News

ZT launch the New ZT Flame Retardant Coverall

The ZT FR Coverall is worn in the same manner as a normal coverall however the harness itself is fully protected from chemicals and toxic by the FR coverall, rather than a traditional harness that is worn outside the garment. It comes in a selection of colours and can also be made with specifications such as GO/RT and Hi Vis.
All ZT FR Coverall harnesses conform to the following EN531, EN ISO 11612:2008, and EN1149-5:2008.

Combining the strength of Kevlar with the comfort and durability of pyrovatex, the FR Harness is the fall arrest harness for offshore, Rail and steel workers looking for the kit to allow them to complete their work comfortably and in the knowledge that they are fully protected.

For more info or to arrange a visit please email gill@ztsafetysystems.com

Farringdon Crossrail company adopts the ZT Safety Harness

Farringdon Crossrail has taken another giant leap towards supporting their vision for achieving the highest standards in Health and Safety by introducing the new IAPA award winning ZT Safety Harness to their workforce and sub contractors.

Connecting East and West London the Crossrail programme will be the largest addition to the south east rail network in 50 years, with the main construction works to be complete in 2017. Health and safety management is critical to the success of the programme as it aspires to build Crossrail in a way that achieves exemplary levels of Health, Safety and Environmental performance.

ZT Safety Systems were introduced to the rail companies working on the Crossrail Programme by Bruce Lever, of Facelift's rail division. He has been an advocate of the ZT Safety Harness since it was adopted as best practice by the leading power access companies, Facelift, Niftylift and Ascendant Access.
The key features that appealed to the client were the harness usability, comfort due to having no groin straps and the reduction of risk from Suspension trauma compared with a standard 5 point harness.

The basic ZT Harness concept centre’s on the harness supporting the chest area/torso in the usual way, but rather than grabbing the groin, it grabs the calf muscles, via sliding straps and self tightening cuffs. This pulls the falling person into the foetal position which provides a shock absorbing effect as well as supporting the person in a comfortable manner that does not induce suspension trauma.

VBB, the specialist mechanical & electrical contractors working on the Farringdon Crossrail project have adopted the ZT Flame Retardant Coverall harness as part of their ZERO HARM Campaign and H&S objectives for 2012. The ZT FR/GORT Coverall harness is the only one on the market developed specifically for the rail industry (GO/RT) that conforms to FR standards EN531, EN ISO 11612:2008, EN1149-5:200.

VVB’s William Cotter stated “he was really impressed with the harness and would like to see the ZT adopted as best practice with all the companies working on the Crossrail project”

IPAF MEWP harness inspection training was delivered to the workforce by Facelift Training senior instructor Eddie Reast in conjunction with ZT Safety Systems ‘Steve Morris’ and Paddy Orrell on site at Crossrail's Farringdon location in central London.

For further information please visit www.ztsafetysystems.com

Benefits of the ZT Safety Harness demonstrated to London Underground

We recently introduced the ZT Safety Harness to a number of maintenance companies working with London Underground. The Harness features and benefits were presented to operative teams, together with a video screening and live demonstration of the harness.

The live demonstration was particularly well received, as it was then easy to see how practical and comfortable the harness was to wear and how it performed in the event of a fall.

The ZT harness can be used in many situations when working at height. The operatives have many uses for the harness system from fixing guttering on station roofs to working within the inverts on a station platform.

As the rail industry tries at all times to adopt best safety practice using Facelift’s Rail Division and the ZT Harness, it proves to be a real benefit to their operatives and surveyors who are called to react at short notice for the rails emergency and planned maintenance needs.

The pictures shows Steve Morris and Paddy Orrell of ZT Safety Systems during an evening presentation on site to one of our clients who are promoting the use of our harness.

For further information or to book a presentation please contact gill@ztsafetysystems.com

ZT to exhibit at IOSH 2012

ZT Safety Systems are attending a number of 'work at height' related Health and Safety shows this year. The first of which is the IOSH show at Manchester Central on 6th and 7th March 2012. The IOSH exhibition offers you the chance to meet with leading companies showcasing their latest innovations and get advice and guidance on best practice and compliance. The exhibition is packed with a variety of free seminars led by keynote speakers, designed to provide you with topical contact that will enable you to keep up to date with developments in the industry.
Please feel free to visit us on Stand A23 where you are welcome to try out the ZT Safety Harness, the latest technology in Safety Harnesses.

