Working at height specialists from Arco Professional Safety Services have recently installed vital safety systems on a thrilling new rollercoaster at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.

The £10m Minifigure Speedway is the UK’s first LEGO duelling rollercoaster, featuring cars that race forwards and in reverse on a dynamic dual track, reaching speeds of up to 35mph.

Arco worked with park operator Merlin Entertainments and ride manufacturer Zierer on the design, fabrication and installation of horizontal and inclined cable systems designed to provide reliable fall protection for LEGOLAND maintenance staff.

The fall protection solutions allow workers to safely conduct daily inspections, carry out essential repairs, and manage reactive tasks, including the safe evacuation of guests if necessary.

Matthew Glass, fall protection manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “We are proud to bring our working at height expertise to another exciting new rollercoaster, continuing our long-standing partnership with Merlin Entertainments.

“We are proud to have played a role in bringing this new experience to life for LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, helping to ensure the ride is not only exciting but also meets the highest standards of safety.

“The fall protection systems will ensure workers can carry out their duties with confidence, knowing they are secured by a system that allows them to move freely and safely when working at height.

The inclined cable systems installed by Arco, supplied by MSA Latchways, are specifically designed to provide reliable fall protection for people working on sloped structures, including rollercoasters. In the event of a slip or fall, the BridgeLatch guided-type fall arresters lock on immediately, preventing a potential accident.

Stephen Cassidy, health, safety & security director at LEGOLAND Windsor, said: “We have worked with Arco professional specialists on many projects at LEGOLAND Windsor as the safety of our workforce is paramount.

“Arco have provided robust ergonomic solutions for performing planned and reactive working at height maintenance operations and we continue to work with Arco for best practice guidance and for the maintenance and inspection of our fall prevention and arrest systems”.

Falls from height are the most common cause of fatality and serious injury in the workplace, so fall protection is vitally important

Arco Professional Safety Services’ fall protection solutions help ensure the safety of workers and prevent accidents when working at height.

Find out more about Arco’s fall protection solutions

Picture credit: LEGOLAND Windsor Resort

LEGOLAND Windsor team member Shenica Gumbs inspects a car on the new Minifigure Speedway while secured by fall protection systems installed by Arco Professional Safety Services.

Arco has unveiled a new internal training tower at its Bracknell Safety Centre as part of continuing investment in the growth of its Safety Services division and the wider business.

The training tower was installed last month, complementing the centre’s existing 20m external tower, gantry and rooftop access systems, along with its internal structures, systems and confined space labyrinth.

It will be used for training courses such as mast and tower climbing and rescue, telecom rigging, fall arrest, and fixed ladder rescue. It will also play a key role in complex rope access training scenarios.

The internal tower is equipped with a fixed vertical ladder and a fall protection system, which were both designed and installed by Arco’s own fall protection team.

Jamie Sadler, Arco Professional Safety Services commercial director, said: “Arco Professional Safety Services aims to provide the very best safety training facilities, so continuous improvement and investment is really important.

“We’ve enjoyed significant growth in our training offer over the past 12 months, helped by investments in our Linlithgow and Bracknell safety centres. But we know there is much more potential for growth.

“The next 12 months are going to be very exciting, for the Safety Services division and for Arco as a whole.”

Arco recently revealed plans to invest £17m in growth over the next 12 months, including significant investment in its safety services division.

Recent improvements have also been made at some of Arco’s other safety centres.

Two new beams were installed earlier this month at the Linlithgow Safety Centre in Scotland, which will enhance the practical parts of its training programs.

The beams are integral to work-at-height courses such as IRATA, CRD, rigging, and rescue, ensuring that trainees receive hands-on experience in a controlled environment that simulates real-world conditions.

Arco also has plans install additional training facilities at some of its other safety centres, in the coming year.

