AMBITUS: PCE Ltd's award-winning safety system
PCE Ltd's Passive Fall & Guard Rail System (PFGR) was designed and developed for work on the Coventry New Hospitals project for CV Buchan and main contractor SKANSKA Coventry, involving multi-storey Precast Crosswall Construction.
The leading edge was a major safety concern and SKANSKA wanted to eliminate the use of harnesses - removing the need for constant "clipping on" and reducing safety monitoring.
PCE Limited developed a leading edge hand rail system to work in conjunction with safety nets. It also devised a re-useable hook system for the efficient fixing of safety nets internally.
As little data exists on net usage PCE carried out rigorous testing: -
The nets were tested by dropping a 100 kg dummy from 1.5 metres - the fall height when laying floor units. The fixings remained firm, there was no damage to the nets and it proved a clear distance below nets of two metres was sufficient for the spans involved at Coventry.
Attention then turned to the external edge handrail where conventional practice would normally involve the use of A-frame scaffolding fixed to floor units.
The PFGR was developed and patented by PCE ltd after they failing to identify a commercial system to fit the criteria.
It met the following requirements from SKANSKA:
- Handrails to be fitted prior to placing floors to eliminate harness use
- Handrails to allow placing of the next tier while remaining in place
- They must be adjustable in length & maintain continuous protection
- Heaviest section to weigh under 25 kg in line with manual handling requirements
- Handrails must be capable of fitting prior to erection of PCC walls
The PFGR was developed to provide the following:
- Adjustable handrails extending 2.4 m to 4.8 m and from 4.8 m to 9.6 m when two are joined
- Suitable for pre fitting on site from trailer/cherrypicker
The following benefits were experienced by operatives:
- Operatives were less restricted by not using harnesses and able to work as erectors, not "scaffolders"
- Less involvement with main contractors re health and safety reminders, more self-aware and independent
Noticeable improvements for the contractors include:
Improved outputs - Comparison
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Project
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Yellow safety cards
issued
|
Walls erected
per day
|
|
Coventry MHU
|
NIL
|
18
|
|
Similar project
|
3
|
12-14
|
ALSO
- Enhanced safety, but greater time savings
- No leading edges to worry about and monitor
- Protection installed prior to construction
- Safety integral to construction process
- Reduced management of the safety process
- Total elimination of harness use
- NO REPRIMANDS ISSUED FOR UNSAFE WORKING
The future
PFGR is already in use on further contracts and PCE Ltd estimates payback on new equipment within two years.
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