If you require further info on the IOSH or would like to arrange a demonstration in your workplace, please do not hesitate to contact us at gill@ztsafetysystems.com or call 0844 573 4899.

Roofer fined for wearing no safety equipment

A roofer who was photographed by a health and safety inspector working with nothing to stop him falling has been fined.

Ross Singleton and two employees were caught working in an unsafe manner on the roof of a hairdressing shop in Colne, Lancashire, by a Health and Safety Executive employee.

The inspector issued a Prohibition Notice, which meant the men had to stop work immediately and get off the roof. They complied but later went back to work on the Skipton Road shop, still with no safety equipment to prevent them falling.

Mr Singleton, who trades as Ross's Roofing, also put other people at risk as anything falling from the roof could have injured someone shopping below, Burnley Magistrates' Court was told on 12 January.

The roofer, of Dickson Street in Colne, has been fined £350 after admitting breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He agreed he ignored the Prohibition Notice and put staff at risk by not making sure they could not be hurt in a fall.

Mr Singleton was also ordered to pay £300 in prosecution costs.

Design your own like Wilmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon has turned its hand to fashion designing to improve the workwear worn by its employees.

Above: Fashion advisers from Willmott DixonAll of Willmott Dixon’s tradespeople wear the same industry standard combat trousers throughout the year but found that slight flaws in the design were making their jobs increasingly difficult to carry out.

This included a lack of flexibility in the fabric, material that was too hot to wear during summer, hammer loop on the wrong side for right handers and a mobile phone pocket that could no longer fit today’s models.

The contractor’s repairs and maintenance division, Willmott Dixon Partnerships, teamed up with workwear supplier Blackrock to develop a new style of trousers for tradesmen after its employees identified opportunities for improvement.

Members of Willmott Dixon’s Quality Circle collected feedback and worked with Blackrock and the company’s manufacturer to produce a new design incorporating suggestions from the workforce.

This resulted in a new design of trousers constructed from a lighter durable fabric, with an elasticated waistband, different pockets, hammer loop on the right and compartment for larger mobile phones and BlackBerrys.

The new style of trousers had the added benefit of being cheaper. They will now be released on general sale across the UK.

Colin Thomason of Blackrock said: “When we took a phone call asking us if we did right handed trousers we thought it was a joke. A trip to the Willmott Dixon forum made it clear that it wasn’t, and the reason for the question was that the majority of tool pockets were on the wrong side for access with your right hand. During our time with the Wilmott Dixon team we learnt a lot more about what their workforce require, and the resulting product is a win on both performance and price”.

Willmott Dixon head of health and safety Steve Leighton added: “All of our tradespeople wear the same uniform and on the whole are happy to do so. However, we were receiving feedback from members of the workforce that they were experiencing some problems with the standard issue trousers. Initially it was just the rivets coming off the front, but then there turned out to be other issues which were stopping them from doing their jobs comfortably.”

Word from ZT Safety Systems:
Please note if anyone has the same problems as Wilmott Dixon above we at ZT are able to retro fit the award winning ZT Safety harness into your own trousers.
Please email us at gill@ztsafetysystems.com for further information

Niftylift raises the bar on health and safety

UK based, Niftylift, one of the largest manufacturers of access equipment in Europe that also sell to the USA, the Middle East, Far East, Australia and South Africa and specialise in compact, low weight articulating booms have become one the first companies in the UK to purchase the new ZT (Zero Trauma) Safety Harness manufactured and distributed by Hickstead based company ZT Safety Systems Ltd.

The 2011 IAPA Award winning ZT Harness is set to revolutionize working at height safety as it totally eliminates the need for groin straps. The basic concept centres on the harness supporting the chest area/torso in the usual way, but rather than grabbing the groin, it grabs the calf muscles, via sliding straps and self tightening cuffs. This pulls the falling person into the foetal position which provides a shock absorbing effect as well as supporting the person in a comfortable manner that does not induce suspension trauma.

The quest to design a better type of harness was driven by frustrations over the lack of real development in the harness market, this in spite of the fact that many users find traditional harnesses uncomfortable, restrictive and a challenge to put on and adjust correctly. Even more of a concern is the suspension trauma issues and the serious and grossly unpleasant groin injuries inflicted by poorly adjusted traditional harnesses.

John Keely MD Niftylift says;

"I am extremely impressed with the features of the ZT Safety Harness. Having no groin straps is a great concept and I have now decided that the ZT is our preferred harness for use at Niftylift. My site supervisors also like the fact that they can ensure the team are wearing the harness at all times. It looks very professional and is comfortable to wear.

