EP0889178A1 - A support system - Google Patents
A support system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0889178A1 EP0889178A1 EP98305291A EP98305291A EP0889178A1 EP 0889178 A1 EP0889178 A1 EP 0889178A1 EP 98305291 A EP98305291 A EP 98305291A EP 98305291 A EP98305291 A EP 98305291A EP 0889178 A1 EP0889178 A1 EP 0889178A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- support system
- platform
- securing
- safety barrier
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G3/00—Scaffolds essentially supported by building constructions, e.g. adjustable in height
- E04G3/22—Scaffolds essentially supported by building constructions, e.g. adjustable in height supported by roofs or ceilings
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G21/00—Preparing, conveying, or working-up building materials or building elements in situ; Other devices or measures for constructional work
- E04G21/32—Safety or protective measures for persons during the construction of buildings
- E04G21/3261—Safety-nets; Safety mattresses; Arrangements on buildings for connecting safety-lines
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G21/00—Preparing, conveying, or working-up building materials or building elements in situ; Other devices or measures for constructional work
- E04G21/32—Safety or protective measures for persons during the construction of buildings
- E04G21/3261—Safety-nets; Safety mattresses; Arrangements on buildings for connecting safety-lines
- E04G21/3266—Safety nets
Definitions
- This invention relates to a support system for use for example in the construction industry for supporting a workman whilst working above a supporting surface such as the ground.
- a support system for supporting a user over a void which work support system comprises:
- the material from which the first layer is made and the construction of that layer may take any suitable form which allows the layer when placed under tension to be capable of supporting a person's weight. In addition they should allow the layer to be lightweight and easily portable.
- the material and construction is preferably such that the reaction of the first layer under load is one of elastic deformation. In such a case the first layer can be reversibly tensioned and slackened. Suitable materials include sufficiently strong yet elastic pure or composite metallic or plastics materials or woven or non-woven fabrics and combinations of those materials.
- the first layer may be made of a single material or formed from several layers of different materials.
- the material may be in the form of a continuous sheet, for example, of either woven or non-woven material, but more preferably the material is in the form of a net.
- the net may be knotted or preferably knotless in structure and the cords or fibres from which the net is formed may be of a single or composite material.
- the cords are greater in diameter than those from which conventional construction industry safety nets are formed, e.g. they are greater than 4mm, more preferably 5mm or greater in diameter.
- the first layer may be provided with an edge member for strengthening it along its edges.
- Such an edge member is particularly preferred for longitudinal edges of the layer.
- the edge member may take the form of a sheath enclosing a part of the edge of the layer. Where the first layer is in the form of a net the edge member may enclose several of the longitudinal cords from which the net is formed.
- Such an edge member is preferably such as to increase the stiffness of the first layer particularly at its edges allowing it to respond well to pretensioning and perpendicular loading.
- the edge member may also be of assistance in the securing of the first layer to a structure.
- the support system of the present invention preferably additionally comprises:
- the second, or safety barrier layer may be a component of the system which is separate from the first, or platform layer or it may be attached to the first, or platform layer at one or more positions so that they form a single or integral component of the system.
- the second, or safety barrier layer and the first, or platform layer may be joined at discrete positions, preferably in their peripheral regions, or they may be joined continuously around their entire peripheries.
- the second layer is preferably of substantially the same external shape as the first layer.
- the second layer should, however, be of greater dimensions than the first layer so that when the first layer is placed under tension the second layer is not in tension to the same degree but is suspended with play below the platform thus formed and is able to carry out its safety function, i.e. able to check the fall of heavy objects or workman falling from above in the event of failure of the first layer. It has been found that to allow both layers to perform their function best it is advantageous that the safety barrier layer be between 10 per cent and 5 per cent greater in area than the area of the first or platform layer.
- the means by which the second or safety barrier layer may be secured to the structure may be those by which the platform layer is so attached, i.e. they may share the securing means. They may directly or indirectly share those means. If, for example, the two layers were attached to one another, securing means provided on one of the layers could indirectly be used to secure the other layer. Although the two layers could be secured to the structure at the same places and by the same means, if either the securing means or the structure to which the layers are secured fails in some way, both layers would be affected by that failure.
