Demand for secondary guarding devices is reportedly spiking across the region as contractors pay more attention to the issue of safety.
Alexis Potter, sales and marketing director of Rapid Access, told Construction Week that the first half of this year has seen the company enjoying “record demand” for its range of secondary guarding devices.
These devices, he explained, are accessories that work with the company’s equipment to “help reduce the risk of serious injury in the event of an operator entrapment incident”.
“The system combines a pressure-sensitive strip that stops the machine in the event of an incident, with a loud alarm and flashing beacon to warn the surrounding operatives and staff,” he said.
Market interest in powered access equipment is also rising, Potter noted, elaborating: “Powered access equipment is increasingly being recognised as the safest and most efficient way of carrying out a range of tasks at height.”
He pointed out that with the powered access machinery being utilised across an increasing range of applications, it is becoming more important for the industry to focus on not only the quality of the equipment but also the skill of the operators.
Potter said: “It is the supplier’s responsibility to ensure the equipment is well-serviced and that all required servicing and third-party inspections are carried out.
“At Rapid, we employ the TechX system, ensuring that our customers receive the same quality of equipment, whether they are hiring from our parent company in Paris, London, or Riyadh.”
He added: “In terms of competence of operators, we are able to provide a range of accredited training courses and represent the largest provider of International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) licences in the region.”
Potter clarified, however, that while Rapid offers training services, it is “ultimately the customers’ responsibility to ensure that all their operators are trained appropriately”.
A special report on the access equipment market in the region will be included in issue 662 of Construction Week, coming out on 15 July, 2017.