I am so pleased that there is now something new on the market. Health and safety is a major priority at Nifty lift and anything that reduces the risk of injury to my employees has got to be welcomed with open arms. Our employees are our biggest asset so we need to protect them!!"

IPAF to set up MEWP accident reporting

IPAF – the International Powered Access Federation says that it will begin systematically recording worldwide data on accidents/incidents involving aerial work platforms from mid month, with the aim of improving the safe use of equipment.

The association is encouraging all members- manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users to report any known MEWP accidents or incidents using a standard form that will be available on its web site from 15th January.
In the initial phase, IPAF is calling for reports of any known serious accidents and fatalities involving MEWPs in the UK, and any known fatalities involving MEWPs/AWPs worldwide.

The project is intended to enable IPAF to build a comprehensive record of known incidents and store them in one location in a common format, something which does not currently exist. Based on the data gathered, IPAF will then be able to analyse and look for common trends, and propose possible actions to further improve and promote the safe use of powered access equipment.

Aerial lifts actually account for a very small percentage of all accidents related to work at height, and this project is aimed at uncovering hard data to inform further safety initiatives.

The incident database is supported by the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Principal inspector Joy Jones wrote in an open letter to IPAF members: “I applaud and encourage the efforts your industry is making to collect and analyse your own data. Obtaining accident/incident data to identify trends and prioritise remedial action is a perennial problem. Companies sometimes have reservations about sharing their accident/incident data but in my opinion, the reputation of industry representative organisations is enhanced when they base and prioritise their activities on evidence and evaluation.”

Once IPAF have loaded the form we will attach the link to this site.

TESTIMONIAL from Jacqui Dunn Ascendant Access

"We at Ascendant Access believe health and safety for our employees is paramount. We have now provided them all with what we feel is the latest technology in safety harnesses. The team all love the ZT harness as it is so comfortable to wear and they have said how much easier it is when getting in and out of the vehicle. We are delighted with how the guys have been so positive and have accepted the change from the traditional harness"

Essex roofers fined for breaching working at height regulations

Three contractors from Essex have been fined a total of £53,000 after a roofer fell five metres, sustaining life-threatening injuries that confined him to a wheelchair.

Jeremy Bishop, 46, from Romford, was re-roofing a domestic property in Loughton when he fell from the scaffolding to the ground below.

He suffered severe injuries to his head, chest and back and was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital where he spent three weeks in intensive care before being transferred to a specialist spinal injuries unit for eight months of intensive rehabilitation treatment.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted those involved over the incident which occurred on 5 January 2010.

Vincent Page, 46, and his firm V.Page Building Services Ltd of Epping were contracted to build an extension. The roofing was sub-contracted to Quality Roofs Ltd of Chingford and its director Alan Tyler, 64, and the scaffolding to Philip Blakeman, 58, (trading as Access Specialists) of Romford.

Harlow Magistrates’ Court heard how, following the incident, HSE found that intermediate guard rails called ‘mid rails’ had not been installed along the entire rear elevation of the scaffolding and there was nothing in place to prevent falls from the gable ends of the house. Those involved had failed to ensure the necessary guardrails had been installed.

The HSE served V.Page Building Services Ltd with a Prohibition Notice to prevent further work on the roof until guard rails were installed.

HSE Inspector Adam Hills said after the case: “The injuries Mr Bishop sustained were life-changing. He was in hospital for eight months, is still undergoing rehabilitation and will be in a wheelchair for the rest of this life. This could have been prevented if the companies and individuals had taken a few simple industry standard safety precautions by installing the guard rails as edge protection.

“Falls from height are one of the biggest killers in the workplace. Employers need to be aware of the risks it poses and ensure that their staff are properly protected.”

Director of V.Page Building Services Ltd, Vincent Page, of Stanford Rivers Road, Ongar, admitted breaching Regulations 8(a) and 12(4) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Mr Page was fined £20,000 with £8,000 costs.

Quality Roofs Ltd and its director Alan Tyler, of Brook Gardens, Chingford pleaded guilty to the same offences. The company was fined £10,000 with £4,000 costs. Mr Tyler was fined £20,000 with costs of £4,000.

Philip Blakeman, trading as Access Specialists, of Queensway, Ongar, admitted breaching Regulation 8(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £3,000 with costs of £2,000.