Finding a way of delivering to site and undertaking field maintenance work for heavy and unwieldy products like safes, motors and compressors within the confines of modern Health and Safety legislation can be tricky as the law permits no excuses - handling techniques either comply or they don't.
Even if you're a sole trader or a small private company, you need to work within the law and the consequences of not doing so can be dire. Insurance, legal liability for damage and accidents to staff, premises or, heaven-forbid, customers, can cost dearly.
Expectations
Faced with this dilemma Chris Page of Reading-based Applied Compressor Technology sought out a mechanised solution. He just wanted a machine that would power units weighing anything up to 300kg in and out of delivery vans, up stairs, over thresholds, round landings and across a dubious variety of access floor. Lastly, it had to be capable of travelling on-vehicle.
He found the solution in PowerMate, a cost-effective powered stairclimber from Stanley Handling. The PowerMate LE2 was recommended, a purpose-designed model shorter than standard at 1295 against 1520mm, which fitted conveniently across ACP's Transits and worked within the headroom to facilitate easy loading and unloading - the LE2 simply pivots on the vehicle bed and pulls the load under power into the vehicle.
Operator back strain and delivery handling risks are now a thing of the past.
Proven Reliability
This took place a couple of years ago. In the intervening period the PowerMate has proved to be so reliable and improved productivity and professionalism so much that another has been acquired - same spec, same supplier, same reliability.
The PowerMate vaguely resembles a sack truck but is much more… its integral leg extension mechanism can be used to balance the high density concentrated loads presented by motors, castings and other metal fabrications to remove undue physical effort, leaving the operator to power the load up and down at the touch of a button under full control. Construction is based on a robust aluminium frame. Features of the range include a load-hold clutch, one-way wheel brakes, dual load straps and large 200mm dia wheels for easy over-land manoeuvring. Units are supplied with a gel-filled, leak-proof battery and an electronic charger. On-vehicle charging , detachable toe plates, landing extenders, slip sheets, and gas cylinder locators are options.
"In this business one man deliveries and handling of heavy equipment is commonplace, said Chris Page on the purchase of his second LE2. PowerMate enables such risks as there are to be managed professionally. We just can't afford handling accidents."
The LE is part of a family of stairclimbers from Stanley Handling which includes L Series (capacity 295kg), M Series (capacity 680kg), SC Series (capacity to 310kg) Sprinter Series (capacity 140kg) and Pogo (capacity 100kg).
As is the case with all PowerMate products, operator training and three-year refresher training formed part of the commercial package since training and routine servicing are essential elements in meeting relevant Health and Safety manual handling requirements.
For more information, please contact :
Sarah Stanley at sarah@stanleyhandling.co.uk or tel 01582 767711 fax 01582 765994