Granada Chosen as UK Distributor for the VacuPowerlift - Back Problems Minimised with Fezer Product

With the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) pushing its 'Better Backs' initiative this summer, Granada Material Handling (Granada), one of the nation's leading material handling solutions specialists, is the sole UK distributor of Fezer VacuPowerlift handling units.

Manual handling has long been known to be a major cause of back injury, with one in five who suffer work related ill-health experiencing back pain. This is not only painfully inconvenient for the individual but with HSE figures showing that one in six working days - equating to a total of 4.9 million - are being lost to back problems, it's also a costly problem for UK businesses.

However, as Granada Material Handling sales engineer, Colin Nevett, comments, the units available as part of the Fezer VacuPowerlift range can make a huge difference. 'It is important to understand the risks associated with manual handling and to take appropriate measures to assess and then reduce these risks. As with anything, it is always better to prevent rather than cure back ailments and with the VacuPowerlift taking the strain, the likelihood of suffering back pain in the first place is significantly reduced.

'The units come in seven different sizes depending on the nature of the load to be lifted. The capacity ranges from 30kgs up to 120kgs and the units can handle anything from awkward barrels to sizeable boards.'

The system is based on a self-evacuating tube and can be supported from a jib crane or, for larger area coverage, a light weight crane system. The basic design of the system is the same for each product to be lifted except for the lifting tube suction foot. Colin explains: 'The suction head is product specific so if the application involves the handling of paper sacks, the unit would be supplied with a bespoke sack foot to grip the bag.

'Similarly if the product is an mdf board, the lifting foot would incorporate a number of adjustable pads to allow for differing board sizes.'

With years of experience in vacuum lifting, Granada can supply the VacuPowerlift system to suit almost any non-porous product and any size of area that needs to be covered. And as Colin concludes, safety is always of paramount importance:
'The VacuPowerlift is a versatile piece of equipment that significantly reduces the risk of back injury and which can be adapted to work with any number of materials in a variety of environments.

'Our relationship with Fezer is a long standing one and we are delighted to be the sole UK supplier of a product that is easy for operators to understand, which can truly make working practices safer and which can ultimately save UK businesses fortunes every year.'

FMB Delighted by Government's £3 Million for Roving Safety Reps

The Federation of Master Builders has warmly welcomed the announcement by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Andrew Smith, to provide £3m in funding for the Worker Safety Advisers scheme. The announcement follows the success of a nine-month pilot scheme last year funded by the Health and Safety Commission with 29 FMB member firms taking part
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With funding for the scheme secure for the next three years, advisers will visit sites around the country to offer health and safety representation and facilitate worker involvement, especially in small construction sites and workplaces.

FMB director of external Affairs, Andrew Large, said:
'The announcement is good news for the industry and for those who have been involved in trying to get the scheme off the ground. The FMB members that took part in the pilot were enthusiastic about the scheme's potential.'

Those members made their views clear to Des Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions and HSE chief construction inspector Kevin Myers at last month's FMB conference when the Federation called on the Government to roll-out the scheme.

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on 2nd October, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that £3 million would be made available over a period of three years for the WSA scheme's national roll-out. The Health & Safety Commission (HSC) has been entrusted with the responsibility for planning the roll-out.

Said Andrew Large:
'The HSC is the right body to plan the roll-out of the scheme, but representatives from the employee and employer organisations that are directly involved will need to be brought in to oversee policy development and the operation of the scheme. The FMB looks forward to continuing its involvement with the WSA scheme and participating in the management of the roll-out to help the scheme in its crucial early phase.'

Small Construction Firms Must Make a Big Commitment to Safety Urges Seminar

Construction industry safety experts gathered recently at the first in a series of hard-hitting seminars designed to get small contractors and self-employed people in the construction industry to put health and safety at the top of the agenda.

The message from the health and safety seminar, held in West Yorkshire on September 10, was that however small the job or the firm involved, cutting corners and underestimating risks is unacceptable in the construction industry. The initiative was organised by the Working Well Together (WWT)) partnership made up of employers, contractors, safety professionals, suppliers, trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Provisional figures show that 79 workers died in the construction industry for the year 2001/2002; 45 per cent of them were caused by falls from height. Overall, falls caused over half of fatal accidents to self-employed people.

Mike Cosman, Head of HSE's Construction Sector told the seminar:
'This event is about the industry learning to help itself. Smaller firms who typically work on household and commercial new-build, repairs and refurbishments have the same responsibility on these sites to workers and the public as do the large-scale construction sites. People in the industry have to wake up to the realities and the consequences of taking unnecessary risks to save a few seconds or pounds.

'The partnership of people here today represents all aspects of the industry and we all want to hammer home the same message that however small your operation your biggest commitment on site must be to safety.'

Representatives from small firms and contractors attending the seminar saw live-action demonstrations of safe practice when working at heights, a common danger area on many building sites.

Along with supportive advice and exhibitions of the latest safety equipment available, there were also some cautionary words from an accident victim.

Gareth Blenkin from New Farnley, Leeds, was working on the roof of a factory in September 2001 when he fell eight metres through one of its fragile roof lights. There were no safety precautions in place and he sustained serious injuries. Now aged 34 and walking only with the aid of sticks, he faces an uncertain future. After 15 years as a roofer he is no longer able to work in the industry.

He said:
'I want to stop anyone else from being injured in this way. No matter what kind or size of business is involved, safety has to be a priority. Lives and livelihoods are at stake and no short cut is worth that kind of risk.'

Ron Wilson, Regional Director of the Federation of Master Builders, a trade association supporting the event, said:
'Events like this are hugely important, we are trying to remind building companies that safety on site should always be paramount. The industry has to realise that putting safety measures in place is in their interests. The cost of operating safely is inexpensive in comparison to the costs of halting labour because of an accident.

'All firms, whatever size, have a responsibility for other people, whether they be employees or passers-by. Every accident happens to someone who belongs to someone else.'

The event was the first of a series of similar events organised by the WWT partnership taking place across the country.

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