Troax installs Rapid Fix guarding at Forticrete factory

Industrial safety specialist Troax UK Limited has installed a comprehensive machine safety system for Forticrete, a manufacturer of construction products. Troax used its Rapid Fix machine guarding system to safely protect three new automated production lines at the company's new factory in Leighton Buzzard.

Forticrete, whose concrete roof tiles and accessories are sold through major roofing merchants and contractors and ultimately used by leading developers such as Berkeley Homes and David Wilson Homes, moved to the new production facility in 2005, expanding and modernising the premises in a multi-million-pound investment project.

The company was recently singled out from 80 of Britain's top construction companies, specifiers and consultants to win 'The Construction Best Practice Award' for its dedication to health and safety standards, both on its own premises and on site.

To protect personnel working in the production area of Forticrete's new factory, and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, Troax designed a full range of machine guards to enclose all potentially hazardous equipment.

Quick and easy installation

Troax's modular Rapid Fix safety fencing was used, as it is exceptionally quick and easy to install, making it an extremely cost-effective choice for enclosing the many different types of equipment in this large and busy production area.

The Rapid Fix fencing creates a series of safety enclosures around the complex layout of conveyors, moulding machines, ovens, robots, and palletising machines. The enclosures prevent unauthorised access to hazardous areas while the machinery is still in operation. Controlled access to the guarded areas is provided by a series of interlocked doors, also supplied by Troax.

Chris Phillipson at Forticrete comments: "Troax's Rapid Fix system provided an extremely cost-effective and efficient safety solution for the varied types of production line equipment at the factory. Installation time was very quick and the system meets our health and safety criteria exactly.

"The fencing is well finished and looks good in our state-of-the-art production facility. We specified a black paint finish for the wire mesh panels, contrasting with the hi-viz yellow fence posts - this has worked very well and makes it easy to see through to the guarded area. We have used Troax before to design safety systems for us and, as usual, their service was excellent and they carried out a very professional job. We have already placed our next order with them!"

In another recent project for Forticrete, Troax also used its Rapid Fix fencing system to design a machine guarding system for the company's factory in Bootle, Merseyside, protecting automated lines producing concrete blocks.