.2.1.2

Chains, rope, tape, hinged gates, stacked pallets etc. should never be used as an edge protection, and yes some companies do use these methods to ‘protect’ there workers.

If you have an existing space available where you require a pallet gate, all we need is the existing opening width and the position of any restrictions such as ceiling height or hanging service lines, or if you have a specific pallet/load size then confirmation of its dimensions and we can do the rest and advise on the gate that best suits your needs.  We supply our units in polyester powder coated mild steel as standard but can offer any colour if you have a specific need.  We also offer options in stainless steel grade 304 and 316 for the food and pharmaceutical industry as well as mesh or plate infills to guard against small items falling and steal floor plates.

Some minor assembly is required, the gate is delivered to site in 3-4 parts and all assembly fixings are supplied.  Assemble the unit and place in the required position at the floor edge as shown on our issued drawing.  The unit sides must be parallel and square before fixing the feet to the floor.   Floor fixings are not supplied due to the vast array of floor materials.

As we design and fabricate here in Nottingham, we can offer a bespoke design service if needed. To find out more email: ajax@canalengineering.co.uk for more information.

The HSE states that that quarrying is one of the most hazardous industries and working environments of all sectors. Over 3500 workers on these sites have suffered a reportable injury since 2000 with some of those being fatal. Working at height is also the single biggest cause of serious and fatal injury in the construction industry particularly on smaller sites. Accidents in quarry and mining settings are generally down to maintenance work, use of vehicles, fixed machinery and falls from height. Unfortunately, many of these incidents occur during the cleaning and adjustment of machinery whilst its running or during the setup of equipment.

The key legislation that applies to working in quarries include The Quarries Regulations 1999. This was designed to protect health and safety of employees and the self-employed at a quarry site, other regulations include The Work at Height Regulations 2005 as highlighted in the Ajax whitepaper.

Quarries need to be regularly inspected.  Managing working at height follows a hierarchy of control measures such as avoid, prevent and arrest.  The law requires that employers and self-employed contractors must assess working at height risk measures and applicable standards.  The Ajax whitepaper states those controlling working at height must produce a risk assessment and must take into account risk control measures.  These key issues include: risk assessment, precautions and method statements.

Ajax have a range of solutions for all rail and road tanker loading and platform access to support a safer working environment in hazardous working sites.  The unit is available in both pneumatic or manual hydraulic operation.  The bespoke units are available in a range of sizes to suit many height variations.  Ajax were also responsible for recently designing, manufacturing and installing a pneumatic step unit for a global producer and distributor of minerals in the UK . The client required a durable access system that was easy to operate and provided a safer working environment for the area.  The pneumatic step unit mark 3 was fitted with the latest Camozzi control system to access numerous height variations.  As part of the of the specification a 800mm wide treads and a bespoke safety cage were added to remove the risk of falls when loading and unloading at height.  The client was pleased with the outcome as it enabled employees to work both safely and efficiently at height in a hazardous area. All step units are manufactured and constructed to the highest quality for a long-lasting performance and to provide many years of maintenance free operation in harsh environments.

For more information on the Ajax Safety Access Systems and increasing the safety profile in quarry and mining please email ajax@canalengineering.co.uk for more information.

The pallet gate allows for the safe loading and unloading of pallets and stock at varying levels. For years, warehouses and storage facilities have been evolving and adapting to the various needs of their suppliers. Implementing new changes, floors, platforms and heights has meant that increased storage levels has also come with increased levels of potential injuries too.

In any workplace employees working at height must be risk assessed as highlighted in the recent Ajax whitepaper and control measures must be applied to ensure employee safety. The primary function of the pallet gate allows the safe loading and unloading of pallets and stock at various levels. The gates are designed to neatly fit on to a mezzanine platform and to act as a physical barrier to prevent workers falling during the unloading or loading process. The elimination of this fear in operators helps to improve efficiency and consequently improves employee productivity. Pallet gates are simple to operate, durable and provide the ultimate protection.

How else can pallet gates contribute to productivity?

