This range of new modular connectors has been designed to be used with the heightec MatriX or Zero-G harnesses.  This system is highly adaptable offering options for any work situation including rope access, fixed fall arrest and standard fall arrest.

Connectors are available:

• With integral ascender
• Without integral ascender
• With independent sacrificial rescue loop
• Standard front fall arrest attachment D ring

Tailored for MatriX and Zero-G full body harnesses this system is ideally suited for Rope access, Telecoms and Stage rigging.

For more details please call 01539 728866 or visit our products pages.

heightec recently joined British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) as a company member.

Since being accredited by Opito on behalf of BWEA, heightecs' training division The National Access and Rescue Centre has received a surge of enquiries for their approved WTG climber course and rescue training. 

Membership of BWEA will bring greater awareness of the specialist equipment, training and support services heightec offers the wind industry in particular.

Any queries regarding wind turbine work kits, WTG rescue systems or WTG training courses should be directed to admin@narc.co.uk  or call 01539 728866 for more details.

Development of NARC's new training centre in Aberdeen is well underway. 

Due to open at the end of April, the new centre is easily accessible by road, rail, airport links and is within easy reach of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Montrose, Inverness and Glasgow.

The indoor height safety centre will accommodate a range of environments for work at height under one roof.  These will include several indoor lattice towers, confined space gallery, walkways, platforms, indoor scaffolds, suspended beeams, relecoms rigging, dishes and antennae, aswell as vertical ladders with a variety of fixed protection systems. The combination of facilities gives our clients access to a range work task and rescue scenarios. 

Key courses:
- Industrial climbing
- Rescue - of self and others
- Rope Access
- WTG Climber/Evaucation
- Rescue after a fall
- Industrial Rescue
- PPE Inspection
- Work at Height Emergency First Aid
- Use of Fall Protection

Key industries:
- Offshore
- Construction
- Fire & rescue
- Telecoms
- Rope access
- Scaffolding
- Police
- Military/Government
- Energy transmission/distribution
- Wind energy

In addition to practical areas, the new training centre will have fully equipped lecture facilities and classrooms.

For more details please contact Mary French on 0845 6432211.

heightec are showcasing new developments in height safety and personal rescue at the Safety & Health Expo in Birmingham in May.   

There are no less than three innovations in the premium range of technical work harnesses: 

·     interchangeable modular front connection systems to allow changes from one work method to another

·     new thermoformed plastic lumbar and leg padding, having an outer layer that is soft when unloaded, but stiffens under load

·     a radical new connection system at the harness chest position to simplify donning and to provide a perfect fit on different sized persons.
 

The Micron is a new personal micro-descender for evacuation using high strength, heat resistant aramid cord. This tiny descender employs a unique, patented braking system to allow a finely controlled descent. The compact size with “full size” functionality will appeal to many industries, particularly renewables, electricity distribution, offshore oil platforms, tower crane drivers and police tactical units.  The Micron has been entered into this year’s BSIF Innovation Awards.
 

Also on show will the new Integra range of energy absorbing lanyards, containing suspension trauma footloops that deploy automatically in the event of a fall. 
 

For more details contact: 
Bob Murdoch
01539 728866
www.heightec.com
 

NARC is a national distributor of the full range of heightec technical fall protection equipment.

The National Access and Rescue Centre has produced a new training brochure which now includes their equipment range of height safety kits and rescue systems.

Anyone who would like a copy of the new comprehensive training brochure please email us or call 0845 643 2211.