For more information, see Arco Professional Safety Services training courses

STOP USE NOTICE

UltraLink

Please download document here for detailed information

November 2023
Important Safety Notice: ISC UltraLink
Safety Notice/Product Recall

Following on from our inspection notice issued 17 November 2023, our team has been intensively investigating the potential risk and the root cause of the problem.  Our investigation identified that the press fixture used to secure the assembly of the SafeLock button moved outside of specification, creating the potential for a faulty press fit of the button, which can lead to the button turning open and coming apart.

STOP USE
Due to the risk of unintentional opening of the device, which could result in a life-threatening situation, we are issuing this notice instructing users to stop using their device, if it falls within the range of serial numbers:

LK100A1.2: 170431 – 177209; or LK101A1.2: 170433 – 176974.

STOP USING ANY OF THE ABOVE ITEMS IMMEDIATELYAND REMOVE THEM FROM SERVICE

Manufacturing corrective actions have been introduced to repair and ensure that the press fixture remains within specification; and additional procedures have been introduced to ensure that the SafeLock buttons are secured correctly.  Validation testing has been successfully completed and production of UltraLinks has resumed, with this new process in place.

DEALER RECALL:
Please contact your Customer Service Representative to register your inventory stock for recall.
END USER RECALL:
Share this link with your customers so that they can register their device(s) for recall:
http://eepurl.com/iE_-8s

Alternatively, call our Customer Service Team:

North & South America: +1 (763) 360-2135
UK, EU, Australasia: +44 (0) 1248 363 125
Kind Regards,

David Rawlins
Compliance & Quality Manager

On behalf of the entire Arco Family, we are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family at this time of profound sadness and loss. 
As we now enter a period of national mourning, we reflect upon the unprecedented life of selfless service that Her Majesty lived, shining as a beacon of hope, dignity and forbearance throughout a period marked by unprecedented change and upheaval. 

Throughout her 70-year reign, marked by her Platinum Jubilee this year, she was a remarkable demonstration of a life truly dedicated to public service. Her unwavering sense of duty and responsibility to every community within our nation and across the Commonwealth: she set an example for leaders around the world. 
We take inspiration from her and her late husband’s commitment to supporting young people and to future generations and across the globe. 

We are thankful for the decades of service to the Nation and the Commonwealth that Her Majesty so selflessly gave.

Thomas Martin                                                                                                        David Evison
Chairman                                                                                                                  Managing Director

More than 70 paramedics from the Hazardous Ares Response Teams (HART) at West Midlands Ambulance Service have been recertified for operating in confined spaces following several weeks of training and assessment.

The HART teams approached Arco looking for a facility to use, with Arco welcoming them to the Safety Training Centre in Staffordshire and providing instructors from Arco Professional Safety Services to support the training days as well.

Feedback about the centre’s facilities and the expertise and knowledge of Arco’s instructors, who played a supportive role, was very positive.

Phil Piggott, HART Team Leader at West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “We’d like to thank Arco for their support in getting our HART paramedics re-certified for operating in high-risk confined spaces.

“The facilities at the safety training centre were excellent and provided the perfect setting over the past several weeks to undertake this vitally important training. The expert advice and knowledge of Arco’s instructors was also really helpful.

“We look forward to returning in the near future to complete recertification for working at height.”

In addition to re-certifying the paramedics, the training offered a valuable learning opportunity for Arco’s instructors, as they were able to observe how the HART teams simulate and manage trauma events.

Steve Dawson, Training Manager at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “The continued professional development our instructors gained from seeing the HART teams work has been invaluable and we hope to do more of this within safety services.

“I’d like to thank our instructors, Rob Messenger, Nat Smart, Glynn Bibby and Rich Dinn, for conducting the training and helping build these working relationships and connections with West Midlands Ambulance Service.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to the HART teams for trusting us to support them and we hope to continue assisting them with their future training requirements.”

Arco, the UK’s leading health and safety expert, has launched its latest safety centre in Bracknell, Berkshire, bringing its expert knowledge, high-quality products and training under one roof to the south of the UK.

