GB2535750A

GB2535750A - Safety equipment for building operations

Info

Publication number: GB2535750A
Application number: GB1503200.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Dymond Keith
Original assignee: BARROW TRAINING PARTNERSHIP
Current assignee: BARROW TRAINING PARTNERSHIP
Priority date: 2015-02-26
Filing date: 2015-02-26
Publication date: 2016-08-31
Also published as: GB2538588A; GB2538588B; GB201602684D0; GB201503200D0

Abstract

Safety apparatus 11 for use in building or renovation operations comprises a member 13 which can extend in length, at one or both ends 15A, 15B. It is fitted across an aperture to stop a worker falling inwards from outside the building or outwards from inside the building. The member may be fitted horizontally or vertically across the aperture or a plurality of members may be used for large apertures. Preferably, both ends 15A, 15B are extendable via left- and right-hand threads 16A, 16B respectively so that, by rotating the central section, both ends are advanced until the ends contact the opposite sides of the aperture.

Description

SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR BUILDING OPERATIONS

This specification relates to safety equipment. Its use is particularly relevant when buildings or structures are being built, modified, renovated or restored or windows are being replaced but has many other similar applications.

Conventional building operations have always been dangerous work and the accident and death rates have historically been high, with falls from elevated positions as the most likely cause of death or serious injury. Strict regulations for the use of scaffolding have greatly reduced the number of accidents but some dangers still remain. Fig. 1 (Prior Art) shows part of a typical building under construction. The building has an outside cavity wall 1 with scaffolding on the outer side. The part of the scaffolding shown consists of a vertical pole 3 with a horizontal staging pole 4 supporting a walkway of planks 5 and a toe board 6.

Horizontal pole 8 is located at waist height with another one 7 lower for the benefit of workers standing / walking on planks 5. A net brick guard 25 (Fig. 6) is attached to pole 8 and extends below the top of toe board 6. (For clarity, the scaffolding pole clamps have not been shown.) A picture window 2 (shown doubly hatched) is provided in cavity wall 1 (shown singly hatched). In Fig. 1, the sill of window opening 2 is close to the level of planks 5. Horizontal pole 8 prevents a person falling outwards, as indicated by arrow 9, but there is nothing to prevent the person from falling inwards through the window opening 2, as indicated by arrow 10, or even a person working inside and falling outwards 10A. Picture windows can be very large and it is easy to fall 10 through such large openings 2. Though the upper surface of planks 5 is shown as free of debris, this is rarely the case in reality, as stacks of whole bricks, broken bricks, broken tiles, scaffolding clamps, scaffolding poles 4 and other extraneous items frequently litter walkways 5, so that the risk of stumbling or tripping is always high. Also, workers may be bending, lifting or carrying heavy loads and thus could 3o be potentially unbalanced on the walkway.

While floor joists (not shown) are usually inserted as the cavity walls 1 are built, the floor boards are generally fitted later so that anyone falling 10 through opening 2 would crash onto the edges of the joists (not shown) or pass straight through to a lower floor and suffer serious injury or even death. Thus, there is an urgent need for a means to stop people on scaffold walkways, from falling through openings into the void of a building under construction or being renovated or having windows replaced.

According to the invention, there is provided safety apparatus for preventing a person from falling through an aperture into or out of a building / structure under construction or being renovated consisting of a member, extendible at at least one end so that it may be extended to contact both opposite sides of the aperture and be further extended to press firmly against both of the opposite sides of the aperture thus providing a barrier across the aperture to resist the impact of the person falling through the aperture.

According to a first variation of the apparatus of the invention, the opposite sides of the aperture are the two essentially vertical sides (reveals).

According to a second variation of the apparatus of the invention, the opposite sides of the aperture are the two essentially horizontal top (lintel) and bottom (sill) sides.

According to a third variation of the apparatus of the invention, the member essentially has 15 the form of a tube or bar.

According to a fourth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the member is extendible at both ends.

According to a fifth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the member has a hollow central section and the two extendible end sections fit telescopically one into each end of the central section.

According to a sixth variation of the apparatus of the invention, each end section engages 25 with the central section via a screwed engagement.

According to a seventh variation of the apparatus of the invention, the screwed engagement at one end is via a right-hand thread and that at the other end is via a left-hand thread so that, if both ends are held against rotation, and the central section is rotated both ends will advance, or retract, together, according to the sense of rotation applied to the central section.

According to an eighth variation of the apparatus of the invention, a mechanical means may be used to rotate and / or assist in the rotation of the central section to provide adequate torque for the screwed ends to press sufficiently firmly against the sides of the aperture to hold the member against the lateral impact of a stumbling person.

According to a ninth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the means of extending the end sections out of the central section may be via a ratchet, frictional or quick-acting means.

According to a tenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, once in position firmly against the sides of the aperture, the extended end sections are locked in position.