• Each pallet gate is calibrated to encourage a positive opening and closing action, supported with a locking mechanism to hold position and prevent spring-back injuries. The gates are designed for easy manual operation and have a proven track record for being extremely reliable when handling and storing materials.
• All of the gates can be quickly installed with minimum disruption to the workflow as well as being maintenance free.
• Pallet gates are versatile and can be easily adapted for use in entrances, platforms, mezzanine floors as well as loading bays
• Incredibly reliable, durable and therefore leading to minimal repair work and costs
• The swing arm pallet gate is a well-established model with a robust construction. The gate has side barrier panels and a double-sided gate that pivots, allowing for easy access to one side at a time. Not only does the swing arm pallet gate increase the safety profile it also makes the gate easily accessible for a seamless operation.
• The more popular space saving roll-over pallet gate does exactly that, it takes up less than 800mm depth when not in use, therefore maximising available space

The technical team at Ajax have developed an extensive range of safe access solutions to improve productivity and support a safer working environment. For more information please email ajax@canalengineering.co.uk

 

Ajax exhibiting at the Safety & Health Expo 2020

Ajax is pleased to announce we’re exhibiting at the Safety and Health Expo from 8th-10th September at the ExCel centre in London. The UK’s leading global health and safety event will bring together over 13,000 health and safety professionals from across the construction, manufacturing, education and warehousing industries. The three-day event will showcase the latest solutions and technologies from companies leading the way into improving workplace safety and wellbeing.

Safety in the workplace is of the upmost importance and the Ajax team will be on hand to discuss the challenges your workplace faces. We’ll also be showcasing a range of access solutions and demonstrating first-hand our mobile step unit and pallet gate safety barriers.

Mike Godbert, Technical Manager at Ajax commented “We’re extremely pleased to be exhibiting at the Safety and Health expo this year and utilising this platform to showcase tried and trusted access solutions from our product portfolio. Ajax continuously aims to provide employers with the very best results in supporting safer working environments”

Visit stand SH3870 and talk to one of our Ajax technical advisors for more information on our custom-made access solutions and how it can improve your workplace environment.

If you’re interested in attending the Safety and Health Expo please email: ajax@canalengineering.co.uk We look forward to seeing you there!

Ajax were approached by a leading waste management company to provide a safe access system for their employees. The client needed an access system that enabled tanker access for inspection and loading; the system needed to be easy to operate, durable and addressed working at height safety concerns.

Ajax Solution

Ajax arranged a number of site visits to inspect and survey the location of the step unit and to fully understand the client needs. The Ajax technical advisor suggested a pneumatic step unit was the ideal solution for tanker access. To eliminate the risks of falls a bespoke safety cage was added on top as well as handrails from the top fixed step to the last moving step. The Ajax project management team provided full installation of the unit including access stair and gantry, staff training as well as offering full annual inspection and maintenance. The client was satisfied with the step unit as it enabled employees to gain access to delivery and collecting road tankers both safely and efficiently.

The Ajax project management team provided full installation of the unit including access stair and gantry,  staff training as well as offering full annual inspection and maintenance.

“I’m very happy with the project; it has increased our safety profile in area neglected in the design of the plant” Steward Buckingham – Operations Manager, FCC Environment

“The Ajax team delivered a successful installation that has improved safety at Lincoln EFW greatly but also operated safely themselves. They reacted well to the challenges that sprang up during the install and should be commended for that” Blair Ward – Graduate Management Trainee, FCC Environment

While many organisations carry out risk assessments, they are particularly important in construction operations. This sector is responsible for the highest number of fatal injuries to workers in the UK. 38 workers suffered a fatal injury in the UK construction sector 2017/18, accounting for 26% of the period’s 144 fatal workplace injuries.

Performing a risk assessment is an essential part of ensuring the safety of your workers and members of the public. Not only will it help to prevent injury or death, it allows you to demonstrate your duty of care and avoid expensive fines or litigation.

The HSE gives the five steps required to perform a risk assessment, which we have detailed below. For more in-depth information about risk assessments, visit the HSE’s website.

When performing your risk assessment, it’s important to understand the difference between a hazard and a risk.

• A hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer, etc.
• The risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be

Step 1: Identify the hazards

The first step is to walk around your workplace to think about and identify any potential hazards. When you work somewhere every day, you get used to procedures and may overlook certain dangers. It’s best to try to view the activities and processes in the workplace from a fresh perspective to accurately identify any associated hazards.

When you’re identifying hazards, you may want to:

• re-read manufacturers’ instructions for equipment and substances
• check back through your accident reports, near misses and sickness records
• consider non-routine activities such as cleaning and maintenance
• think about long-term hazards like exposure to loud noises or harmful substances
• ask workers to identify hazards that may not be obvious to you

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

For each hazard that you identify, you need to think about who might be harmed by it and how. This means addressing the ways in which different groups of people are at risk. This may include workers, visitors, contractors or members of the public.

