Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
Annual Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2014
Best Innovative Idea Award… Goes to Utilitec!
Utilitec Services win H&S Award – Utilitec Services is celebrating after being presented with the Health and Safety Best Innovative Idea Award at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water‘s Occupational Health and Safety Excellence Ceremony 2014.
Activity & Application
Chamber cover lifting is performed daily throughout the UK. These manual handling operations are made awkward by the many different sizes, weights, shapes and conditions of the covers. Various mechanical lifting devices are available, but these are often made redundant by the remote locations and / or surface conditions surrounding the chamber. This often leaves the operators with one option, lifting keys.
They are typically more practical to use than mechanical devices, being easier to carry and quick to use.
The H&S Issue
However, they also have an inherent risk of injury to the operative or damage to the asset. If not kept straight in the cover hole they can slip out. Over the years several instances have occurred – either an operative taking the full weight of a heavy chamber cover on one key; or covers falling into the chamber and potentially damaging the asset.
The Innovative Solution
With the introduction of the safety collar, Utilitec has reduced the number of incidents significantly. The collar is a simple device which is placed on the traditional style lifting keys. Two prongs are placed into the key hole after the key head has been inserted, preventing the key to turn and slip out. Thus traditional equipment is made safer.
