COMPANY
Safety First Lifting for Bam Nuttall Ltd

DATE
2021

LOCATION
Huckers Bow, Weston-super-Mare, UK

PRODUCT
TDAVIT Double Winched and
Flush Mount Socket

View and download more of our case studies here:

A Double Winched TDAVIT allows engineers to safely access the maintenance ladder installed to inspect a new flood defense structure managed by the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium and the Environment Agency on the Bristol Channel coast in the UK.

The Background

A new flood defense system has been built at the Huckers Bow tidal outfall to protect nearly 300 houses, park homes and caravans in nearby Kewstoke from the risk of flooding. Regular inspection and maintenance are required via a ladder installed to give engineers access to the new tidal outlet flap valve.

The Challenge

Bam Nuttall Ltd carried out the flood defense work under a contract managed by the Environment Agency. The maintenance ladder they installed to provide access to the newly protected shoreline had to be fitted without safety loops. This was because there is a high probability of floating debris around the tidal outfall and it was felt that this could potentially get trapped in the loops and damage either the ladder or the structure itself. The team at Bam Nuttall approached REID Lifting distributor Safety First Lifting for advice about the best way for engineers to safely access the ladder without the loops.

The Solution

Bam Nuttall Ltd had already looked at safety harnesses to access the ladder, but Safety First Lifting advised that the REID TDAVIT would be a simpler and easier to maintain, non-permanent solution providing the fall protection required.

REID’s sales manager joined Safety First Lifting to demonstrate the system to the engineers on site. Bam Nuttall liked the fact that the REID TDAVIT was lightweight and portable enough to be stored locally and assembled quickly and easily on site by one person. They also liked the fact that the socket for the TDAVIT was flush and obtrusive on the concrete footpath next to the safety handrail.

The REID double winched TDAVIT is specially designed for fall protection applications, including confined space entry. It is suitable for use by a single user and comes with a double shackle head for attaching a wide range of fall arrest devices.

At Huckers Bow, Safety First Lifting specified a model with a 783/4'' high, 62lb column and a 63'' reach beam arm. The lifting height ranges from 77'' to 98'', and the personnel lifting capacity is 330lb, easily meeting the requirements laid down by Bam Nuttall.

The OSHA compliant REID TDAVIT comes with a range of winch bracket options and a sheave at both ends of the beam for attaching either a rope or cable.

The feedback

Steve Marshall, Managing Director, Safety First Lifting:

“The aluminium REID Lifting TDAVIT gave Bam Nuttall and the Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium exactly what they needed – a lightweight, easy to transport and assemble solution which means they can still access the ladder even without safety loops.”