Safety warning: HACA fixed rail vertical fall arrest system type 0529.7102

Manufactured by HACA Leitern, Lorenz Hazenbach GmbH, Bad Camberg, Germany

BS EN 353-1:2002 Fall Arrest Equipment Warning

Tests on 29/8/07      

E1 BS EN 353-1;2002
(100 kg steel weight) 700830H
Runner arrested after 3 mm
Peak load = 6.3 kN
Weight drop distance = 0.14m

E2 Fall Back (70 kg dummy)
Similar to BS 5062:1:1985 700824H
Runner failed to arrest fall
Dummy landed on feet/knees

E3 Sit Back (70 kg dummy) 700831H
Runner failed to arrest fall
Dummy landed on head

E4 Sit Back (70 kg dummy) 700831H
Runner failed to arrest fall
Dummy landed on head

Mr Keith Jones, Director of The National Access and Rescue Centre and Chair of WAHSA (Work at Height Safety Association) will be delivering a seminar on the "Issues and Initiatives in Work at Height". Topics will include:

~ The Impact of the Work at Height Regulations since their introduction 2 years ago
~ Relevant British Standard Codes of Practice - BS 8437, BS 8454
~ WAHSA guidance documents for work at height
~ WAHSA initiatives for trainers and anchor installers
~ The Advisory Committee for work at height syllabus initiative~
~ Current hot topics in product standards and HSE research

We would like to invite you to the seminar which takes place on Thursday 11th October at 1pm. Places are free but limited.  Please register online as a visitor to the show, this will give access to the Seminar Theatre www.twmexpo.co.uk.

NARC provides specialist training, equipment and support services to all industries who work at height, via dedicated Height Safety Centres located across the UK including our newest dedicated training centre in North London.

During the show we will be promoting our latest product innovations and services including the award winning suspension trauma lanyard, new comfort harness technology, Laser horizontal anchor line and our equipment supply, inspection and anchor fixing services.

Copies of our latest brochure are available via email admin@narc.co.uk

The National Access and Rescue Centre is pleased to announce that we have been successfully audited by OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) for our WTG height safety training course and are now a BWEA (British Wind Energy Association) approved training provider, one of very few training providers to achieve this.

NARC offers a range of courses to the Wind Industry including the approved 2 day WTG Climber course which incororates rescue and evaucation methods.  

For more details please contact us on 0845 643 2211.

Fire Industry Open Days at the National Access and Rescue Centre in Kendal & London 2007

Following the overwhelming response to our official open day in November, where we launched our second dedicated indoor training centre for work at height, two additional open dates have been set.

Aimed at the fire industry, the two dates are 30th January (London) or 2nd February (Kendal).

Anyone from Fire Brigades or Rescue Services who are interested in attending either date please let us know. Places are free, but will be limited.

Further details will be available shortly.

heightec exhibit at A+A, the world's major trade fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work show 18-21 September 2007.

www.heightec.com

The heightec Group Exhibit at the Safety & Health Expo in 22-24 May 2007

heightec Group will again be exhibiting at the Safety & Health Expo in NEC Birmingham in May.  We'll be on stand N30 and look forward to seeing you there.

www.heightec.com

NARC open WaH training centre in North London.

Work at height specialists The National Access and Rescue Centre (NARC) are pleased to announce the opening of their new dedicated training centre in North London.  The training centre is already up and running, with clients coming from London and across southern UK making use of the new facilities.

Clients will have the opportunity during one of the Official Open Days to:

- view the new facility, 
- see live rescue demonstrations,
- discuss technical work at height issues relating to their industry and
- receive practical use of the products.

Open days will be held on 1st & 2nd November. If you would like to receive an invitation to one of the open days, please email us at admin@heightec.com

heightec are exhibiting at this years Utility Live Show, Stand B19.  We will be displaying our range of specialist equipment for work at height including our award winning Bee harness and Prism descender.  The Prism has a double action safety mechanism allowing immediate changeover from descent to ascent - the most user friendly descender available.

You can obtain a Free visitors ticket to see us at the show by contacting us on 01539 728866.

HSE inspectors are visiting construction sites nationwide during
June in a bid to reduce the number of fatal and serious injuries in
the industry.

HSE inspectors will concentrate on fall arising from work at height,
transport on site and lifting heavy loads. Inspectors will follow up
cases where significant failings are identified to ensure
improvement programmes are implemented.

It is expected that campaigns of this nature will increase as the
time for completion of the work at height regulations draw nearer.
Duty holders will be expected to ensure that employees are fully
conversant with the safe use of fall protection equipment such as
safety harnesses.

heightec have won a Product Innovation Award for their new dedicated rescue device, the Quadra.