Investing over £2million in the project, and bringing 12 new jobs to the area, the new location is a strategically significant move for the fifth-generation family business. Arco’s Bracknell Safety Centre will be its largest dedicated safety centre, hosting practical learning environments, including a 20-metre external tower for working at height training and confined space labyrinth training facilities, as well as an on-site safety store where customers can purchase products.

With over 135 years of experience, Arco offers an unparalleled combination of specialist health and safety expertise and knowledge. Arco is an integrated services and safety products business, headquartered in Hull, with over 1,600 employees nationwide. Arco reaches its customers through its website and national network of safety centres and retail stores.  As the market leader, Arco is committed to helping shape the UK’s safety agenda in order to ensure workers go home safe every night.

At Bracknell Safety Centre, highly qualified experts are on hand to provide Joined-up Safety Solutions, a complete offering encompassing the assessment of an issue, the training of employees and the provision and maintenance of appropriate equipment to protect against future risks, all of which can be organised on-site. The safety centre features advanced practical training facilities, respiratory protection and maintenance workshops, drop-in face-fit testing facilities, six training classrooms and a fully stocked Arco safety store, providing PPE, workwear and workplace safety equipment from the brands like TROJAN, Snickers, Berghaus, Regatta, Puma, DeWALT, CAT, MASCOT and loads more. With Arco’s joined-up safety approach, the Bracknell Safety Centre will help businesses mitigate, manage and reduce risks.

Jaime Sadler, Commercial Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said:  
“The new Bracknell Safety Centre is a significant milestone for Arco. As our largest dedicated safety centre, it is ideally placed to bring our industry expertise, expansive product offering and practical training capabilities to more customers, nationally.
“The expansion of Arco’s capabilities in Bracknell allows us to provide joined-up health and safety solutions for businesses UK-wide. Bracknell Safety Centre demonstrates the future of health and safety; end-to-end service, combining risk assessment, training and equipment provision all under one roof.”
The new Arco location will service hundreds of training delegates each week, bringing more business and activity to the area.

Ben Haughton, Technical Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: 
“Our safety services teams provide practical advice and bespoke training for a variety of safety-critical industries and scenarios. Seeing, first-hand, the value of practical training facilities at our other safety centres allowed me to design and implement structures and systems unique to our Bracknell Safety Centre.
“A significant number of people are killed or seriously injured working at height or in confined spaces in the UK each year. Despite legislation and health and safety measures, working in these environments still pose a very high risk. Bespoke training to provide people with the correct skills and capabilities they need is essential. A generic ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach leaves workers and organisations open to huge risks. Dangerous working environments require consultancy and expert support that suits the specific scenario. Whether it is equipment, training or support, our experienced teams offer a complete solution.”

For further information about Arco’s new Bracknell Safety Centre, visit: www.arcoservices.co.uk/home/bracknell-safety-centre 

Investment
Investment has been a key theme in 2022, with the opening of two new safety centres at Trafford Park, in Manchester, and more recently in Bracknell, Berkshire. The opening of the Trafford Park Safety Centre, in January, celebrated the creation of a new state-of-the-art space, offering training facilities for working at height, confined space, respiratory protection, face-fit testing and health and safety management as well as a new store offering over 2,000 products to choose from.
 
More recently, in November, we launched our latest safety centre in Bracknell, bringing our expert knowledge, high-quality products and training offer to the south of the UK. The Bracknell Safety Centre represented an investment of over £2million and created 12 new jobs in the area. The location is a strategically significant move for Arco and the centre, hosting practical learning environments, including a 20-metre external tower for working at height training as well as a confined space labyrinth, an equipment hire and service centre and an on-site safety store, where customers can purchase products.
 
Development of Skills, Training Offer and Product Range
As the UK's leading safety company, we have also continued to invest in the skills of our colleagues and in the facilities and equipment used to deliver our industry-leading training. In January, the business was awarded the prestigious Investor in Sales Award from the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP), recognising the commitment we have made to ensuring our sales staff provide a professional and ethical service to customers. With a core purpose of keeping people safe at work, we were the first company in our sector to achieve this award.
 