- the safety barrier layer is independently secured to the structure so that if a failure of the securing means of the platform layer or of the structure to which the platform layer is secured occurs for some reason the safety barrier will remain securely fastened. A workman on that platform would then fall to the waiting safety barrier below.
- the safety barrier layer can be independently secured to the structure whether or not it is attached to the platform layer, so that even in an integral system it can serve as a safety back up in case of the type of failure outlined above.
- the material from which the safety barrier layer may be formed and its construction may be any material and construction suitable for carrying out the required safety function, in other words any material whose strength and construction is such as to be able to support a falling person's weight and break their fall.
- the material and construction is preferably such that the reaction under load of the second or safety barrier layer is substantially exclusively one of plastic deformation. That deformation may take place in the material itself (such as is required for a knotless safety net) or in the construction (such as by tightening of knots in a knotted safety net). In either case the layer is capable of absorbing the energy of a falling object with minimal bounce.
- the second layer is preferably capable of withstanding a force of up to 6kN.
- any safety net for example those conventionally used in the construction industry, may be used for the manufacture of the safety barrier layer.
- Such conventional safety nets may, for example, be formed from nylon mesh. It is, however, preferred that the safety barrier layer be made from the same material as that used for the platform layer and for that material to be substantially identical in construction.
- the support system of the present invention preferably also comprises:
- the debris collector is above the safety barrier and situated directly below the working platform so that an object dropped onto the debris collector can be retrieved by personnel on the platform.
- the debris collector layer may be a component separate from both the platform layer and the safety barrier layer or it may be attached to one or both of those layers. In one embodiment of the present invention all three layers are attached to each other so that they form an integral component. The attachment of the layers may be at discrete positions or continuously around their peripheries.
- the debris collector layer is preferably of substantially the same external shape as the platform layer. It may be of substantially the same size as that layer as well, but it is preferred that it is of greater dimension than the platform layer so that when the platform layer is placed under tension the debris collector is not in tension to the same degree but is suspended slightly below the platform and is able to carry out its debris collecting function, i.e. it is able to prevent the fall of small (but heavy) objects, such as nuts and bolts or shavings of building materials and the like, from falling to the ground below.
- the debris collector layer is preferably about 10 per cent, more preferably 5 per cent, greater in area than the area of the platform layer.
- the debris collector layer is substantially the same or smaller in size than the safety barrier layer.
- the means by which the debris collector layer may be secured may be the same as those for the platform layer.
- the securing means may be shared directly or indirectly and the debris collector layer may be independently or dependently secured to the structure.
- Materials suitable for use in the manufacture of the debris collector layer are as given above for the other layers of the system. As the requirements of the debris collector layer are not as great as those for the other layers, a lower specification, cheaper material may be used for its manufacture. The material merely needs to be able to collect small falling objects and if possible prevent them from falling further below. Any known debris collector net, such as those conventionally used in the construction industry, may be used, e.g. a fine mesh debris collector net or tarpaulin.
- the individual layers of the support system of the present invention may be attached to each other as described above by any conventional means, e.g. by sewing, lashing, staples or any other conventional fastening or attachment means.
- the layers may be joined by each being attached to a border piece extending along a part or all of the periphery of the layers. Again the layers may be attached to such a border piece by any conventional means.
- the border piece may take any suitable form.
- the securing means by which the system is secured in place for use may take any conventional form. Those means may secure the system directly onto a structure or indirectly via a fastening means itself secured to the structure by suitable and conventional means.
- Fastening means secured to the structure e.g. ropes, hooks, clasps or clamps, may be fastened onto one or more of the layers. Such fastening may take place via securing rings or the like provided on the layers.
- fastening may be through the structure of the layers themselves, in particular when the layers are formed from a net or mesh structure or a specific fabric weave. In this case the securing means is a part of the layers themselves and not a separate component.
- the fastening means takes the form of a cord or rope which is woven in and out of the holes in the net.
- a cord may extend along one or more of the edges of the net, e.g. along its longitudinal edges, or more preferably around the whole border or periphery of the net.
- a single fastening rope may be used to secure one or two or all three of the layers.
- Tie ropes or cords are fastened to the or each fastening rope to secure the layer or layers to the structure.
- Suitably high tensile rope, cables and other means for fastening and securing the system will be well known to the skilled man. Any fastening rope used to secure the first layer should be able to take and distribute the load applied to the platform.
