GB2359586A

GB2359586A - Safety apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2359586A
Application number: GB0004475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Damian Harry Fielding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-02-26
Filing date: 2000-02-26
Publication date: 2001-08-29
Also published as: GB0004475D0

Abstract

The safety apparatus, primarily for use in the interior of a building which is being constructed, is formed from a net 28 that is supported by a number of supports 10. Each support is designed to be positioned at an angle so that its upper end may be secured against the inside of a surrounding wall 30 and its lower end may be secured either to a chamber joist 38 or the floor at a position inside of the surrounding wall. The upper portion of the support includes an attachment portion 20 to which the periphery of the net is attached. The apparatus may also include reinforcing elements that are secured to the supports and which act to stop the supports, and hence the net, being lifted upwards in the event of an impact load on the net.

Description

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

1 SAFETY APPARATUS 2359586 The present invention relates to safety apparatus and especially, but limited to, a support arrangement for building safety apparatus providing a catchment region for securement within a construction unit and a method of using that apparatus.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Construction workers are at risk from injury whilst working on the roof of an unfinished building. If the worker falls within the building the worker may land on the chamber joists of the first floor. Health and safety measures have been introduced which cite a maximum height that a worker is at risk from falling. This height is 0 less than distance between the chamber joists and the roof. Accordingly, apparatus to reduce this height is required.

One method of reducing height is to inf late a large mattress on top of the chamber joists in order to reduce the distance and also to produce a soft platform. However, such mattresses can be easily punctured within a building and especially due to workers dropping tools onto the mattress.

Another method of reducing the height is to construct a scaffolding unit from the ground which projects through the chamber joists and provides a raised platform.

4 2 However, such a platform is not efficient and takes a long time to erect. In addition a platform provides a hard surface on which to brake a fall.

Finally, blocks of polystyrene could be placed on the chamber joists and built up to reduce the potential falling distance. However, polystyrene blocks are very expensive and a large number would be required. Therefore, such a method is expensive and inefficient.

In construction, time constraints may be tight and it may be required to commence work on the roof as soon as the walls have been erected. However, the walls will need time in order to set properly and dry before load bearing apparatus is supported solely by the walls.

It is an aim of the present invention to overcome at least one problem associated with the prior art whether referred to herein or otherwise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided building safety apparatus comprising a substantially flexible catchment region which, in use, is arranged to catch a falling person and a support arrangement arranged, in use, to at least partially resist the force exerted on the catchment region when a person falls thereon and to at least partially transmit said 30 force to the floor.

3 The catchment region may be provided by a sheet material. Preferably the catchment region may be provided by a sheet of a net material.

Preferably the support arrangement transmits the force to the floor downwardly and inwardly with respect to the catchment region.

The support arrangement may comprise at least one support. Preferably the support arrangement comprises a plurality of supports. Preferably the or each support comprises an elongate member. Preferably the or each support has securement means located adjacent to a first end and preferably has support means located adjacent to a second end. Preferably the securement means is arrangable to secure the support to a floor member. Preferably the support means is arrangable to support at least a part of the periphery of the catchment region.

The securement means may be arrangable to secure the support directly or indirectly to a substantially horizontal member spaced from the ground and preferably to a chamber joist.

The elongate member may be arranged, in use, to project upwardly from a floor member. Preferably the elongate member is arranged, in use, to project upwardly at an angle from a floor member. Preferably the elongate member is arranged, in use, to project upwardly and preferably upwardly and outwardly from a floor member towards the inner periphery of the construction unit.

1 4 The securement means may comprise a plate member. Preferably the plate member is arranged at an angle to the elongate member. Preferably the plate member is substantially planar.

The plate member may have at least one aperture defined therein and preferably has four apertures defined therein. Preferably the plate member is arranged, in use, to secure the support to a floor member. Preferably the plate member is arranged to be secured to a floor member by securement members extending through the or each aperture defined in the plate. The securement members may comprise nails or screws or pins.

The support -means may be arranged, in use, to secure the support to a wall and preferably to a wall comprising block work.