Some tips to identify who is at risk include:

• Consider any workers that may have special requirements. This may be young workers, new or expectant mothers, or workers with disabilities
• Take into account people who are not present at all times, such as visitors, contractors or maintenance operatives
• Remember to account for members of the public if your activities could injure them
• If you share your workplace with other businesses, consider how your work affects them, and how their work may affect you

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Once you have identified a hazard, you must then determine how likely it is to cause harm. It is not possible to completely eliminate all risks, but you must make sure that you are aware of the main risks and how to manage them responsibly.

You are not expected to anticipate unforeseeable risks, and your actions to control risk should be ‘reasonably practicable’. You do not need to take action if the cost, time or effort would be grossly disproportionate to the level of risk.

When you identify a hazard, ask:

• Can I eliminate the risk altogether?
• If now, how can I control the risk so that harm is unlikely?

Practical precautions include:

• Trying a less risky method
• Preventing or limiting access to the hazard
• Issuing personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Providing first aid facilities
• Providing additional training

Step 4: Record your significant findings

Now that you’ve determined how to reduce the risks in your workplace, the law requires you to record your findings. If you have fewer than five employees you don’t have to do this, but it is still useful for your own records.

Recording your findings and how you plan to minimise risk will help you to review your procedures and can show that you are acting responsibly as an employer should an incident occur.  The HSE has a useful risk assessment template on their website.

Your risk assessment should show that you:

• performed a proper check
• determined who might be affected
• took this into account and dealt with the obvious significant hazards
• put reasonable precautions in place
• ensured that the remaining risk is low
• involved employees or their representatives in the process

Step 5: Review your assessment and update if necessary

You must make sure to regularly review and update your risk assessment. New equipment, procedures or members of staff may create additional hazards that you need to address.

Try to update your risk assessment on a regular schedule. If possible, reevaluate it each time there is a change in the workplace.

Whenever you review your risk assessment, ask:

• Have there been any significant changes?
• Are there any outstanding improvements that you still need to make?
• Have your workers identified any additional hazards?
• What have you learned from any accidents or near misses?

Ajax Safe Access

Ajax Safe Access design, manufacture and install bespoke safety equipment to reduce hazards in workplaces throughout the UK.

If you identify a hazard that involves working from height, get in touch with us to see how we can help to minimise the risk.

Working at height is the biggest danger for workers in the construction industry, according to an in-depth report by the Building Safety Group (BSG).

The report combined the results of 20,000 site safety inspections in 2016, during which the BSG logged 24,634 non-compliances. They found that working at height was by far the most significant hazard, accounting for 19% of all safety breeches.

Many of these instances can easily be prevented with proper planning, training and procedures.

Take a look at these dos and don’ts of working at height.

Do…

Carry out as much work as possible on the ground

The easiest way to avoid falls from height is to not work at height in the first place. For some tasks it will be completely unavoidable to carry out all work from the ground, but you should plan projects to ensure that as little time as possible is spent at height.

Do…

Ensure a clear, safe route for workers

Getting to and from the area where they will be working from height can be risky for workers. Keep all access routes clear and make use of guardrails to improve safety on the way to and from the job.

Do…

Check that all equipment is suitable for the job

Always use the right equipment for the job and ensure that workers are properly trained in its correct use. Make sure that all equipment is regularly maintained and checked before use.

Do…

Take precautions on or around fragile surfaces

Fragile roof lights are one of the most common causes of falls from height in construction. Before commencing with any work at height, a risk assessment should be carried out, identifying fragile surfaces and ensuring that workers are made aware of them or told to avoid them completely.

Do…

Provide protection from falling objects

Workers on the ground can also be injured when others are working at height. Make sure that all workers are supplied with the correct PPE, which may include HiVis clothing and hardhats. Chutes should be used to dispose of waste materials from height rather than allowing them to drop below.

Do…

Plan for emergencies

Make sure that emergency evacuation and rescue procedures are in place and that they workers are fully trained in what to do should an incident occur.

Don’t…

Use ladders for lengthy or heavy-duty tasks

Ladders are not designed for lengthy tasks, nor can they bear as much weight as other solutions such as scaffolding. Consider the equipment that workers will be using and the materials that they need to transport before starting the task and ensure that ladders are not overloaded. Ladders should not be used for more than 30 minutes at a time.

Don’t…

Overreach

When working on a ladder or step ladder, make sure not to reach out too far. Doing so may cause you to lose your balance or push the ladder out from underneath your feet. Always move the ladder to an appropriate position to allow easy access without reaching or straining. Make sure not to overreach when working at height, even with edge protection.