- the positioning of the securing means may be varied according to the particular use required for the system.
- the system may, for example, be secured at discrete locations distributed around the periphery of the layers. They are preferably positioned so as to distribute the load evenly over the working platform. Either additionally or in place of securing the system around its periphery the system may be secured at places within the interior of the layers.
- the shape of the working platform can be varied by variation in the positions at which the system is secured to the structure.
- the overall size and shape of the system according to the present invention will depend on the nature of the working platform required and the dimensions and shape of the structure in which working is to take place.
- the system is inherently versatile allowing the shape of the platform to be varied in use depending upon its points of securement.
- different systems having layers of different size and shape can be manufactured.
- two systems e.g. two platform forming layers, can be joined together to form a larger system.
- the present invention is advantageous as it provides an easily assembled, easily removable, temporary, portable workstation which allows personnel to work at a height over a void. Its flexible nature allows it to be used in circumstances where scaffolding may not be possible due to the particular size and shape of the structure in which work is to be carried out. It is also cheaper and easier to erect than conventional scaffolding and mechanical access devices. Its ease of transportation and assembly allows the use of a high level working platform in more locations than previously possible. In addition its flexibility allows it to be fitted into odd shaped or sized areas and provide a work platform covering the whole of the floor area of a structure or simply a part of that area. In addition it is easily movable around within that area.
- the working platform provided by the present invention is safe for personnel, even those working at a considerable height. In addition preferred embodiments of the invention guard those below against falling tools, building materials or the like and provide a safety barrier to prevent personnel from falling to the ground.
- the work support system shown in Figure 1 comprises a substantially rectangular working platform 1 formed from a flexible material held in tension. Below the working platform 1 is suspended a debris collecting net 2 also of substantially rectangular shape. The debris collecting net 2 is of greater area than the working platform 1 and is therefore not at the same tension and is suspended a little way below the working platform 1. Below both the working platform 1 and the debris collecting net 2 is suspended a safety net 3. The safety net 3 is also of substantially rectangular shape but is greater in area than either the working platform 1 or the debris collecting net 2 and is therefore suspended further below them both.
- the working platform 1, the debris collecting net 2 and the safety net 3 are all stitched together around their perimeters to a border piece 4.
- Connection or securing rings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d are provided at the corners of the working platform 1 around the border piece 4.
- Fastening ropes or ties 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d are attached to those securing rings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d at one end and to girders 7a, 7b of the building in which the working platform is being used at the other end.
- the safety net 3 is independently secured to another pair of girders 8a, 8b by means of further securing rings 9a, 9b, and fastening ropes 10a, 10b.
- the independent securing of the safety net 3 allows it to act as a safety barrier if the other means of securing the system fail.
- Additional securing rings 11 are situated within the area of the working platform and may be used to vary its size and shape, or to tension it to various other support members.
- the fastening ropes 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d are used to tie the composite net at a suitable tension to the surrounding structure to allow personnel to walk on the working platform 1.
- the working platform 1 is of 10 metre by 5 metres in area.
- the safety net 3 and the debris collecting net 2 are 5-10 per cent larger in area than the working platform 1, which is therefore rigged at a greater tension in use than those lower nets.
- the working platform 1 is formed of a 5mm diameter high tensile, multifilament polypropylene cord, 45mm knotless square net.
- the debris collecting net 2 is a fire retardant fine mesh debris net and the safety net 3 is of similar specification as the working platform 1 but is of a 100mm mesh net made from 4.5mm diameter mutifilament polypropylene with a cord strength of 2.6kN breaking strain.
- the border piece 4 is formed from 11.2 mm three strand nylon rope tested to 30kN breaking strain.
- the fastening ties are 2 metre long and of the same specification as the border piece to which it is attached at preferably 0.75 metre intervals.
- a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4. It is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 save that the working platform 12, the debris collector 13 and the safety net 14 are separate components.
- the platform 12 has a fastening rope 15 interwoven through the mesh of its net around its periphery close to its edge. It is secured to a part of the structure 16 by tie ropes 17 which pass around the fastening rope 15, pass around the part of the structure 16 and are then securely knotted. The length of the tie ropes 17 can be shortened to increase the tension in the platform 12.
- the safety net 14 has its own fastening rope 18 around its border by which further tie ropes 19 attach it to the part of the structure 16. The fastenings and tie ropes are all capable of withstanding a force of 30kN.