The support means preferably comprises a support member. The support member may comprise means for retaining a part of a flexible member. The flexible member may be secured to the periphery of the catchment region and preferably is secured to the periphery of the catchment region by the use of cable ties. The flexible member may be a section of rope. The tension of the flexible member may be adjusted.

catchment region may be adjusted.

The tension of the The retaining means may comprise a shaped member. The shaped member maybe annular and may be an eyelet. The retaining means may be located on a shaft. The shaft may project from the support. The shaft may be partially threaded. Preferably the shaft is partially threaded adjacent to the end spaced from the retaining means.

The support means may comprise a plate member. The plate member may have an aperture defined therein. The aperture may enable the support member to extend therethrough. The plate member may have at least one securement aperture defined therein. The plate member may have four securement apertures defined therein. The or each securement aperture may be arranged, in use, to secure the support to a wall by a respective securement member extending therethrough. The or each securement member may comprise a nail or a screw or a pin.

The plate member may be substantially planar. The plate member may comprise a shaped surface. The plate member may comprise two sections which may be arranged at an angle to each other. The plate member may comprise two sections arranged substantially perpendicularly to each other.

-)o The safety apparatus may comprise reinforcement means.

The reinforcement means may be arranged, in use, to resist upwards movement of at least a part of a periphery of a catchment region. The reinforcement mean may comprise a reinforcement member.

The reinforcement member may be arranged, in use, to resist upwards movement of the support member. The reinforcement member may comprise a plate member. The plate member may have at least one securement aperture defined therein. The plate member may have four securement apertures defined therein. The or each securement aperture may be arranged, in use, to secure the reinforcement member to a wall by a respective securement 1 6 member extending therethrough. The or each securement member may comprise a nail or screw or pin.

The reinforcement member may be arranged, in use, to be connected to the support member. The reinforcement member may be connected to the support member by a connecting member. The length of the connecting member may be adjustable. The connecting member may comprise a section of metal cable or a section of a metal bar. The 10 connecting member may comprise two independent sections.

Preferably the apparatus is adapted to be located within a construction unit. The construction unit may be an unfinished building and may be an unfinished house.

The present invention includes building apparatus as herein described construction unit.

safety when installed in a The present invention also includes a method of using safety apparatus as herein referred to in which a falling person is caught by the catchment region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the drawings that follow, in which:

Figure 1 is a side Perspective view of a support for safety apparatus.

Figure supports.

7 2 is a side view of a safety net secured by Figure 3 is a plan view of a part of a safety net secured to a support.

Figure 4 is a side perspective view of a part of a safety net secured to a support.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a safety net secured by supports located within a construction unit.

Figure 6 is a front view of a support adapted to located within a corner of a construction unit.

is be Figure 7 is a side view of a support for safety apparatus having reinforcement means connected thereto.

Figure 8 is a side perspective view of a support for n () safety apparatus having reinforcement means connected thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in Figure 1, the support 10 for safety apparatus comprises an elongate member 12 which extends upwardly at angle to a base plate 14. At the opposite end of the elongate member is a wall plate 16. The base plate 14 has four apertures 18 defined therein. The apertures 18 are spaced apart and adjacent to each corner of the rectangular base plate 14. The base plate 14 may be of any geometrical shape. The number of apertures 18 defined in the base plate 14 may be varied. The apertures 18 4 8 enable pins (not shown) to extend therethrough and to secure the base plate 14 to a surface. Thesurface may comprise wooden planks to which the base plate 14 is nailed down. Alternatively, the base plate 14 may be screwed down to the surface.

The wall plate 16 has a support member in the form of a support pin 20 located through a laterally central aperture. The support pin 20 has a shaped member which may be annular and may comprise an eyelet 22 located at a first end. The support pin 20 has a threaded shaft 24 defined along a section adjacent to the opposite end of the support pin 20. Alternatively, the shaft may not be threaded and may be substantially smooth. The support pin 20 is preferably made of metal. The threaded shaft 24 is arranged, in use, to locate within a side wall (not shown) of a building.