According to an eleventh variation of the apparatus of the invention, the means of locking the end sections includes friction.

According to a twelfth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the means of locking the end sections includes mechanical means.

According to a thirteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the means of locking 15 the end sections against the sides of the aperture once they have made contact includes a quick-acting means.

According to a fourteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the member includes a torque monitoring means to warn if excessive stresses are being generated during the process of fixing the member in place.

According to a fifteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the torque monitoring means provides and an audible and / or visual warning if an excessive stress is detected.

According to a sixteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the power for the torque monitoring means is provided by a battery or rechargeable cell.

According to a seventeenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the power for the torque monitoring means is provided by using some of the energy input to secure the member in position.

According to an eighteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, the member includes a spirit level, or equivalent means, to check that the member is essentially horizontal or vertical.

According to a nineteenth variation of the apparatus of the invention, a load spreading and / or cushioning means is provided at the distal end of each end section to avoid damaging the fabric of the sides of the aperture.

According to a twentieth variation of the apparatus of the invention, positioning brackets are provided at the distal ends of the end sections to locate the end sections in relationship to the edges of the sides of the aperture.

According to a twenty first variation of the apparatus of the invention, a plurality of members is used to form a set of bafflers across the aperture.

According to a twenty second variation of the apparatus of the invention, further members are provided at right angles to the plurality of barrier members to form a matrix of members across the aperture.

According to a twenty third variation of the apparatus of the invention, clips are provided to connect the further members to the barrier members and so form the matrix.

According to a twenty fourth variation of the apparatus of the invention, brick guards are provided to fit on the member(s) across the aperture.

According to a twenty fifth variation of the apparatus of the invention, toe boards are provided to fit across the aperture.

In a preferred application of the apparatus of the invention, a Safety Bar is created from a central tube with telescopic end sections. The central and end sections are connected by double-acting left-hand and right-hand threads respectively so that, when the central section is rotated in a first direction, the end sections are advanced to contact the reveals of a window opening, or like aperture, of a building under construction. Rotation of the central section is continued until the Safety Bar is firmly fixed and forms a barrier to prevent a person falling through the aperture.

To remove the Safety Bar, the central section is rotated in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, to retract the end sections.

For a clearer understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawing in which:-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of building under construction, showing the

positioning of the scaffolding (Prior Art);

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of two examples of the apparatus of the invention being used as barriers across a window aperture; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of one form of apparatus of the invention; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the aperture in Fig. 2 showing three members of the invention as barriers across the aperture and two vertical further members forming a matrix across the aperture; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of a further member, shown in Fig. 4, with attachment clips and toe a board bracket; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a net brick guard for attachment to a horizontal barrier

member of the invention (Prior Art).

In the following description, the same reference numeral is used for the same component in different Figures and / or for different components fulfilling identical functions.

Referring to Fig. 2, the window aperture 2, shown in Fig. 1, is surrounded by cavity wall 1.

Two Safety Bars 11, 11A of the invention have been fixed in position essentially horizontally across the aperture and secured in position by extending 12 the end sections of both members.

Fig. 3 shows one arrangement of the Safety Bar 11 of the invention, consisting of a central, outer tube 13 with two inner end tubes 15A and 15B located respectively and telescopically at either end of tube 13. Fast with the ends of central tube 13 are threaded inserts 14A and 14B and the threads 16A and 16B on respective end tubes 15A and 15B engage with the threads in inserts 14A and 14B. Threadsl4A, 16A and 14B, 16B are oppositely handed so that, as central tube 13 is rotated in a first direction 18 (and end tubes 15 are held against rotation), both end tubes 15 will be advanced 12' in opposite directions out of tube 13 and, when it is rotated in a second direction 19 opposite to that of the first direction, both end tubes 15 will be retracted 12" back into central tube 13. Thus, by rotating 18 central tube 13, end tubes 15A, 15B will advance 12' to contact the sides 2A, 2B of the aperture 2 and further rotation 18 will press axially ends 22 firmly against sides 2A, 2B until a sufficient frictional force (against sides 2A and 2B) will have been generated for member 11 to remain in place and resist the lateral impact 10 of a stumbling person. Internal friction in screw threads 14A, 16A and 14B, 168 will retain Safety Bar 11 in position, once firmly set.

To generate sufficient axial force 12', the outside of tube 13 may be knurled (not shown) or have an attachment (not shown) for the use of a spanner or equivalent tightening means.

To avoid overtightening, torque monitoring means 20 is provided able to give visual and / or audible warning means This could be powered by a battery or rechargeable cell or possibly by using some of the energy input to tighten 18 the member 11, e.g. via a piezoelectric system.