During January, we also announced an exciting partnership with FLX Health, to become the exclusive UK reseller of the FLX app, a targeted physiotherapy app that works to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace and rehabilitate employees more quickly when they arise.
 
We also launched our first ever dedicated graduate placement programme, as part of an ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent in the safety industry, and was, recognised as one of the top 10 family businesses in the UK for employing apprentices and promoting apprenticeships for professional development. We received this prestigious status as part of a list compiled by Family Business United, the global voice of the family business community, which ranked Arco as number 10 in the country as part of its report for 2022 looking at the number of apprentices in the family business sector.
 
In the summer, Arco Professional Safety Services secured accreditation from the Global Wind Organisation to deliver its suite of basic safety training (BST) qualifications at our safety centres in Linlithgow, Scotland, and Stafford, England.
 
Experts in Safety
As experts in safety, we have continued to influence the health and safety agenda, nationally, through our award-wining public affairs work. Earlier in the year, we responded to the High Court's ruling that the "VIP fast track lane" for awarding PPE contracts to those with political connections, during the pandemic, was unlawful.
 
Arco also responded to the announcement that £8.7billion of PPE procured by the Government during the pandemic had to be written off following the publication of the Department for Health and Social Care's accounts for 2020/21 and again encouraged lessons to be learnt through our white paper: Personal Protective Equipment and the Government's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
 
In the summer, we submitted evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health's follow-up inquiry into silica dust and its impact on construction workers. The follow-up inquiry aims to investigate advances in risk reduction strategies and to evaluate the practicalities of industry-wide adoption of the latest technologies.
 
Our Colleagues
The past 12 months have been a memorable one for colleagues as well. Five of our safety experts, Mike Clayton, Bartek Biela, Rob Messenger, Richard Newton and Connor Lloyd were awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of their life-saving voluntary work cave rescue organisations, search and rescue teams and firefighting services.
 
Mike was also invited to attend the UK premiere of the movie: Thirteen Lives. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell, the film recounts the obstacles that had to be overcome to rescue twelve boys and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018. A rescue operation that Mike was involved in.
 
In the summer, our expertise in working at height was demonstrated by Training Instructor, Russell Edwards, who took some stunning photographs and video footage of the Red Arrows flying over The Blackpool Tower. Russ climbed the iconic 518 ft tall structure to get the shots during the Blackpool Air Show and was assisted by colleagues Jack Perry and Chris Fricker.
 
In September, Arco joined people across the nation, the Commonwealth and from around the world in paying tribute to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, after the long-reigning monarch passed away. A message of heartfelt condolence was sent to the Royal Family on behalf of Arco.
 
The end of the year saw a change in leadership, with the appointment of Guy Bruce as our new CEO, following the retirement of Managing Director, David Evison. Guy, who has significant experience in industry, joined Arco from Equans and prior to that specialist building materials distributor SIG plc. Arco's strategic plan, Destination 2025, sets out how we will grow and adopt new and innovative ideas to futureproof the business over the next three years. Guy will develop this strategy further by maximising the potential of the significant investments undertaken by Arco over recent years and by accelerating digital transformation, enhancing customer experience and driving sustainability.
 
Responsible Choice
As a responsible choice of safety partner, we also progressed projects in line with our approach to sustainability and our overall target of being carbon net zero by 2045.
 
In March, Arco committed seed funding to partner with start-up company Stuff4Life to support the research and development of a closed-loop, circular economy solution for polyester workwear. The funding enabled Stuff4Life to commission a chemical recycling demonstration plant in collaboration with Teesside University, bringing onboard its academic experts, world-leading research capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities. The research undertaken by Arco and Stuff4Life has proved successful, and we are now looking to scale-up that work.
 