- the debris collector 13 is secured simply by cable ties (not shown). The embodiment is shown with tie ropes positioned every 0.5m along the length of the platform. The rigging is tight to the structure to eliminate as far as possible any gaps occurring between adjacent ties
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- Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
Abstract
A support system for supporting a user over a void
comprises a first layer (1) of a flexible material; and
means (4) for securing the first layer under tension to
a fixed structure, the arrangement being such that when
the first layer (1) is secured to the fixed structure and
placed under tension the system forms a temporary
platform which is capable of supporting the weight of a
user and of providing him with freedom to move over the
platform whilst being so supported. A second layer (2)
acts as a safety net and is separately secured to a fixed
structure. An intermediate layer (2) of finer mesh acts
to prevent detritus from working operation from falling
to the ground.
Description
This invention relates to a support system for use for
example in the construction industry for supporting a
workman whilst working above a supporting surface such as
the ground.
In the construction industry workmen are often required
to work at a height above a void, for example at a height
within a building or structure or over a pit. During,
for example, the erection of large warehouses or
buildings made from metal girders securely fastened by
bolts or other fastenings a great deal of the work has to
take place at a height above ground level. In order to
allow personnel to reach the point of work and remain
there safely while work is carried out it is necessary to
erect scaffolding or use some other mechanical access
device. Such conventional methods are expensive to use
or put in place and in some cases, depending on the
particular construction being carried out or the shape or
use of the building upon which work is being carried out,
may be impractical or impossible to use. In addition
high level work involves a risk to personnel working at
the elevated point of work and also to those below who
are in danger of being hit by either falling personnel or
objects falling from above. Although the use of safety
nets and debris collecting nets is known, for example as
described in GB-A-2228036 and US 5582266, these have
merely been capable of preventing dropped objects from
falling to the ground or of breaking the fall of
personnel. They still require the use of conventional
scaffolding having all of the disadvantages outlined
above.
There is, therefore, a need for a versatile means of
providing access to an elevated point of work, which is
easy and cheap to assemble and which may be used in
instances where access for conventional scaffolding is
not available or would be too expensive. The present
invention meets that need as is described in detail
below.
According to the present invention there is provided a
support system for supporting a user over a void, which
work support system comprises:
The material from which the first layer is made and the
construction of that layer may take any suitable form
which allows the layer when placed under tension to be
capable of supporting a person's weight. In addition
they should allow the layer to be lightweight and easily
portable. The material and construction is preferably
such that the reaction of the first layer under load is
one of elastic deformation. In such a case the first
layer can be reversibly tensioned and slackened.
Suitable materials include sufficiently strong yet
elastic pure or composite metallic or plastics materials
or woven or non-woven fabrics and combinations of those
materials. The first layer may be made of a single
material or formed from several layers of different
materials. The material may be in the form of a
continuous sheet, for example, of either woven or non-woven
material, but more preferably the material is in
the form of a net. The net may be knotted or preferably
knotless in structure and the cords or fibres from which
the net is formed may be of a single or composite
material. Preferably the cords are greater in diameter
than those from which conventional construction industry
safety nets are formed, e.g. they are greater than 4mm,
more preferably 5mm or greater in diameter.
The first layer may be provided with an edge member for
strengthening it along its edges. Such an edge member is
particularly preferred for longitudinal edges of the
layer. The edge member may take the form of a sheath
enclosing a part of the edge of the layer. Where the
first layer is in the form of a net the edge member may
enclose several of the longitudinal cords from which the
net is formed. Such an edge member is preferably such as
to increase the stiffness of the first layer particularly
at its edges allowing it to respond well to pretensioning
and perpendicular loading. The edge member
may also be of assistance in the securing of the first
layer to a structure.
The support system of the present invention preferably
additionally comprises:
The second, or safety barrier layer may be a component of
the system which is separate from the first, or platform
layer or it may be attached to the first, or platform
layer at one or more positions so that they form a single
or integral component of the system. The second, or
safety barrier layer and the first, or platform layer may
be joined at discrete positions, preferably in their
peripheral regions, or they may be joined continuously
around their entire peripheries.
