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SFS Fall Protection Network to raise the bar on worker safety 

   

 

James Gooder, SFS’s Business Unit Manager Fall Protection

 

Despite the huge progress which has been made in health and safety standards and practice across the UK construction industry over recent decades, falls from height continue to pose the biggest risk in terms of injury or worse.

 

According to HSE figures, falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK, with 29 deaths recorded in 2021-22, while the 35,000 non-fatal falls contributed significantly to a total of 3.9 million workdays lost overall due to accidents. 

 

The ongoing risk has prompted SFS, one of the largest manufacturers of safety equipment, to launch a new initiative intended to maximise the protection of contractors.

The SFS Fall Protection Installer Network has been created to provide a platform dedicated to advancing competency and awareness for companies and their individual operatives.  Full details can be found on the SFS website here: SFS Installer Network | SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd

James Gooder, SFS’s Business Unit Manager Fall Protection, commented:

“Through the launch of the Installer Network, we are opening doors to a future-focused environment which supports installers not just in their ongoing work, but in their continuing development as responsible practitioners.  By working closely with trusted third-party partners, we will ensure the delivery of independent training that is adaptable to different levels of skill, knowledge and experience. As an innovative manufacturer, SFS is committed to driving positive change by raising the bar of excellence’ our key aim is to empower each member of the network to deliver exceptional outcomes and drive behavioural change across the fall protection industry.”

As well as continued access to free-of-charge SFS fall protection systems training, membership of the Fall Protection Installer Network offers increased on-site technical and logistical support, and the opportunity to help shape the direction of future product development through the SFS Collaboration Lab.  Members will further be able to promote their businesses by using the Installer Network’s logo and the publication of dual-branded case studies, while receiving quality business leads via the SFS specification pipeline.

For any businesses wanting to learn more about the Fall Protection Installer Network, SFS has produced a comprehensive and well-illustrated brochure giving full details of the scheme, the issues involved, and the remedies.

CLICK HERE to download the brochure from the website Installer Network – Brochure – Digital.pdf (sfs.com)

 

For further information, call 0330 0555888

 

CLICK HERE to visit the SFS Website

 

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Stay on guard with Kee Walk

Kee Safety, a global supplier of fall protection equipment and safety railing systems, has expanded its range of safe access solutions for roof top walkways and stepovers with the introduction of Kee Walk® with Guardrail. A cost effective and modular approach to guardrail protection, this system provides roofers, contractors and maintenance teams with a clear demarcation route to eliminate potential fall hazards.

Designed to provide a level, anti-slip walking surface on standing seam, composite panels and metal roofing, Kee Walk® with Guardrail can be easily adapted to a wide range of roof surfaces, slopes, steps, traverses and pitches up to 35⁰. Thanks to its modular design, the system can be quickly and easily set up and mounted to the roof, with no need for any on site assembly, bespoke brackets or fabrication. The guardrail – which is built from 48.3mm tubes and Kee Klamp® corrosion resistant fittings – is fixed directly to one or both sides of the walkway subframe, restricting the need for too many fixings into the roof, therefore reducing the possibility of roof leaks in the future. The walkway is available as standard in nylon or aluminium trends and supplied in pre-assembled 1.5m or 3m sections to suit the requirements of different roofs.

“A walkway with a guardrail is the preferred fall protection system as dictated in the hierarchy of control measures” comments Ben Rutter, Kee Safety Product Manager – Safe Access and NPD. “It provides the highest level of collective fall prevention for roof access and work at height. We have introduced this new walkway system to provide our customers with a collective solution that eliminates the need for personal protection equipment (PPE) or harnesses, allows multiple people to use the system at the same time, and is suited to retrofit and new build projects.”

Kee Walk® with Guardrail is CE approved and compliant with EN 516:2006 (Prefabricated Accessories for Roofing – Installations for roof access – Walkways, treads and steps). It exceeds the deflection criteria and slip resistance requirements of this standard and achieves almost double the friction requirement of BS 4592 in both wet and dry conditions, providing assurance that the treads are safe to walk on in all weather conditions. Thanks to reinforced nylon treads that are fire rated to Class HB of UL94, this roof top walkway system will have the same, if not better, fire rating than the roof itself. The guardrail complies to BS EN 14122-3, BS EN 13374 and OSHA requirements to provide customers staff and contractors with the best possible protection.

Kee Walk® with Guardrail can be used in conjunction with Kee Safety stepover platforms to provide safe access across roof mounted pipework, low level walls and other plant equipment.

Boasting almost 85 years in business, Kee Safety has the knowledge, technical excellence and awareness of regulation requirements to be able to market some of the best safety products in the industry. Despite having a large product offering already in place, Kee Safety continues to launch new solutions — Kee Walk® with Guardrail is Kee Safety’s 14th product launch in the last ten years.

For more information, visit www.keesafety.co.uk
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