Once in a while, a product will come along whose performance will drive a change in standards across entire industries. Like stainless steel. Or concrete. Or a trench cover which is(typically) 65% lighter than the cast iron traditionally used, eliminating the need for costly specialised lifting equipment and the accompanying health and safety hazards.
Electrical power generation facilities have large quantities of cabling running below the ground as a matter of course, which must be accessed regularly. Back in the 1960s when many of these facilities were built, heavy concrete and steel or cast-iron trench access covers were the only option available.
This year, UK manufacturer Fibrelite has seen a growing trend of a wide range of facilities choosing to upgrade from the concrete recess access covers traditionally used in favour of bespoke composite alternatives.
Over the last two years, a staggering 4.5 million working days were lost to workplace injuries. A fifth of these were caused by manual handling . One common activity which contributes to this, posing a high risk of manual handling injuries is the removal and replacement of heavy concrete and metal manhole and trench covers.