The second layer is preferably of substantially the same
external shape as the first layer. The second layer
should, however, be of greater dimensions than the first
layer so that when the first layer is placed under
tension the second layer is not in tension to the same
degree but is suspended with play below the platform thus
formed and is able to carry out its safety function, i.e.
able to check the fall of heavy objects or workman
falling from above in the event of failure of the first
layer. It has been found that to allow both layers to
perform their function best it is advantageous that the
safety barrier layer be between 10 per cent and 5 per
cent greater in area than the area of the first or
platform layer.
The means by which the second or safety barrier layer may
be secured to the structure may be those by which the
platform layer is so attached, i.e. they may share the
securing means. They may directly or indirectly share
those means. If, for example, the two layers were
attached to one another, securing means provided on one
of the layers could indirectly be used to secure the
other layer. Although the two layers could be secured to
the structure at the same places and by the same means,
if either the securing means or the structure to which
the layers are secured fails in some way, both layers
would be affected by that failure. It is, therefore,
preferred that the safety barrier layer is independently
secured to the structure so that if a failure of the
securing means of the platform layer or of the structure
to which the platform layer is secured occurs for some
reason the safety barrier will remain securely fastened.
A workman on that platform would then fall to the
waiting safety barrier below. The safety barrier layer
can be independently secured to the structure whether or
not it is attached to the platform layer, so that even in
an integral system it can serve as a safety back up in
case of the type of failure outlined above.
The material from which the safety barrier layer may be
formed and its construction may be any material and
construction suitable for carrying out the required
safety function, in other words any material whose
strength and construction is such as to be able to
support a falling person's weight and break their fall.
The material and construction is preferably such that the
reaction under load of the second or safety barrier layer
is substantially exclusively one of plastic deformation.
That deformation may take place in the material itself
(such as is required for a knotless safety net) or in the
construction (such as by tightening of knots in a knotted
safety net). In either case the layer is capable of
absorbing the energy of a falling object with minimal
bounce. The second layer is preferably capable of
withstanding a force of up to 6kN. The materials
described above as being suitable for the platform layer
would also be suitable for the barrier layer and those
two layers may be made from the same or different
materials and have the same or different constructions.
Any safety net, for example those conventionally used in
the construction industry, may be used for the
manufacture of the safety barrier layer. Such
conventional safety nets may, for example, be formed from
nylon mesh. It is, however, preferred that the safety
barrier layer be made from the same material as that used
for the platform layer and for that material to be
substantially identical in construction.
The support system of the present invention preferably
also comprises:
In use it is preferred that the debris collector is above
the safety barrier and situated directly below the
working platform so that an object dropped onto the
debris collector can be retrieved by personnel on the
platform.
The debris collector layer may be a component separate
from both the platform layer and the safety barrier layer
or it may be attached to one or both of those layers. In
one embodiment of the present invention all three layers
are attached to each other so that they form an integral
component. The attachment of the layers may be at
discrete positions or continuously around their
peripheries.
The debris collector layer is preferably of substantially
the same external shape as the platform layer. It may be
of substantially the same size as that layer as well, but
it is preferred that it is of greater dimension than the
platform layer so that when the platform layer is placed
under tension the debris collector is not in tension to
the same degree but is suspended slightly below the
platform and is able to carry out its debris collecting
function, i.e. it is able to prevent the fall of small
(but heavy) objects, such as nuts and bolts or shavings
of building materials and the like, from falling to the
ground below. The debris collector layer is preferably
about 10 per cent, more preferably 5 per cent, greater in
area than the area of the platform layer.
It is preferred that the debris collector layer is
substantially the same or smaller in size than the safety
barrier layer.
The means by which the debris collector layer may be
secured may be the same as those for the platform layer.
As described above in relation to the safety barrier
layer the securing means may be shared directly or
indirectly and the debris collector layer may be
independently or dependently secured to the structure.
Materials suitable for use in the manufacture of the
debris collector layer are as given above for the other
layers of the system. As the requirements of the debris
collector layer are not as great as those for the other
layers, a lower specification, cheaper material may be
used for its manufacture. The material merely needs to
be able to collect small falling objects and if possible
prevent them from falling further below. Any known
debris collector net, such as those conventionally used
in the construction industry, may be used, e.g. a fine
mesh debris collector net or tarpaulin.
