Skip to main content

Safety covered

Saint-Gobain PAM UK says it has developed the Opt-Emax, a range of one-man operable access covers, in response to health and safety concerns over a perceived increase in accidents occurring from drainage operatives lifting heavy access covers. Through an innovative design, each triangular cover section is independently hinged, said to considerably reduce required effort when lifting compared with traditional access covers. Once opened, the hinge blocks at 900, preventing accidental closure. Paul Thompson, m
December 20, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
5475 Saint-Gobain PAM UK says it has developed the Opt-Emax, a range of one-man operable access covers, in response to health and safety concerns over a perceived increase in accidents occurring from drainage operatives lifting heavy access covers.

Through an innovative design, each triangular cover section is independently hinged, said to considerably reduce required effort when lifting compared with traditional access covers. Once opened, the hinge blocks at 900, preventing accidental closure.

Paul Thompson, marketing manager of municipal castings at Saint-Gobain PAM UK, said: “Our high performance Opt-Emax product provides an assured level of safety for those who need to gain access to below ground services for inspection or maintenance purposes. Our ongoing commitment to delivering assured levels of safety has led to the development of a product that is able to cope with the day-to-day operations that personnel have to undertake, delivering a solution that has the operator at the heart of its design.”

Thompson said Opt-Emax is kitemarked to EN124 and fully compliant with the additional requirements of HA 104/09, SFA and CESWI.

“The product also includes enhanced security benefits, protecting against theft with an innovative locking system,” added Thompson. “Opt-Emax features a ‘master’ cover section that has to be unlocked before the remaining sections will open sequentially. It has also been developed so the entire unit can be protected with just one optional locking kit, which can be fitted retrospectively should additional security or anti-theft capability be required.

Saint-Gobain PAM UK is adding a further three new products to its current Opt-Emax range. The range includes clear opening options extending from 600x450 to 2250x750, plus GripTop anti-skid options for key sizes.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF deploys eLearning solutions to promote best practices
    May 4, 2020
    The International Road Federation was founded in 1948 with a mission to promote the exchange of best practices and the transfer of technologies from those who have it to those who need it. Seven decades later, this mission remains just as relevant, and at a time when many transportation professionals are unable to travel, IRF is redoubling efforts to develop eLearning programs which allow professionals to access a pool of knowledge resources without the need to travel.
  • Mobile Barriers develops crane-and-bucket for Mobile Barrier MBT-1
    November 7, 2017
    Mobile BarrierMobile Barriers has developed a crane with a hook-and-bucket setup for the company’s Mobile Barrier MBT-1. The crane-and-bucket combination is positioned on its own 3m removeable wall section and provides a 9.15m reach and a capacity of 3900kg at base and 680kg at 9.15m. The unit can be operated from the ground or bucket via wireless controls. The bucket can be rotated out of the way or removed when not in use. Physical Stop points ensure that the crane and bucket do not encroach on live lanes
  • New asphalt compaction technologies boost quality
    February 28, 2012
    More sophisticated compaction technologies are now coming to market, offering a wide range of benefits to users
  • New asphalt compaction technologies boost quality
    April 13, 2012
    More sophisticated compaction technologies are now coming to market, offering a wide range of benefits to users While asphalt paving techniques vary widely between North America and Europe, there is greater commonality in the compaction methods required. New developments in compaction rollers are offering contractors using both North American and European style paving techniques major gains in quality. According to Robert Horan, a regional engineer for the US-based Asphalt Institute, intelligent compact