Collars 17 are provided to clean dust off screw thread 16 and end caps 22 are provided to cushion and / or spread the compressive load of end tubesl5 on sides 2A, 2B to avoid damaging the fabric of the reveals 2A, 2B. L-shaped brackets 22 may be provided as part of end caps 22 to help with positioning Safety Bars 11, e.g. on brick cavity walls, 1 but might not be appropriate on stone faced reveals. It will be noted that the mortar used to build cavity wall 1 must be allowed to set and harden before fitting Safety Bars 11; this means that a day or two must elapse before Safety Bars can be fitted and this is something that the Building Manager must ensure is done.

To remove the Safety Bars 11 central section 13 is rotated in the reverse direction 19 and the end sections 15 are retracted.

In the description above, a double-acting screw thread has been taught but other methods are equally applicable, e.g. ratchet or friction means, and the means of locking means may be other than simple friction, e.g. via a toggle or other quick-acting means (not shown).

Some double-acting systems have means to extend the ends quickly towards the sides 2A, 2B and use the screwing action or toggle action only for the final compressive fitting.

Fig. 4 shows a larger window opening 2 with three horizontal Safety Bars 11, 11A and 11B.

On such large apertures 2, it is advantageous to provide vertical cross members 23 so that the Safety Bar barrier becomes effectively a matrix. Verticals 23 are attached to bars 11 by simple clips 24 (Fig.5). An advantage of a matrix barrier is that the impact of a falling person is spread over a number of Safety Bars 11. Toe boards (not shown) may be provided by fitting in brackets 29.

Ideally, a spirit level 21 (Fig. 3) is provided so that Safety Bars 11 can be installed horizontally, or vertically, in window aperture 2. Though Figs. 2 and 4 show Safety Bars 11 used horizontally, they could be used also vertically, i.e. between sill 2C and lintel 2D, and in this case the spirit level would be used vertically.

Fig. 5 shows a net brick guard 25 (Prior Art) adapted 26 to be hooked over a scaffold pole 8 but it could also be advantageously used over a Safety Bar 11 (not shown).

The skilled person will understand the principles of the invention and know of other applications of the teaching herein and variations thereof all falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims:- 1. Safety apparatus for preventing a person from falling through an aperture into or out of a building / structure under construction or being renovated consisting of a member, extendible at least one end so that it may be extended to contact both opposite sides of the aperture and be further extended to press firmly against both of the opposite sides of the aperture thus providing a barrier across the aperture to resist the impact of the person falling through the aperture.
2. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposite sides of the aperture are the two essentially vertical sides (reveals).
3. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposite sides of the aperture are the two essentially horizontal top (lintel) and bottom (sill) sides.
4. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claims 2 or 3, wherein the member essentially has the form of a tube or bar.
5. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member is extendible at both ends.
6. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the member has a hollow central section and the two extendible end sections fit telescopically one into each end of the central section.
7. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each end section engages with the central section via a screwed engagement.
8. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the screwed engagement at one end is via a right-hand thread and that at the other end is via a left-hand thread so that, if both ends are held against rotation, and the central section is rotated both ends will advance, or retract, together, according to the sense of rotation applied to the central section.
9. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 8, wherein a mechanical means may be used to rotate and / or assist in the rotation of the central section to provide adequate torque for the screwed ends to press sufficiently firmly against the sides of the aperture to hold the member against the lateral impact of a stumbling person.
10. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means of extending the end sections out of the central section may be via a ratchet, frictional or quick-acting means.
11. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein once in position firmly against the sides of the aperture, the extended end sections are locked in position.
12. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means of locking the end sections includes friction.
13. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means of locking the end sections includes mechanical means.
14. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 11, wherein means of locking the end sections against the sides of the aperture once they have made contact includes a quick-acting means.
15. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any claim 12-14, wherein the member includes a torque monitoring means to warn if excessive stresses are being generated during the process of fixing the member in place.
16. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the torque monitoring means provides and an audible and / or visual warning if an excessive stress is detected.
17. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claims 15 or 16, wherein the power for the torque monitoring means is provided by a battery or rechargeable cell.
18. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claims 15 or 16, wherein the power for the torque monitoring means is provided by using some of the energy input to secure the member in 35 position.
19. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member includes a spirit level, or equivalent means, to check that the member is essentially horizontal or vertical.
20. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a load spreading and / or cushioning means is provided at the distal end of each end section to avoid damaging the fabric of the sides of the aperture.
21. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein positioning brackets are provided at the distal ends of the end sections to locate the end sections in relationship to the edges of the sides of the aperture.
22. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of members is used to form a set of barriers across the aperture.
23. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 22, wherein further members are provided at right angles to the plurality of barrier members to form a matrix of members across the aperture.
24. Safety apparatus, as claimed in claim 23, wherein clips are provided to connect the further members to the barrier members and so form the matrix.
25. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein brick guards are provided to fit on the member(s) across the aperture.
26. Safety apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein toe boards are provided to fit across the aperture.
27. Safety apparatus, as described in and by the above statement with reference to Figures 2-5 of the accompanying drawings.