As a fifth-generation family-business, we are committed to supporting the communities across the country we call home through sponsorships, grants, charitable donations, and colleague engagement as part of its extensive CSR programme. In 2022, our colleagues completed more than 108 days of volunteering and supported 20 charities and organisations.
 
We also partnered with Action for Children – a children and family charity – to fund two new roles supporting young people and disabled children. More than 300 children and their families in the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire area have been supported as part of this partnership.
 
We also supported Ayrshire Cancer Support with £6,650 of funding to create a new support service for children and young people. Our donation has contributed towards a range of developing services, including a newly hired Children and Young People Lead. This position plays a pivotal role in assisting the charity to provide well-being services and meaningful collaboration with children and young people. This includes building on existing children's services and connecting with the wider community to build an effective support network.
 
In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Arco joined up with global first responder, International Medical Corps, to provide 80,000 items of essential PPE to aid those directly affected by the conflict.
 
Other projects supported, included Hull-based charity CatZero, an organisation which creates unique employability programmes for young people, families, single parents and adults to help them move onto employment, education, or training, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, the only charity that provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families, and Hull and East Yorkshire Children's University (HEY CU), a local children's charity that aims to raise the aspirations of young people by building their confidence with unique learning experiences.
 
At Arco, our promise is to make your world safer. It is a responsibility we take seriously and has been demonstrated across our milestones and highlights in 2022. From all our colleagues, we would like to wish you, your families and friends, a Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and prosperous New Year.

Arco PROFESSIONAL SAFETY SERVICES ‘Commended’ at Prestigious Industry Awards

Arco Professional Safety Services has been commended for the respiratory management programme it implemented with BAE Systems, in Glasgow, at this year’s British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) Safety Awards

The expert safety partner was shortlisted for the BSIF Safety Solution Award and, while the entry was not selected as the overall winner in the strongly contested category, judges were full of praise for Arco’s submission at a ceremony held at The VOX at the NEC, in Birmingham.

Arco and Arco Professional Safety Services have a well-established and trusted relationship with BAE Systems and have contracts in place for the provision of safety products and learning and development services, as well as providing respiratory protective equipment (RPE) services to BAE facilities for several years; including face-fit testing and RPE maintenance.

Arco’s submission focussed on its work with BAE Govan and Scotstoun, where it introduced a streamlined process to enhance the defence company’s respiratory management regime through the careful selection of products, RPE training, face-fit testing, inspection and maintenance, record keeping and suitable and sufficient equipment storage.

Arco’s solution ensures all RPE is inspected in line with legal requirements, that the condition of the RPE is suitable to provide adequate protection for the specific hazards and minimises the risk of respiratory illness in BAE’s workforce.

Jamie Sadler, Commercial Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “As experts in respiratory protection, with extensive knowledge of the regulations, we provided BAE Govan and Scotstoun with guidance surrounding their legal requirements for RPE inspection and maintenance and supported them in implementing a compliant respiratory inspection and servicing procedure.

“We are proud that the solution we partnered with BAE Systems to deliver has not only improved their respiratory processes and industry compliance but has also been recognised by the BSIF and the wider safety industry.

“We are proud to have been commended for our work, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our safety experts in fulfilling our core purpose of keeping people safe at work.”

To find out more about the range of respiratory services provided by Arco Professional Safety Services, click here

Arco Professional Safety Services Launches New Online Awareness-based Training with New System

Arco Professional Safety Services, the UK’s leading safety training company, has launched a new Learning Management System (LMS), offering over 50 e-learning awareness courses with the ability for customers to self-serve their health and safety training requirements. These courses, which can be completed remotely, are designed to provide a basic understanding of the various hazards that may be found in the workplace and are an ideal starting point to further, more in-depth training.