The Award is given annually by the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) to recognise excellence and innovation in the safety and health industry and was presented this year by BSIF President Sir John Cullen on May 11th at the Birmingham Safety and Health Expo. 

The Quadra is a portable rescue device which can be used to raise or lower a suspended person.  It is a central component of heightec's RescuePack™ recovery systems for vertical situations.

RescuePack™ allows clients to satisfy the emergency planning provisions of the forthcoming Work at Height Regulations, which will require rescue arrangements to be in place for all work at height.

Keith Jones, Managing Director of heightec commented: "We are delighted that the BSIF acknowledges the importance of innovation in this way. The issue of rescue is increasingly important for workers at height and we are already seeing great demand for RescuePack recovery systems."

Two other heightec products passed through to the final of the award scheme. The RescueHauler™ is a new design of rope grab which allows a pulley system to be immediately attached to a loaded rope; the Chrysalis stretcher is the very first stretcher to contain a casualty restraint harness which conforms to the strength requirements of fall arrest harness standards.

The consultation period for comment on the latest draft of the Work at Height Regulations has now closed. More than 700 comments have been received on the consultative document. 

These Regulations will implement the Temporary Work at Height Directive (2001/45/ECand will apply to any situation where work at height is carried out. Falls from height are the biggest single cause of fatal injuries, and the second biggest cause of major injuries, caused by accidents at work and it is hoped that these Regulations will make a substantial impact on the problem.

It is expected that the Regulations will be implemented in August or September 2004.

NARC is a member of the Height and Access Safety Group (HASG), a technical product group comprised of UK manufacturers and suppliers of fall protection equipment. HASG have published a new code setting out best practice for organisations who provide training or education in the use of personal or collective fall protection equipment for work at height or rescue. It is most Important that height safety training is monitored, carried out and documented in accordance with an auditable standard. Until this document was produced there was no mechanism for this process.
The HASG document is a response to the wide variation In the standard of training currently available, and supports the HSE Revitalising health and safety" Initiative. The standard is intended to be used by all organisations providing such training or education, irrespective of the nature of course content, the type of training being provided or the size of the organisation providing the training. Contact NARC for more information on this HASG initiative.

The Health and Safety Executive has published a free information sheet on rope access for window cleaning. The document was prepared by HSE together with local authorities and the National Federation of Master Window and General Cleaners. This new guidance is aimed at window cleaning companies themselves, but will be of relevance to designers, owners and those involved in maintenance of buildings.
Rope access is a common access method for window cleaning. HSE felt that specific guidance was needed because there has been some evidence of poor standards and in view of the forthcoming implementation of The Work at Height Regulations. The new document sets out what both HSE and the industry agree are reasonable standards of control, emphasises the full and strict training and supervision that must be in place at every worksite and provides an overview of other essential consideration.
Safety in window cleaning using rope access techniques (HSE ref. MISC612) can be downloaded from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/fallindx.htm.

NARC is participating in ongoing work to develop an international code of practice for the use of rope access for industrial purposes.
The ISO CoP will be in two parts. Part One (ISO 22846-1) was published in late 2003 and contains a broad set of general principles by which all rope access work should be carried out. It can be purchased online from ISO at www.iso.ch
Part Two is more detailed in its approach and will aim to differentiate between different levels of complexity of rope access work situations. Part Two will also set out specific requirements for management principles, the required knowledge at various levels of responsibility and practical competence requirements.
This ISO CoP will provide an excellent compliance document for all parties concerned with rope access.

The UK Health and Safety Executive have published research on the strength and longevity of textile lanyards used for fall protection. The research urges greater diligence by all dutyholders in the care and maintenance of textile PPE and was undertaken following a fatal accident involving a degraded lanyard. The report is entitled Specialist Inspector Report 59 (SIR59) Issues surrounding the failure of an energy absorbing lanyard. The full text is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/new/content/new.htm in section headed 'week beginning 17.12.01'