The individual layers of the support system of the
present invention may be attached to each other as
described above by any conventional means, e.g. by
sewing, lashing, staples or any other conventional
fastening or attachment means. The layers may be joined
by each being attached to a border piece extending along
a part or all of the periphery of the layers. Again the
layers may be attached to such a border piece by any
conventional means. The border piece may take any
suitable form.
The securing means by which the system is secured in
place for use may take any conventional form. Those
means may secure the system directly onto a structure or
indirectly via a fastening means itself secured to the
structure by suitable and conventional means. Fastening
means secured to the structure, e.g. ropes, hooks, clasps
or clamps, may be fastened onto one or more of the
layers. Such fastening may take place via securing rings
or the like provided on the layers. Alternatively
fastening may be through the structure of the layers
themselves, in particular when the layers are formed from
a net or mesh structure or a specific fabric weave. In
this case the securing means is a part of the layers
themselves and not a separate component. A preferred
example of this is where the fastening means takes the
form of a cord or rope which is woven in and out of the
holes in the net. Such a cord may extend along one or
more of the edges of the net, e.g. along its longitudinal
edges, or more preferably around the whole border or
periphery of the net. A single fastening rope may be
used to secure one or two or all three of the layers.
Tie ropes or cords are fastened to the or each fastening
rope to secure the layer or layers to the structure.
Suitably high tensile rope, cables and other means for
fastening and securing the system will be well known to
the skilled man. Any fastening rope used to secure the
first layer should be able to take and distribute the
load applied to the platform. It preferably is able to
take a force of at least 30kN. It is also preferred that
any fastening rope for the safety barrier forming layer
is also able to withstand such a force. The positioning
of the securing means may be varied according to the
particular use required for the system. The system may,
for example, be secured at discrete locations distributed
around the periphery of the layers. They are preferably
positioned so as to distribute the load evenly over the
working platform. Either additionally or in place of
securing the system around its periphery the system may
be secured at places within the interior of the layers.
The shape of the working platform can be varied by
variation in the positions at which the system is secured
to the structure.
The overall size and shape of the system according to the
present invention will depend on the nature of the
working platform required and the dimensions and shape of
the structure in which working is to take place. The
system is inherently versatile allowing the shape of the
platform to be varied in use depending upon its points of
securement. In addition different systems having layers
of different size and shape can be manufactured.
Further, when required two systems, e.g. two platform
forming layers, can be joined together to form a larger
system.
The present invention is advantageous as it provides an
easily assembled, easily removable, temporary, portable
workstation which allows personnel to work at a height
over a void. Its flexible nature allows it to be used in
circumstances where scaffolding may not be possible due
to the particular size and shape of the structure in
which work is to be carried out. It is also cheaper and
easier to erect than conventional scaffolding and
mechanical access devices. Its ease of transportation
and assembly allows the use of a high level working
platform in more locations than previously possible. In
addition its flexibility allows it to be fitted into odd
shaped or sized areas and provide a work platform
covering the whole of the floor area of a structure or
simply a part of that area. In addition it is easily
movable around within that area. The working platform
provided by the present invention is safe for personnel,
even those working at a considerable height. In addition
preferred embodiments of the invention guard those below
against falling tools, building materials or the like and
provide a safety barrier to prevent personnel from
falling to the ground.
For a better understanding of the present invention, and
to show how the same may be put into effect, reference
will now be made, for purposes of illustration only, to
the accompanying drawings in which:
The work support system shown in Figure 1 comprises a
substantially rectangular working platform 1 formed from
a flexible material held in tension. Below the working
platform 1 is suspended a debris collecting net 2 also of
substantially rectangular shape. The debris collecting
net 2 is of greater area than the working platform 1 and
is therefore not at the same tension and is suspended a
little way below the working platform 1. Below both the
working platform 1 and the debris collecting net 2 is
suspended a safety net 3. The safety net 3 is also of
substantially rectangular shape but is greater in area
than either the working platform 1 or the debris
collecting net 2 and is therefore suspended further below
them both. The working platform 1, the debris collecting
net 2 and the safety net 3 are all stitched together
around their perimeters to a border piece 4. Connection
or securing rings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, are provided at the
corners of the working platform 1 around the border piece
4. Fastening ropes or ties 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, are attached
to those securing rings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d at one end and to
girders 7a, 7b of the building in which the working
platform is being used at the other end. The safety net
3 is independently secured to another pair of girders 8a,
8b by means of further securing rings 9a, 9b, and
fastening ropes 10a, 10b. The independent securing of the
safety net 3 allows it to act as a safety barrier if the
other means of securing the system fail. Additional
securing rings 11 are situated within the area of the
working platform and may be used to vary its size and
shape, or to tension it to various other support members.
