UK’s leading safety company will showcase responsible ranges and joined-up safety solutions at the NEC in Birmingham

Arco, the UK’s leading safety company, will be exhibiting at this year’s Health & Safety Event, scheduled to take place from the 30^th April to 2^nd May at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The event takes place during a momentous year for both Arco and the health and safety industry, coinciding with the 50^th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) and Arco’s 140^th anniversary.

Arco’s interactive exhibition can be found in Hall 4, Stand 4/G100 and has been designed to take visitors on a journey through the hierarchy of control, emphasising the importance of a joined-up approach to safety management. With a focus on consultancy, training, expert advice, compliance and sustainability, Arco aims to demonstrate its unparalleled safety expertise.

Visitors to the Arco stand can expect immersive experiences, including virtual reality demonstrations where they will be placed in realistic environments, highlighting hazards within working at height and confined spaces. The stand will also showcase Arco’s award-winning Responsible hi-vis and Responsible workwear product ranges, as well as its product-assurance process and independent UKAS-accredited laboratory.

Ahead of the event, Arco has been shortlisted in four categories for the 2024 Safety and Health Excellence Awards. Arco is nominated for: BSIF Product Innovation Award Safety Product Category (Non-PPE), Campaign of the Year, Distributor of the Year and Marketing Campaign of the Year, as well as sponsoring and judging this year’s inaugural Sustainable Company of the Year award. The winners will be announced during the award ceremony that will take place on the second night of the three-day Health & Safety Event.

Gareth Wray, Marketing Director at Arco, commented: “We are thoroughly excited to be attending The Health & Safety Event during such a special year for Arco and the industry. We have gone above and beyond to create a truly engaging experience for visitors, showcasing our expertise not only in sourcing and delivering quality and compliant products, but in driving forward sustainable practices and offering joined-up safety solutions.

“We look forward to interacting with the many attendees and sharing our expertise to drive positive change in safety practices.”

View Arco’s joined-up approach to safety management and our responsible approach to sustainability.

Abseiling The London Eye On Live TV

How Arco experts safely abseiled The London Eye to give the iconic structure a fresh coat of paint on BBC Breakfast.

Working at height specialists from Arco Professional Safety Services abseiled down the lastminute.com London Eye with BBC Breakfast presenter John Maguire to give the iconic attraction a fresh coat of paint on the first day of spring.

Positioned high above the capital, the Arco team worked at heights of 68m from the hub of the London Eye to help safely carry out the abseil and painting on live TV. The team had to utilise a range of work at height kit to ensure safe access and egress, including fall arrest lanyards, work positioning systems and personal suspension (abseil) equipment.

The full paint refresh, which takes place every three years, requires around 5,000 litres to cover the entirety of the 135m high observation wheel – roughly the equivalent of painting 1,660 cars. Taking a team of eight painters working five nights a week for six months, this iconic London landmark requires a staggering 9,360 hours of painting maintenance to look its best.

The Arco team consisted of Steve Dawson, work at height training manager, and Level 3 IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) training instructors Pete Hancock and Chris Fricker.

Steve Dawson said: “The London Eye has been a great partner of ours for the past 20-25 years and it was a pleasure to work with the team on this event to showcase a British landmark and ensure it was carried out safely and securely.

“This event showcases the truly bespoke offering that we are able to deliver at Arco and demonstrates the strength and breadth of expertise within our team.”

Arco Professional Safety Services covers a complete range of safety solutions, including working at height, confined spaces and respiratory services. Visit www.arcoservices.co.uk for more information.

Arco Professional Safety Services is now an accredited provider of Lifting Engineers Equipment Association (LEEA) working at height training courses. This makes the safety services company the first UK training course provider to be accredited for working at height & rescue by the LEEA.

The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) is established across the world as the leading trade association for all those involved in the lifting industry. Arco Professional Safety Services has been a trading member of this body since 2013 and offers a variety of working at height training courses that cover safe working practices and the correct usage of fall protection and fall arrest equipment. With working at height instances becoming more frequent in the lifting industry, the LEEA has collaborated with Arco Professional Safety Services to ensure those in the industry are trained in safe working methods.

The LEEA accredited working at height training courses that Arco Professional Safety Servies offers are:

• Working Safely at Height (one day)
• Rescue at Height (one day)

The Working Safely at Height course aims to educate delegates on the correct use of harnesses and fall protection equipment through both theoretical and practical training and assessments. The Rescue at Height course provides the knowledge and practical experience to perform rescues at height, examined through a simulated rescue under the supervision of an instructor.

