GB2357112A

GB2357112A - Safety line system

Info

Publication number: GB2357112A
Application number: GB9928441A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jason Paul Mcinulty
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-01
Filing date: 1999-12-01
Publication date: 2001-06-13
Also published as: GB9928441D0

Abstract

The safety line system has two or more spaced-apart supports 12/20 that are fixed adjacent to the perimeter of the structure 50 and which support at least one cable 11. An attachment means 14, with which a personal safety line 40 can be attached, can be secured to the cable so that it is slidable along the cable in use. The supports are preferably formed from scaffolding poles 20 to which brackets 12 are secured which in turn support the cable and the system preferably also has a second cable 21, similar to the first, to which equipment etc. can be secured to. The cables preferably extend around the whole perimeter of the structure so that they can be tightened using a single device, e.g. a ratchet.

Description

2357112 Safetv line svstem The invention relates to a safety line system.

Safety regulations require that workmen working at a height of more than 2 metres must be protected from failing and injuring themselves. In order that workers may construct the perimeter of buildings, both external and internal fail protection is required. External fall protection typically consists in scaffolding and flooring placed around the perimeter of the building whilst the internal fall protection consists in temporary platforms, towers, airbags, etc positioned within the perimeter of the building. Since the spacing between floors is typically more than the maximum 2 metre fall distance, the requirement for internal protection is still required even if each floor is installed as the building is constructed. Such floor installation is not always convenient. Providing internal fall protection by erecting temporary supports within the perimeter of a building can be costly, time consuming and not always practical.

There is a need to provide a safety system for protecting workmen from failing which can be conveniently assembled in a range of working environments at relatively low cost. Furthermore, there is a requirement for a safety system which does not restrict the workmen from working freely and uninterrupted.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety line system including cable means comprising a first cable and two or more spaced supporting means which are fixed adjacent the perimeter of a structure and support the first cable, and one or more attaching means for attaching one or more first safety lines to the first cable, the one or more attaching means being slideable along the first cable when attached thereto 2 and when the first cable is restraining one or more persons secured to the one or more first safety lines.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a safety line system having a first cable and two or more spaced supporting means which are fixed adjacent the perimeter of a structure and support the first cable, and one or more attaching means for attaching one or more first safety lines thereto, including the steps of, attaching the one or more attaching means on the one or more first safety lines to the first cable, attaching an other part of the one or more first safety lines to the one or more persons so that the first cable is able to restrain the one or more persons, sliding the one or more attaching means and associated first safety lines along the first cable between adjacent supporting means.

Preferably the method also involves the step of either unattaching the one or more attaching means from the first cable and re-attaching the one or more attaching means to another position on the first cable or unattaching the one or more first safety lines from the one or more persons and re-attaching the one or more persons to the one or more other first safety lines which are moved to another position on the first cable.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the structure is formed from scaffolding tubes. The invention may also include a second high tensile cable which is supported by supporting means fixed' to at least two scaffolding posts of the scaffolding, and one or more of the attaching means for attaching one or more second safety lines thereto, the one or more attaching means and associated second safety lines being slideable along the second cable when attached thereto and when supporting one or more objects secured to the one or more second safety lines.

According to a feature of the invention the supporting means comprises a bracket and an eyehole fitting fixed to the free end thereof.

3 According to another feature of the invention the supporting means for the first and/or second cable comprises an eyehole fitting.

According to yet another feature of the invention the attaching means comprises an eye hole clip.

Also, the invention may include tensioning means for bringing the first and or second high tensile cable under tension. Preferably the tensioning means includes a ratchet, which is fixable to the first and or second cable. Preferably, the first and or second cable form a substantially complete loop around the structure.

To facilitate tensioning of cabling means it is preferably supported in such a manner that a single tensioning means can tension several sections thereof and more preferably can tension the entire cabling means.

One major advantage of the of the present invention is that it can be applied to existing structures, like scaffolding structures which are arranged only externally around the perimeter of buildings, so as to provide both internal and external fall protection. Consequently, the safety line system can be assembled in a convenient manner and at relatively low cost.

Another advantage of the invention is that workmen may work freely and uninterrupted.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective top view of a section of the safety line system fixed to the perimeter of a scaffolding structure, which is arranged around a building under construction.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the building under construction in Figure 1 showing the position of the first and second cables and the scaffolding 4 brackets of the safety line system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3(a) is a side view of an eyehole fitting according to a feature of the invention.

Figure 3(b) is a top view of the eyehole fitting shown in Figure 3(a).

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a safety line system 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention including a first cable 11 and support brackets 12. The first cable 11 is of a high tensile material, such as for example steel wire, and the support brackets 12 are of a suitably rigid material such as steel and may be fabricated from scaffold tubing. In this embodiment, the support brackets 12 are fixed above scaffold boards 30 to a respective vertical scaffolding post 20 some of which are located at the corners of a scaffolding structure.

The scaffolding structure is arranged around the perimeter of a building 50 under construction and fixed together according to known means. For extra support, some of the support brackets 12 may be fixed to intermediate scaffolding posts 20 which are located between the corners of the scaffolding structure, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each eye hole fitting 13, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), is fixed by known means, such as a bolt 13a, near the free end of an associated support bracket 12 and holds the first cable 11 by means of a ring 13b which is welded to a main body part of the fitting 13. The eyehole fitting 13 is made from a suitably rigid material, such as for example steel. An eyehole clip 14, which is fixed to one end of a first safety line 40, such as for example a rope or cable, is attachable to the first cable 11 between two adjacent support brackets 12 and is free to slide along the length of first cable situated therebetween.

