Supply U.K. Access Services
Supply UK Access is committed to a continuous programme of development to ensure that all our products meet the ever changing needs of the industry we work in.
We pride ourselves in working closely with all of our customers to develop safe and cost-effective solutions to their access needs.
- Professional and technical advice on issues relating to working at height
- High quality products from top quality manufacturers
- High standard of maintenance on all equipment we Hire & Erect
- Fast, prompt and professional response from the “Supply UK Access” team
- Hire of personnel lifts, podium step platforms, GRP zone and glass fibre towers
- Training courses to IPAF and PASMA standards.
- Product recognition & competence courses.
- All erected tower scaffold ‘ ScaffTagged’ and certified for safe use.
Above examples are erected by our fully trained and qualified staff, all works are carried out to the highest standards and conform to both the ‘Working at height’ Regulations and ‘PASMA’ Standards.
A full on site facility is available for larger sites which have a large requirement for multiple Tower Scaffolds ( see case study ) this enables on site contractors the piece of mind that there access requirements are managed closely and health and safety is always a top priority.
Our stock and order system manages the on site equipment, providing accurate ‘Live Hire Reports’ stock movements and key health and safety documentation.
Beta Guard Tower
Offering the Beta Tower System enhances best practice to your sub contractors across your project will have many benefits.
The health & safety benefits are huge using our new system; accidents will be reduced if not eradicated completely through the use of this product.
The new system is a (brace-less Alloy tower system) which removes many of the manual handling problems associated with current systems using the 3T method for erecting and dismantling. It also offers collective protection (built in guard rail system) which raises health safety level to best practice as confirmed by the HSE. A user friendly system which can be erected in half the time . (See image to right)
Due to its unique advanced Guardrail system the tower can be erected or dismantled without exposing operatives to a fall from height. Given the plethora of solutions available, and the myriad benefits and drawbacks presented by each, a number of companies had decided to conduct a review of use and supply of mobile scaffold towers, in relation to internal work at height up to 4.5 metres. This is primarily between the ceiling grid and the underside of the floor, above where the vast majority of mechanical-pipe and electrical-cable installation are undertaken. One business in particular is Bovis Lend Lease Media City Manchester a £400m development. The following study was based mainly on the project report;
Across the Construction Industry falls from height is still the single greatest cause of fatal accidents and serious injury. Since the Working at Height Regulations were introduced, technical advances and new equipment have opened up a variety of solutions to the hazards of working at height.
Media City UK was keen to identify and adopt solutions that had historically proved difficult to manage within our industry, at the commencement of the project. Whilst developing the Project Fall Prevention Strategy Media City Uk Project team were keen to look again at the use of mobile scaffold towers during the course of the construction Phase and to ensure that we kept pushing the boundaries to ensure that we dealt with these age old problems.
Typical issues experienced and problem areas with the use of aluminium towers would include:
- Transportation and handling . With a conventional tower the high numbers of component parts, in often restricted areas or with areas of restricted access made getting the towers to the workface in the first instance difficult.
Benefits of the Beta Guard tower The Beta guard tower simplifies tower erection by eliminating the need for both horizontal and diagonal braces, thus reducing the main components to a total of three. - Safe Storage lay down
Component parts themselves would then become a hazard due to poor storage arrangements for them or lack of care by the workforce.
Benefits of the Beta Guard tower Utilization and asset management is achieved with ease as individual single bracing members more susceptible to loss, damage and theft are replaced by the towers unique design. When not in use again the reduction of the main components to a total of three helps mitigate poor storage arrangements and lack of care by the workforce
Benefits of the Beta Guard tower - Lower margin of error
The beta guard tower equipment requires users to make fewer potentially poor behavioural choices inevitably reducing the potential for injury and incident, as well as breaches of safe operating procedures. Accident investigation and routine inspection reports have, for many years, shown that mobile aluminium scaffold towers are often used with bracing missing, guardrails not in place, hatches not closed properly etc. In the case of the beta guard tower system the reduction of component parts and not having to rely on operatives installing cross bracing and lateral bracing is a significant benefit. Other benefits of the Beta Guard include its ability to be erected or dismantled in a speedy fashion. Typically large towers can be erected or dismantled in less than five minutes. Structural safety is also improved with the bracing integrated into the Beta Guard frame. The Beta Guard scaffold tower allows operatives leading edge protection throughout the assembly and dismantling process with its unique advanced guardrail system.
Conclusion
The Clear outcome of the research carried out into the beta guard is as follows
The unique advanced guard rail system affording collective protection throughout gives the employer and the employee protections and compliance from and with work at height regulations.
The Beta Guard System can be erected or dismantled in a timely fashion. Typically large towers can be erected or dismantled in less than 5 minutes compared to 20 minutes on a conventional tower.
Structural safety is improved with the bracing integrated into the Beta Guard frame.
The Beta Guard System are most cost-effective than conventional mobile aluminium scaffolds, because the more component parts an item has, the less likely it was for them all to be returned at the end of the hire period, thus incurring additional costs.
The Beta Guard towers were the preferred option of the workforce. Both directly employed and members of the supply chain, gave feedback. The view expressed by the overwhelming majority who worked with the new tower was their preferred option over any other type of mobile aluminium tower scaffolds given how easy it is to build and dismantle move store and handle along with the unique advanced guard rail system affording them collective protection throughout.
Additonally, the advanced guard rail is walk through frame, allowing safe and egress through the tower at ground level, effectively removing the problem associated with conventional tower where access will be blocked.
Working with Supply UK we had ideal conditions, all towers were brand-new equipment without any defects, and with the onsite Hire Shop all work equipment was efficiently delivered to a location on site and collected. Along with technical and training support from Supply UK offering business benefits to the organisation and, ultimately to the client was achieved.
“Our adoption of the Beta Guard Tower System and reviewing our practices for work at height has we believe, had a positive impact on the number of work-at-height incidents and has helped to achieve our overriding aim of sending everybody home safely everyday”.
Joe Fitzpatrick, Bovis Lend Lease, Media City ,Manchester