The fastening ropes 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d are used to tie the
composite net at a suitable tension to the surrounding
structure to allow personnel to walk on the working
platform 1. The working platform 1 is of 10 metre by 5
metres in area. The safety net 3 and the debris
collecting net 2 are 5-10 per cent larger in area than
the working platform 1, which is therefore rigged at a
greater tension in use than those lower nets. The
working platform 1 is formed of a 5mm diameter high
tensile, multifilament polypropylene cord, 45mm knotless
square net. The debris collecting net 2 is a fire
retardant fine mesh debris net and the safety net 3 is of
similar specification as the working platform 1 but is of
a 100mm mesh net made from 4.5mm diameter mutifilament
polypropylene with a cord strength of 2.6kN breaking
strain. The border piece 4 is formed from 11.2 mm three
strand nylon rope tested to 30kN breaking strain. The
fastening ties are 2 metre long and of the same
specification as the border piece to which it is attached
at preferably 0.75 metre intervals.
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Figures 3 and 4. It is similar to that shown in Figures
1 and 2 save that the working platform 12, the debris
collector 13 and the safety net 14 are separate
components. The platform 12 has a fastening rope 15
interwoven through the mesh of its net around its
periphery close to its edge. It is secured to a part of
the structure 16 by tie ropes 17 which pass around the
fastening rope 15, pass around the part of the structure
16 and are then securely knotted. The length of the tie
ropes 17 can be shortened to increase the tension in the
platform 12. The safety net 14 has its own fastening
rope 18 around its border by which further tie ropes 19
attach it to the part of the structure 16. The
fastenings and tie ropes are all capable of withstanding
a force of 30kN. The debris collector 13 is secured
simply by cable ties (not shown). The embodiment is
shown with tie ropes positioned every 0.5m along the
length of the platform. The rigging is tight to the
structure to eliminate as far as possible any gaps
occurring between adjacent ties.
For health and safety compliance personnel using the
working platform according to the present invention
should also be attached to an independent anchorage point
via a rope safety line.
Claims (12)
- A support system for supporting a user over a void, which work support system comprises:a first layer of a flexible material; andmeans for securing the first layer under tension to a fixed structure,
- A support system according to Claim 1, which additionally comprises:a second layer of a flexible material, andmeans for securing the second to a fixed structure, the arrangement being such that in use with the first layer under tension the second layer is suspended below the platform thus formed to form a safety barrier.
- A support system according to Claim 2, wherein the first layer and the second layer are joined to each other so as to form a single component of the system.
- A support system according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the second layer is greater in area than the area of the first layer.
- A support system according to Claim 4, where the second layer is between 5 percent and 10 per cent greater in area than the first layer.
- A support system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, which additionally comprises:a third layer of flexible material, andmeans for securing the third layer to a structure, the arrangement being such that in use with the first layer in tension the third layer is suspended below the platform thus formed to form a debris collector.
- A work support system according to Claim 6, wherein, the first layer, the second layer and the third layer are joined together to form a single component.
- A method of providing a support system capable of supporting a user above a void, which method comprises:placing under sufficient tension a first layer of flexible material capable, when under sufficient tension, of supporting the weight of a user so as to form a temporary platform; andsecuring the tensioned layer to a structure.
- A method according to Claim 8, which additionally comprises providing a safety barrier below the working platform and independently securing the safety barrier to the structure.
- A method according to Claim 9, which additionally comprises providing a debris collector between the working platform and the safety barrier.
