Firth Steels & A-SAFE

Firth Steels Ltd, a leading manufacturer of steel profile products commissions A-SAFE to deliver a programme of safety solutions to its growing 6-acre industrial production site.

You can find more in the video.

Company

Based in Brighouse, Firth Steels distributes its steel products worldwide, often for the construction industry, but its roll-formed products can add value across a wide range of sectors. Customers include The Shard, Heathrow Terminal 5, Olympic Stadium and Wimbledon Centre, London.

The company's range includes a variety of profiled steel products, with roof and wall profiles, roof decks, Protex^® System, floor decks and more. Firth Steels also offers a range of finishes for their products, including polyester, plastisol, and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF).

The challenge

Firth Steels first contacted A-SAFE in 2022, when they enquired about barrier protection for its internal facility.

Firth Steels wanted to do business with a local company and A-SAFE Head Quarters, based in Elland, within the same metropolitan borough of Calderdale, presented an ideal beginning.

Firth Steels' business was growing exponentially. This growth led to the expansion of its existing six-acre state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility.

The site includes five industrial units, incorporating a new manufacturing line, steel coils, storage, distribution, recycling, and offices.

As the site became increasingly busy, Firth Steels recognised the need for additional investment in its site safety to protect people, property and assets.

• A-SAFE advanced polymer barriers protect STEEL profile manufacturers

• Approximately 200 metres of A-SAFE safety barriers and products installed to date

• A-SAFE provided safety expertise and a fully certified installation team

The A-SAFE solution

A-SAFE's safety expert and Business Development Manager, Lee Dunne, collaborated closely with Firth Steels to understand their business and operations. This partnership enabled the identification of potential on-site hazards and risk areas. Subsequently, they devised a fit-for-purpose safety solution, encompassing a program of safety projects tailored to meet operational requirements without impeding productivity.

The safety solutions included defining and safeguarding pedestrian routes, managing traffic, and protecting assets in Unit 2, the external yard, and the new area. These solutions leveraged A-SAFE's iFlex™ Double Traffic Barriers, iFlex™ Double Traffic Barriers+, and freestanding self-closing iFlex Swing Gates to regulate and manage pedestrian traffic.

The iFlex™ Double Traffic Barriers+, suitable for high-traffic environments where both pedestrians and heavy vehicles share space, features a double rail design for maximum resistance and protection against heavy vehicle impacts.

In Unit 2, at the steel recycling zone, Step Guards were strategically positioned 1 meter from the barriers along the walkway's exterior. These Step Guards were selected to provide ground-level and impact protection from forklift trucks and to shield pedestrians within the designated walkway from potential hazards associated with the overhanging self-tipping bin used for scrap metal storage.

Following the completion of the extension to the new production line, iFlex™ Double Traffic Barriers+ were installed, along with four 2-meter-high iFlex™ Bollards in Unit 3. These additions enhanced driver visibility, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles such as side loaders and forklifts transporting steel coils from storage to the production area. Additional 2-meter iFlex™ Bollards were installed near the doors to improve lorry driver visibility due to the cab's height.

At Firth Steels' new facility, Unit 5, 33 meters of iFlex™ Double Traffic Barriers+ and iFlex™ Swing Gates were installed to segregate pedestrians and protect production machinery from ongoing MHE (Material Handling Equipment) traffic. Step Guards were also deployed in the steel recycling zone to reduce pedestrian risk associated with the steel bin overhang.

A-SAFE's advanced polymer safety barriers and products have been specified and installed by their safety expert and a fully certified installation team, covering approximately 200 meters at the Firth Steels manufacturing facility.

With plans for further site upgrades, Firth Steels continues to collaborate with and trust A-SAFE to advance and deliver world-class protection for their assets, walkways, vehicle and pedestrian segregation, and overall safety.