Don’t…

Rest a ladder against a weak surface

Where you place the top edge of the ladder can make it either sturdy or unsafe. Never lean ladders against windows, gutters, or any other fragile surface that could shift, break or slide under pressure.

Don’t…

Use workers who are not competent to work at height

Workers who do not have the skills or experience to work at height must never do so unless under proper supervision. During the planning stage, only those who have proven competence in working at height should be selected to do so. If there are any doubts, it is better to err on the side of caution, as an incompetent worker puts others at risk as well as themselves.

Working safely at height with Ajax Safe Access

Ajax Safe Access are dedicated to ensuring the safety of those working at height.

We provide bespoke safety and access solutions to keep workers safe, no matter what industry you work in. Contact us to find out more about what we can offer.

Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of major injuries and fatalities in the workplace. A common cause is falls from ladders and through weak roofs, and these falls are often preventable with the correct procedures and safety equipment. Take a look at this guide to working at height for some important safety tips.

What is working at height?

Working at height means working in any conditions where, without proper precautions, a person could fall a distance that could result in personal injury.

This includes working:

• on a ladder or flat roof;
• where you may fall through a fragile surface;
• where you may fall into an opening in the ground or floor.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) have been created to prevent death and injury from a fall from height. It is essential that any company or employee that is involved in working at height is aware of these regulations and that the proper safety precautions are carried out at all times.

The WAHR suggest analysing each step of the procedure to consider what is practical, and to identify how you can avoid, prevent or minimise the risk of falls from height.

Avoid

Avoid working at height unless absolutely necessary. Try to find alternative ways to do the work and carry out as much of the procedure as you can from the ground.

Prevent

Where working at height is unavoidable, it is essential to plan properly and put measures in place to prevent a fall. This includes using suitable protection such as guardrails and safety harnesses, ensuring that that all workers are competent to work at height, and taking working conditions such as weather and and location into account.

Minimise

If you cannot completely eliminate the risk of a fall, implement procedures to minimise the consequences should a fall occur. This includes using appropriate equipment and reduce the distance of a potential fall.

Plan the project to minimise the risk of falls from height

Anticipate risks

The project should be well planned to ensure that risks are anticipated and that suitable prevention methods are put in place. Where possible, risks should be designed out during the planning stage. This may include providing protection from falling objects, organising the workforce to minimise the number of people that are working at height, or undertaking as much of the work as possible from the ground.

Weather

When planning work at height, it’s important to consider the current and forecast weather conditions This will help you to prepare for weather that may adversely affect footing or workers’ health, such as high winds, rain, frost or extreme heat.

Project duration

The duration of the work should be considered and procedures for working at height should be amended to cater for long-term projects. For example, a more expensive, semi-permanent structure may be created to better facilitate access to and from the work area. While this may not be cost-effective for a shorter project, extended works will require more frequent access to and from the work site, which poses a greater fall risk.

Emergency plans

Make sure to plan your evacuation and rescue procedures in the event of an emergency. Anticipate foreseeable dangers and make sure that all workers fully understand the emergency procedures. The emergency services should be a last point of call and you should not rely on them as your only source of rescue.

Minimise the risk of falls while working at height

Structural integrity

You should inspect the structural integrity of the building and assess each work area every time, as conditions may change. It’s not safe to assume that an area that was safe the previous day is still safe today. Areas that are likely to be fragile and require additional precautions include roof lights, glass, corroded metal, slates and tiles.

Equipment

All equipment should be suitable for the job, and well maintained. Equipment should be regularly inspected and any defects reported immediately. Workers must be provided with adequate tools and equipment to ensure that they are not overloading or overreaching when working at height.

Worker competence

You should only permit workers who are competent working at height to do so. This includes having sufficient skills, knowledge and experience to perform the task. In the case of trainees, this means being supervised by a competent worker.

Collective protection

Collective protection should be favoured over personal protection. This means that measures that protect all workers (such as guardrails) are prioritised over measures that protect a single individual (such as a safety harness). While you should not overlook personal protection, precautions that keep the entire workforce safe are safer.

Employee expectations

Employees must use the equipment and safety devices provided to them safely and correctly while working at height. They must also report any identified hazards to their employer, and may wish to propose solutions to manage these risks.

Additional information for working safely at height

The Health and Safety Executive’s website has a section dedicated to working safely at height. Take a look and make sure you are following all necessary procedures.

Safe access solutions from Ajax

Ajax offer bespoke safe access solutions for many industries and practical applications. Our range includes everything from folding stairs and guardrails to pallet gates and bridging platforms. Whatever your requirements, get in touch with us today to ensure that your workers stay safe at all times while working at height.