Roofing Systems

Capital Safety has built an enviable reputation for providing very well tried and tested roof fall protection systems and roof work restraint safety systems for roof work. The company’s roof fall protection systems are backed up with a thorough understanding of roof system construction and the effects our products have on a roof’s performance. This is critically important to anyone buying or using a roof safety system, as a poorly designed and tested roof safety system could lead to catastrophic roof failure and serious injury or death in the event of a fall.

Capital Safety have an ongoing programme of product testing on as built roof constructions, which is carried out at our own dedicated facility on a comprehensive 36m2 test rig. This commitment to testing has earned Capital Safety many approvals from roofing manufacturers, providing customers with reassurance and confidence.

As well as products that perform well and inspire user confidence, Capital Safety also provides advice and assistance with all aspects of roof safety risk analysis and design. Where ever possible we will help customers to reduce risk through the use of work restraint systems that prevent personnel from being exposed to fall hazards. Where this cannot be achieved our team and our network of system integrators will ensure that fall risks are minimised and help customers to consider rescue procedures and plan for casualty recovery in the event of a fall.

In order to properly protect people working on roofs where collective fall protection measures are not reasonably practicable, roof fall protection systems should provide continuous hands free attachment for workers and be designed to prevent access to fall hazards. This enables them to move around a roof and gain access to those areas that require maintenance and inspection, without the need to consider complex attachment techniques and be exposed to unnecessary risk.  The use of single anchor points should be reserved for only very localised works, as these products offer the minimum of protection and may lead to regular detachment.

Horizontal Systems

Capital’s range of horizontal systems and horizontal fall protection products has been developed to provide our customers with a choice of solutions that enable them to most effectively resolve the risks associated with work at height in a wide range of applications. No square pegs in round holes at Capital!

Fall protection is a complex business with a very diverse range of applications and situations that require careful consideration prior to implementing an appropriate solution. For this reason, Capital have developed a wide range horizontal systems to assist our customers in mitigating risk and therefore comply with workplace safety regulations.

The clear benefit of having access to a wide range of horizontal systems solutions through a single source is that no matter what your situation, you benefit from the same high standards of service, technical support and product quality, allowing you to focus on your core business activity.

Capital’s horizontal systems are divided in to two key product groups:

• Horizontal Rail Systems
• Horizontal Cable Systems

Horizontal Rail Systems

Rail systems provide many excellent benefits for building designers and workers:

• Horizontal systems with a neat and unobtrusive style, complementing modern building designs whilst providing high levels of safety
• A range of fixing options, enabling integration in a variety of structural building situations
• The capability for multi-user attachment for maintenance tasks requiring a number of personnel, increasing worker efficiency
• Very smooth running attachment carriages for complete hands free operational use
• Horizontal systems with a very high levels of user safety
• Flexibility of use, including use for abseil/suspended rope access applications in building and structure façade maintenance tasks
• Low dynamic loading in the event of a fall, making the horizontal systems product suitable for use with a variety of structures
• Low deflection in the event of a fall, making it suitable for situations where ground clearance beneath the work area is restricted. This feature has the added benefit of making rescue easier if a person falls.

For more details on our horizontal rail systems go to UniRail in our product pages.

Horizontal Cable Systems

Capital’s range of horizontal cable systems is the most comprehensive in the world, being made up of three well known and proven product brands. Uni-16, Uni-8 and Uni-8 Overhead. Each has its own distinct features and benefits.

Cable systems provide many excellent benefits for building designers and workers

• A neat and unobtrusive style, with the horizontal systems complimenting modern building designs whilst providing high levels of safety
• A range of fixing options, enabling integration in a variety of structural building situations
• The capability for multi-user attachment for maintenance tasks requiring a number of personnel, increasing worker efficiency
• Functional and free running attachment devices for hands free operational use over short or long run work areas
• High levels of user safety thanks to Capital’s horizontal systems product testing and production standards
• Cost effective solution, but still maintaining continuous safe access
• The ability to control deflection and dynamic structural loads through our advanced Uniline for Windows calculation software, which analyses product performance and provides custom results for customers. This enables us to advise on component placement and selection and ensures worker safety

Summary

Short horizontal rail systems can provide a more cost effective and comprehensive safety anchorage solution than cable systems.
Horizontal cable systems generate higher dynamic loading in the event of a fall and higher deflections, so consideration needs to be given to this at the design stage in order to ensure good risk mitigation.
Cable systems should not be used for work positioning tasks on inclined roofs/structures due to cable deflections, nor should they be used as a primary anchor point in abseil/suspended rope access applications.
Capital horizontal systems – rail and cable – designed for worker restraint offer comprehensive worker safety through the provision of continuous hands free attachment and navigation of the work area. This in turn reduces the requirement for complex user training.

Vertical Systems

The best vertical fall protection systems in the world won’t let you down. The extensive development of this range of products for vertical structures including masts, towers, pylons, wind turbines, silos, bridges and chimney stacks ensures customers will enjoy the safest and most functional climbing experience possible.

Capital’s vertical fall arrest climbing systems allow workers to ascend and descend tall structures and ladders with confidence.

Current workplace legislation requires that any person working at height should be properly protected against the risk of falling. This is especially important for workers required to climb ladders and vertical structures, as a slip or fall resulting from a moment’s lapse in concentration or sudden feeling of illness will result in the worker falling backwards away from the structure or straight down, quickly generating great velocity. The consequences of such a fall are likely to be significant upon the worker and the employer.

Contrary to popular thinking, ladders installed with safety cages offer workers no protection at all. Recent research carried out by the UK Health and Safety Executive** clearly shows that workers falling inside a caged ladder will suffer significant injuries from an impact with the structure. An impact force of 22G’s could be suffered by a worker after only 2 seconds’ freefalling. (14G’s is sufficient to cause a severe head injury.)

Further information on the safety concerns relating to caged ladders can be seen in the Health and Safety Executives Research Report 258

Access Systems

A unique range of custom access products for challenging fall protection situations in transport and industry. These solutions are structurally analysed and designed to our customers exact needs and specifications.