The wall plate 16 may also have four securement 2 0 apertures 26 defined therein. The securement apertures 26 are spaced apart and are located adjacent to each of the corners of the wall plate 16. Again, the wall plate 16 may be of any geometrical shape and the number of securement apertures 26 may be varied. In one embodiment (not shown) the wall plate 16 may have no apertures defined therein.

As shown in Figure 2, each support 10 is arranged to support a part of the periphery of safety apparatus which may be in the form of a safety net 28. The safety net 28 provides a catchment region in order to catch a falling person. The safety net 28 may be located within a construction unit, for example an unfinished house. The 9 walls 30 of the house comprise an outer layer of brick work 32 and a layer of inner block work 36 spaced apart by a cavity 34. In order to erect the safety apparatus and the supports, holes are firstly drilled into the block work 36 in order for the threaded shaft 24 of the support pin 20 to engage therein. The threaded shaft 24 is secured within the hole in order to secure the support 10 to the block work 36. If the shaft of the support pin 20 is not threaded then the shaft is simply located within the hole. The wall plate 16 may be further secured to the block work 36 by nails or screws extending through the securement apertures 26.

chamber joists 38 comprise bisom beams (concrete beams) then wooden planks 39 may be layed on top of the bisom beams perpendicular to the orientation of the bisom beams. The base plate 14 of each support 10 is secured to the wooden planks or wooden chamber joists (not shown) by nails or screws.

If the The eyelet 22 of the support pin 20 is arranged to support the periphery of the safety net 28. The safety net 28, thereby, reduces the height that a worker would fall while working on the roof of an unfinished building. In addition, the safety net 28 provides a flexible and soft surface on which to break a fall.

If a worker falls on to the safety net 28 the force will be transmitted from the net and down the elongate 30 members 12 of the supports 10 and to the chamber joists. The angle that the supports extend downwardly from the walls 30 can be changed in order to adjust the transmission of the forces. If the elongate members extend upwardly at a steep angle in order to be substantially vertical then a significant amount of the force may also be transmitted to the block work. Alternatively, if the supports were not used and the safety net was simply secured to the block work 36 then all of the force would be transmitted to the block work 36. In this situation the block work 36 would be at danger from collapsing inwardly and onto the safety net and, thereby, onto the fallen worker.

The block work 36 is especially at risk from collapsing when the block work 36 has been recently erected. This may occur due to the time constraints of modern building methods. Time efficiency is important in constructing buildings. However, new block work takes a substantial time to become secure. Due to the time constraints, workers that work on the roof may commence their work after only a few days following the erection of the block work. Accordingly, the block work may not be completely secure. It is important not to apply a significant force onto the block work 36 in this time. Therefore, the angled supports 10 transmit the force away from the block work and down the elongate members and through the chamber joists 38.

The method of securing the safety net to the eyelets 22 of the support pins 20 is shown in Figures 3 and 4.

A rope 42 is threaded through the eyelets 22 provided by a plurality of supports 10 located around the inner periphery of a construction, unit. The periphery of the safety net 28 is then secured to the rope 42 by cable ties 40 located at either side of each eyelet.

11 The relatively short cables ties 40 are attached around the periphery of the safety net 28. The cable ties 40 may be plastic cable ties that are secured into a loop by threading a first end of the cable tie 40 through an aperture defined adjacent to the second end of the cable tie 40. A section of the cable tie adjacent to the first end has a section of raised ridges defined thereon. The ridges have an inclined first surface and a substantially vertical second surface. The ridges can be threaded through the aperture easily but cannot be returned through the apertures due to the shapes of the ridges. Such cable ties are well known. Any number of cable ties may be used to provide sufficient support for the safety net.

2 0 A ratchet mechanism (not shown) is provided on the rope 42 in order for the tension in the rope 42 and hence the safety net 28 to be increased.

As shown in Figure 5, a plurality of supports 10 is arranged within the block work 36 of a construction unit. The supports 10 secure the safety net 28 within the construction unit and provide a raised safety 28 net to decrease the height that a worker is at risk of falling.