- A support system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
- A method of providing a support system substantially as hereinafter described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9714163.4A GB9714163D0 (en) | 1997-07-04 | 1997-07-04 | Work positioning net |
GB9714163 | 1997-07-04 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0889178A1 true EP0889178A1 (en) | 1999-01-07 |
Family
ID=10815397
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP98305291A Withdrawn EP0889178A1 (en) | 1997-07-04 | 1998-07-02 | A support system |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0889178A1 (en) |
GB (2) | GB9714163D0 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2392948A (en) * | 2002-09-14 | 2004-03-17 | Oxford Invest & Consulting Gro | Double safety net |
FR2865753A1 (en) * | 2004-01-31 | 2005-08-05 | Stacco | Platform for temporary or permanent construction e.g. theatre, has openwork structure defining support surface and formed by networks of cables, and suspension cable or chain passes through mesh of structure |
WO2007092984A1 (en) * | 2006-02-13 | 2007-08-23 | Access Management (Wa) Pty Ltd | Working platform |
AU2006200539B2 (en) * | 2006-02-08 | 2008-05-15 | Catchmats Pty Ltd | A Catch Platform Assembly |
CN102418423A (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2012-04-18 | 湖南省第三工程有限公司 | Safety device |
NO20170002A1 (en) * | 2017-01-02 | 2018-07-03 | Voele As | MOONPOOL SAFETY NETWORK |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB0326325D0 (en) * | 2003-11-12 | 2003-12-17 | Core Technical Services Ltd | Apparatus |
CN111894295A (en) * | 2020-07-29 | 2020-11-06 | 牛东辉 | Building site construction protection device for preventing high altitude from falling |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE104039C (en) * | ||||
US2024904A (en) * | 1934-09-27 | 1935-12-17 | Ernest G Amesbury | Catwalk |
FR1482175A (en) * | 1966-04-08 | 1967-05-26 | Device for protecting personnel against falls in construction work | |
GB2228036A (en) | 1989-01-21 | 1990-08-15 | Hempsted Group Holdings Ltd | Safety devices for buildings |
DE9102620U1 (en) * | 1991-03-05 | 1991-05-23 | Eternit Ag, 4040 Neuss, De | |
US5299655A (en) * | 1993-05-20 | 1994-04-05 | Nicholas Margaritis | Workplace support and enclosure |
US5582266A (en) | 1994-09-15 | 1996-12-10 | Rexroad; John | Safety/debris net system |
-
1997
- 1997-07-04 GB GBGB9714163.4A patent/GB9714163D0/en not_active Ceased
-
1998
- 1998-07-02 EP EP98305291A patent/EP0889178A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1998-07-03 GB GB9814348A patent/GB2328705B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE104039C (en) * | ||||
US2024904A (en) * | 1934-09-27 | 1935-12-17 | Ernest G Amesbury | Catwalk |
FR1482175A (en) * | 1966-04-08 | 1967-05-26 | Device for protecting personnel against falls in construction work | |
GB2228036A (en) | 1989-01-21 | 1990-08-15 | Hempsted Group Holdings Ltd | Safety devices for buildings |
DE9102620U1 (en) * | 1991-03-05 | 1991-05-23 | Eternit Ag, 4040 Neuss, De | |
US5299655A (en) * | 1993-05-20 | 1994-04-05 | Nicholas Margaritis | Workplace support and enclosure |
US5582266A (en) | 1994-09-15 | 1996-12-10 | Rexroad; John | Safety/debris net system |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2392948A (en) * | 2002-09-14 | 2004-03-17 | Oxford Invest & Consulting Gro | Double safety net |
FR2865753A1 (en) * | 2004-01-31 | 2005-08-05 | Stacco | Platform for temporary or permanent construction e.g. theatre, has openwork structure defining support surface and formed by networks of cables, and suspension cable or chain passes through mesh of structure |
AU2006200539B2 (en) * | 2006-02-08 | 2008-05-15 | Catchmats Pty Ltd | A Catch Platform Assembly |
WO2007092984A1 (en) * | 2006-02-13 | 2007-08-23 | Access Management (Wa) Pty Ltd | Working platform |
AU2006269837B2 (en) * | 2006-02-13 | 2008-11-13 | Access Management (Wa) Pty Ltd | Working platform |
CN102418423A (en) * | 2011-09-30 | 2012-04-18 | 湖南省第三工程有限公司 | Safety device |
NO20170002A1 (en) * | 2017-01-02 | 2018-07-03 | Voele As | MOONPOOL SAFETY NETWORK |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9814348D0 (en) | 1998-09-02 |
GB9714163D0 (en) | 1997-09-10 |
GB2328705A (en) | 1999-03-03 |
GB2328705B (en) | 2000-05-10 |
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