All employers have a legal obligation to ensure their employees are appropriately trained for the job they do. The Arco LMS offers a wider variety of training courses beyond the experiential training and classroom learning available at their training facilities, enabling more opportunity to implement training programmes for their workforce. Starting from just £20, courses available through the LMS platform include asbestos awareness, control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH), emergency first aid at work refresher (EFAW), fire awareness, manual handling and risk assessment. Employers can review the e-learning courses available and select those most appropriate to their needs, efficiently and cost-effectively.

The system allows employers to create, view and manage appropriate training programmes suitable for specific individuals, roles or companies. This training can also be linked to a comprehensive offering including bespoke learning modules, videos, documentation, course booking options for assessing or practical application of knowledge and assessments, which can be set up by the Arco Professional Safety Services training team. View the elearning courses available at https://academy.arcoservices.co.uk/learn or contact us to arrange a bespoke training package.

Arco’s specialist instructors have a wealth of industry experience and can provide businesses with the most relevant training to help keep workers safe. Offering a wide range of courses, Arco Professional Safety Services cover training for the below disciplines, alongside the LMS system:

• Working at Height
• Confined Spaces
• Respiratory
• Health and Safety

Brian Grunes, Training Manager says: “We have a core purpose to help keep people safe at work and have developed this new Learning Management System to make it easy for business to choose, book and deliver the most appropriate awareness-based training courses for their employees. From Fire Awareness to First Aid and Ladder Safety, our comprehensive e-learning course offering is brought together in one, simple to use, online resource to help businesses maintain a safe working environment for everyone.”

Rooftop Worker Scheme – Highlighting the latest training scheme to be released by Energy & Utility Skills working with the Mast & Tower Safety Group

Arco, the UK’s Leading Safety Company, is advising businesses that operate within the telecoms industry to ensure all workers are trained in accordance with the new Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme set out by The Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR).

The Energy and Utility Skills Register (EUSR) has released a new training qualification, the Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme, consisting of 15 units and containing both theoretical and practical assessed elements. The scheme recognises the knowledge and skills required to access flat roofs with a variety of personal fall protections systems.

The new scheme has been developed in collaboration with the Mast & Tower Safety Group (MATS), which consists of organisations that own or manage masts and towers where there are specific and significant work at height and occupational radio frequency (RF) hazards.?

Although designed for anyone wanting to work safely at height and understand the dangers of working on rooftops, the scheme will become the recognised qualification for those working on telecommunication infrastructure, with leading telecoms companies stating that completing the scheme is now mandatory to work on their sites.

New training or refresher training, since the 1^st of January 2023, must now be completed to the new EUSR syllabus and conducted by an EUSR accredited training provider. Certificates attained prior to this date will remain valid until they expire, including the Arqiva Rooftop Worker training, meaning that the 1^st of January 2026 will mark the first time that the only certification in use across the industry will be the new scheme.

According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), a total of 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain in 2021/22, with falls from a height being the biggest contributor, accounting for 24% of these (29 people).

As experts in safety, Arco is encouraging businesses that work in the telecoms industry, to take note of the new scheme and to ensure their staff receive the correct training to best protect those working at height. 

Steve Dawson, Manager – Working at Height Training at Arco Professional Safety Services, said: “Falling from height is still one of the most common work-related accidents and is proportionally the largest contributor of work-related deaths, therefore it is vitally important that those who work at height receive the proper training and are undertaking their work in compliance with the necessary regulations and are adhering to industry best practice. 

“As experts in safety, we are pleased to announce that we have become an approved provider of the EUSR (MATS) Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme, with the training becoming an integral part of our course portfolio to help keep workers safe. Furthermore, we will be offering this training scheme at our new, state-of-the-art training facility in Bracknell, Berkshire.” 

Arco Professional Safety Services offer the one-day Rooftop Worker – Safety & Access Scheme course, at its safety training centres in Linlithgow (Edinburgh), Trafford Park (Manchester), Eccleshall (Stafford) and Bracknell (Berkshire).

For more information about the training available, click: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/training/course-finder/working-at-height-training/rooftop-safety-training/rooftop-safety-and-access