A Solution for Inspection Pit Safety

HSE Regulations and inspection pit safety

Focusing on vehicle repair centres, train depots and wider transport safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has designated inspection pits as a ‘fall from height’ hazard. Subsequently, they have created The Work at Height Regulations to provide guidance on how to improve inspection pit safety. These regulations now have the 2^nd highest rate of prosecutions and convictions after the generic Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA).

Falls remain the biggest issue in workplace health and safety, representing 60% of all injuries and fatalities in 2016/17. 1 in 6 of those are in the transport industry, which amounts to just fewer than 6000 reported cases per year. The actual number is likely to be much higher, however, since it’s estimated that reported cases only make up as little as 10% of all incidents.

Inspection pits are very common and an assessment of workplace risks may well show that they are the safest option when working on vehicles or trains. In the rail industry, inspection pits are often the method of choice when completing necessary maintenance on trains. However, they present particular hazards and are a common cause of accidents, not only to those unfamiliar with the premises but also to employees who might slip or trip and fall into them. Inspection pit safety should be a high priority for companies using this method when working on vehicles or trains. Failure in adhering to proper safety regulation can lead to in-direct costs as well as fines for non-compliance.

Pit Protection – A solution for inspection pit safety

At Tensator®, we offer flexible Pit Protection solutions that have been approved by the HSE. Our solutions are also compliant with working at height regulations, helping to improve visual safety within depots. We’ve worked with many UK rail companies to heighten their inspection pit safety by installing our Pit Protection solutions.

In the wider transport safety industry, we’ve worked with international transport group Stagecoach and helped them improve the safety of their bus depots and repair workshops. After a successful three-week trial, the Pit Protection system was rolled out across more than 100 Stagecoach depots nationwide.

Graham Whitelocks, Director of Safety, Health & Environment at Stagecoach UK, commented on the work Tensator® completed:

“We knew the inspection pits were a particular danger in the workshops, so we decided to take a preventative approach to addressing the issues. We are delighted by Tensator’s approach to our requirements, right from the initial consultation stage through to the trial and subsequent full roll-out.”

For more information on our Pit Protection product, why not take a look at our brochure? To download the brochure, please click below.