The other end of the first safety line 40 is attachable to the harness of a worker (not shown). The first cable 11 is under sufficient tension so that, when the first safety line 40 is attached to the first cable 11, it supports the weight of the worker and prevents the worker from failing more than 2 meters in the event that he steps off the perimeter of the scaffold boards outwardly but more particularly inwardly. More than one safety line 40 may be attached to the first cable 11 in order to support more than one worker and the first cable 11 is of sufficient strength to support all the workers that are attached to the first cable 11 in the event that they all fall off the perimeter of the scaffolding boards at the same time. The length of the first safety line 40 and height of the first cable 11 above the scaffold boards 30 is selected so that the worker can work freely uninterrupted by both the first cable 11 and the first safety line 40 to which he is attached.

Typically, the distance between the scaffold boards 30 to the free end of the support bracket 12 will be in the region of 2 to 2.5 metres and the length of the first safety line will be about 1.5 metres.

The method of operating the safety line system 10 will now be explained. A worker standing on the scaffold boards 30 attaches his harness to the first safety line 40 and attaches the eyehole clip 14 on the other end of the first safety line to the first cable above him between two adjacent support brackets 12. When the worker moves around the perimeter of the building, the first safety line will slide freely along the first cable with the worker, enabling the worker to work freely and uninterrupted within the vicinity of the adjacent support brackets 12. If the worker steps off the side of the scaffold boards 30, the first cable will support his weight so that he is able to carry on working without failing. In order to continue moving and working around the perimeter of the building when the first safety line 40 reaches one of the two adjacent support brackets 12 between which it is attached, the worker may unclip the first safety line 40 from his harness and then attach his harness to another safety line 40 which is attached to the first cable 11 between the next two adjacent 6 brackets 12. Alternatively, he may unclip the first safety line from the first cable 11 and reattach it thereto between the next two adjacent brackets 12.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a second cable 21, also made of high tensile material and fixed at each end, is held by eyehole fittings 13 which are fixed directly to the scaffold posts 20, preferably near a scaffold handrail 31. Equipment attached to a second safety line 45 is attachable to and supportable by this second cable 21 in the same way as workers that are attached to the first safety line 40 are attachable to and supportable by the first cable 11 in the preferred embodiment. Workers can therefore move the equipment as required by sliding it along the second cable without any risk of the equipment falling in an unrestrained manner from the scaffold boards.

A cable tensioning means 41 is located adjacent one support bracket 12. The cable 11 extends continuously from the tensioning means around the building 50 and back to the support bracket to which the tensioning means 41 is secured so that operation of the tensioning means tensions the entire cable. The tensioning means is preferably in the form of a ratchet device of known kind which includes a winding barrel onto which the cable 11 may be wound and a pivoted handle for manually turning the barrel.

Alternatively, the barrel may be automatically wound using electro mechanical means. A similar tensioning means is provided for the second cable 21 if provided, Preferably, each cable is tightened to the point at which it is virtually rigid in order to prevent it from sagging and ensure that each safety line can slide freely along each cable.

Whilst a particular embodiment has been described, it will be understood that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It would, for example, be obvious to those skilled in the art that the supporting means are not restricted to being fixed to a 7 scaffolding structure such as that illustrated and described herein and may be used in conjunction with other kinds of structures without departing from the scope of the invention.

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Claims

A safety line system including cable means comprising a first cable and two more spaced supporting means which are fixed adjacent the perimeter of a structure and support the first cable, and one or more attaching means for attaching at least one person safety line to the first cable, the one or more attaching means being slideabie along the first cable when attached thereto and when the first cable is restraining the person(s) secured to the person safety line(s).
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the structure is formed from scaffolding posts.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2, including a second cable and supporting means for supporting the second cable fixed to at least two of the scaffolding posts, an attaching means slideable with the second cable for attaching one end of at least one object safety line thereto, the attached object safety line(s) being slideable along the second cable when attached thereto and when supporting one or more the object(s) secured to the other end of the object safety line(s).
4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the supporting means for the first cable comprises eye hole fittings.
5. A system as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the supporting means for the second cable comprises eye hole fittings.
6 A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the eye hole fittings are fixed to brackets.
7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the attaching means comprises eyehole clips.
8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, including tensioning means for bringing the or each cable under tension.
9 9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the or each tensioning means comprises a ratchet which is fixed to the ends of an associated one of the cables.
10. A system as claimed in claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein at least one of the first cable and the second cable form a substantially complete loop around the structure.
11. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first cable is supported in such a manner that a single tensioning means can tension more than one section of the cable means or the entire cable means.
12. A method of operating a safety line system having a first cable and two or. more spaced supporting means which are fixed adjacent the perimeter of a structure and support the first cable, and one or more attaching means for attaching at least one person safety line thereto, including the steps of, attaching the one or more attaching means on the person safety iine(s) to the first cable, attaching another part of the person safety line(s) to the person(s) so that the first cable is able to restrain the person(s), sliding the one or more attaching means and associated person safety line(s) along the first cable between adjacent supporting means.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, including the step of unattaching the one or more attaching means from the first cable and re-attaching the one or more attaching means to another position on the first cable.
14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or 13, including unattaching the person safety line(s) from the person(s) and re-attaching the person(s) to the person safety line(s).
15. A method as claimed in claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the safety line system includes a second cable and supporting means for supporting the second cable, one or more attaching means slideable with the second cable for attaching one end of at least one object safety line thereto including the steps of unattaching the object safety line(s) from the object(s) and re attaching the object safety line(s) to another position on the second cable.
16. A safety line system constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. A method of operating a safety line system, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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