Arco Professional Safety Services offers the two courses at all five of its Safety Centres located across the UK meaning all LEEA members can access the courses in a location convenient to them, with the reassurance that the training they receive will be of identical merit and content as their colleagues nationwide. In some cases, the training can also be completed at a customers’ site.

Steve Dawson, Training Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, commented: “As working at height experts, we are always keen to expand and strengthen our safety training offering. Through discussions with the LEEA, we understood that working at height safety was a growing concern in the lifting industry that Arco Professional Safety Services was well placed to address.

No matter the industry, working at height safety should be a priority for all employers and this accreditation allows us to train and educate more people in the importance of correct working practices which we take pride in.”

To find out more about Arco’s working at height training offer, visit: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/training/course-finder/working-at-height-training or to discuss booking one of the LEEA accredited courses, email rosie.webb@arcoservices.co.uk.

Arco Professional Safety Services Training Instructor, Bartek Biela, embarked on a pioneering expedition to Gunung Mulu National Park to support cave work efforts which could potentially lead to future confirmation of its status as the largest cave system in the world by volume.

3D laser scanning was used to measure the volume of sections of the Clearwater Cave system and unveiled a vast connection, almost a kilometre long, leading to a chamber previously believed to be a dead end in earlier expeditions, adding a new layer of mystery to the intricate Mulu cave system. Today, larger passages are harder to find but the systematic approach employed to surveying of the smaller openings allowed the cavers to add hundreds of meters of new data to the master survey.

The three-week expedition, which comprised of 22 dedicated cavers and scientists to survey the caves, undertake scientific research and exploration, has also led to significant findings on the condensation corrosive effects to fabrics and plastics.

Agents that are present in the Mulu caves environment have been found to cause significant degradation of glued seams, stitching and other man-made polymers. These acidic gases are being tested by UK and American cave scientists to establish the causes of significant degradation of glued seams, stitching and other man-made polymers.

Bartek Biela, Training Instructor at Arco Professional Safety Services, commented: “I am immensely grateful to have received the invite call to be part of this amazing opportunity, that would give me a chance to meet and cave with the original explorers of the area, an opportunity that one does not refuse.

This expedition has delivered promising insight into the cave system and important, possibly even groundbreaking scientific research, not to mention the beauty of the underground landscape that I have had a chance to photograph”.

Richard Walters, the Expedition Surveyor said: “Acknowledging the challenging conditions of Mulu, renowned for its punishing environmental factors—extreme heat, humidity, mud, and frequent rainfall—these explorers faced the rigorous task of navigating caves that often require multiple days underground. Despite these barriers, the cavers emerged with compelling results that suggest the Clearwater Cave system may be the largest by volume in the world.”

As part of Arco Professional Safety Services’ sponsorship, the expedition was equipped with eleven tackle bags which proved to be extremely durable in the corrosive environment of the Mulu caves.

Arco Professional Safety Services has launched its new website, making it easier for customers to access essential safety services, information and equipment.

As well as a more modern look and feel, the site offers better user navigation and a smoother experience on mobile devices.

Key improvements of the new website include:

Expert advice
Easier access to consultancy advice, training, support services and equipment across Arco Professional Safety Services’ areas of expertise, including working at height, confined spaces and  respiratory protection.

Training
Improved search and enhanced filtering options to help customers find the right courses, as well as a more efficient booking system.

Equipment shop
A better shopping experience with improved product search and filtering, making it easier to find and purchase safety equipment.

Equipment hire
More information on the equipment available to hire and the option to hire directly from the website, a feature that was not available on the previous site.

Jamie Sadler, Commercial Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “This new website provides a seamless and intuitive platform for our customers to access our essential safety services and resources with ease.

“The team has been hard at work on the site behind the scenes, and we’re thrilled that customers can now enjoy the many improvements it offers.”

Existing customers will be asked to reset their passwords when signing in to the new site for the first time. All other existing sign-in details will remain the same.

Arco Professional Safety Services provide consultancy, training, services and equipment to manage complex and high-risk, high hazard scenarios.

Explore the new website: Arco Professional Safety Services

UK’s leading safety services company begins offering new option to its Rooftop Worker Scheme training course approved by the Mast & Tower Safety (MATS) Group and accredited by Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR).

Arco Professional Safety Services has created an industry approved blended learning option to an existing working at height training course. The course aims to provide delegates with the skills and experience required to safely access flat roofs in protected and unprotected areas. The blended option allows delegates of the course to complete the educational section of the course online, previously the entire course had to be completed in-person in a structured one-day session.