A specially adapted support 10 may be arranged to support the safety net at the corners of the construction unit, as shown in Figure 6. The support 10 comprises a specially adapted wall plate. The wall plate has two members 44, 46 which are arranged perpendicular to each other. Each plate is adapted to secure against adjacent perpendicular walls. This support, therefore, decreases the need for two separate supports each having a planar 12 wall plate to be located adjacent to each corner of the construction unit. If two adjacent walls are shaped at a different angle the wall plate may be adapted to cooperate with the adjacent walls.

The support 10 for safety apparatus may auxiliary wall plate 50 connected thereto, as Figures 7 and 8. The auxiliary wall plate reinforcement means for the support 10. The wall plate 50 is similar in construction to the wall plate 16. The auxiliary wall plate 50 has an auxiliary support member in the form of an auxiliary support pin 52. However, the auxiliary support pin 52 only secures the auxiliary wall plate 50 to the wall 36 and does not support any further apparatus.

have an shown in acts as auxiliary standard The auxiliary wall plate 50 is attached to the wall plate 16 by a connecting member 54. The connecting member 54 comprises a lower member 55 and an upper member 58.

-10 The connecting member 54 may comprise a section of a metal bar or cable. The connecting member 54 is secured to the auxiliary wall plate 50 by the lower member 55 having a curved end which is inserted through an aperture provided by a bracket 56 at an upper location on the auxiliary wall plate 50.

The other end of the lower member 55 comprises an aperture which enables the shaft of the upper member 58 to be inserted therethrough. The upper member 58 has a threaded shaft at the lower end thereof. The other end of the upper member 58 has a curved section which can be inserted through a bracket 62 provided on a lower part of the wall plate 16. With both connecting members secured 13 to the respective wall plates, the adjusting bolt 60 can be screwed along the threaded shaft of the upper member 58 in order to reduce the overall distance between the ends of the connecting member 54. This tightens the connection between the wall plates and ensures that any forces will be efficiently transferred.

The auxiliary wall plate 50 reinforces the support of the safety net and is especially effective in preventing any uplift at the edges of the net. The auxiliary wall plate 50 decreases the resultant vertical forces on the wall plate 16 which may result from objects landing in the net. The auxiliary wall plate 50 also enables larger and heavier nets to be supported.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/ox all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

t

Claims

1. Building safety apparatus comprising a substantially flexible catchment region which, in use, is arranged to catch a falling person and a support arrangement arranged, in use, to at least partially resist the force exerted on the catchment region when a person falls thereon and to at least partially transmit said force to the floor.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the catchment region is provided by a sheet material.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the catchment region is provided by a sheet of a net material.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the support arrangement transmits the force to the floor downwardly and inwardly with respect to the catchment region.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the support arrangement comprises at least one support.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the support arrangement comprises a plurality of supports.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6 in the or each support comprises an elongate member.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to claim 7 in which the or each support has securement means located adjacent to a first end.

16

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the or each support has support means located adjacent to a second end.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the securement means is arrangeable to secure the support to a floor member.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the support means is arrangeable to support at least a part of the periphery of the catchment region.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 11 in which the securement means is arrangeable to secure the support directly or indirectly to a substantially horizontal member spaced from the ground.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 12 in which the elongate member is arranged, in use, to project upwardly from a floor member.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the elongate member is arranged, in use, to project upwardly at an angle from a floor member.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13 or claim 14 in which the elongate member is arranged, in use, to project upwardly and outwardly from a floor member towards the inner periphery'of the construction unit.

16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 15 in which the support means is arranged, in use, to secure the support to a wall.

17. Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to claim 16 in which the support means comprises a support member.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 in which the support member comprises means for retaining a part of a flexible member.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 in which the flexible member is secured to the periphery of the catchment region.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 or claim 19 in which the tension of the flexible member is adjustable.

21. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the apparatus comprises reinforcement means.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21 in which the reinforcement means is arranged, in use, to resist upwards movement of at least a part of a periphery of the catchment region.

23. Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the apparatus is adapted to be located within a construction unit.

24. Building safety apparatus substantially as herein described with 'reference, and as shown in any of the 30 accompanying drawings.

25. Building safety apparatus according to any preceding claim when installed in a construction unit.

18

26. A method of using building safety apparatus in accordance with any preceding claim in which a falling person is caught by the catchment region.