This blended learning version of the Rooftop Worker Scheme provides a flexible learning approach with bespoke integrated virtual reality exercises. It is also more cost effective than the traditional course at a 20% reduced rate while offering the same quality of learning, experience and certification.

As a blended learning course, participants will be required to complete seven online modules and a practical training and assessment session at one of four possible sites. The online portion of the course has training material that can be accessed by delegates as often as required. Once completed, candidates have 90 days to attend a practical assessment at one of Arco’s state of the art Safety Centres in Stafford, Bracknell, Trafford or Linlithgow (Scotland).

Topics covered in the Rooftop Worker Scheme syllabus include:

• Legislation for working at height
• Risk assessment awareness
• Rooftop hazards and control measures
• PPE – pre use checks and fitting harness, helmet, fall arrest and work positioning lanyards
• Safe use of portable ladders
• Edge protection
• Horizontal and vertical systems (fixed and temporary)
• Climbing techniques using harnesses, lanyards, and fixed systems
• Awareness of emergency procedures

Falls from height continued to be the number one cause of work-related deaths in 2023 according to the latest statistics from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Steve Dawson, Manager – Working at Height Training at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “When it comes to working from height, regard for safety is paramount. We’re proud to be able to offer this brand-new training course carefully designed with the considerations to keep people safe when working on rooftops.

As industry leaders in working at height practices, Arco understands the necessity to provide these learning opportunities with specialist support to ensure the safety of workers where it matters most.”

This course is designed for all personnel that are required to access flat roof areas using a variety of access systems and harness-based fall protection equipment during their duties. The Rooftop Worker Scheme certificate will be valid for three years upon completion of the course.

To find out more about this course, see upcoming course dates and to enquire about booking, visit: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/training/course-finder/working-at-height-training/rooftop-safety-training/rooftop-safety-blended-learning

Arco Professional Safety Services, the UK’s leading safety products and services provider, is expanding its equipment hire capabilities nationwide with new funding into four fully stocked hire centres in key locations across the UK.

The expansion of hire products will enable customers to access a wider range of hire equipment from leading specialist suppliers, including quality-assured confined space, gas detection, respiratory protective and other fall arrest prevention equipment. All hire orders will be available direct from the Arco Bracknell, Doncaster, Linlithgow and Warrington Safety Centres or can be ordered and collected at local Arco stores via a new collection service.

Arco offers two types of hire solutions, standard hire, for short term requirements with a minimum contract of one week that can be extended as needed and contract hire that is offered for longer terms, up to five years, that also includes inspection, servicing and maintenance of equipment during the hire term.

Alongside this expanded hire proposition, customers can also purchase any of the equipment from Arco’s range of safety products should they require a permanent solution.

Gareth Liptrot, Hire & Maintenance Manager, Arco Professional Safety Services said: “As experts in safety, we are committed to providing a joined-up approach for customers offering accessible, high-quality equipment that can be acquired in the most convenient way.

“Our increased investment in hire stock at our nationwide Safety Centres and our new store collection service demonstrates our commitment to improving customer convenience and will enable greater access to quality stock and ease of service for any job our customers are undertaking.”

To find out more about Arco’s comprehensive hire offering, visit: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/equipment/equipment-hire

URGENT

Request for inspection of ASTRO and CANYON GUIDE harnesses following the detection of a defect on the gated opening attachment point of an ASTRO harness. Due to the risk of unintentional opening of this attachment point, which could result in a life-threatening situation, we ask you to stop any use of these harnesses and to carry out immediately the following inspection.

PLEASE GOTO PETZL WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION BELOW

Link to website for full details: Product recalls and safety alerts Call for inspection for the ASTRO and CANYON GUIDE harnesses – Petzl United Kingdom

• lost hillwalkers
• missing persons suffering from mental health or dementia
• injured persons who are in a location which is not easily accessible to the emergency services
• persons who are injured and need carrying to safety
• persons cut off due to flooding and many more

GRILLON SAFETY ALERT: REQUEST FOR INSPECTION

Petzl requests the inspection of certain GRILLON products following the detection of ropes mounted incorrectly in the rope adjuster of recently produced GRILLON products. In such a case, the product does not perform its blocking function, which can result in a risk of injury. Please immediately stop sales and use of GRILLON products manufactured between October and December 2023, and follow the inspection procedure described below.

Please follow this link  for detailed instructions and advice

Product recalls and safety alerts Petzl requests the inspection of certain GRILLON products