The Alto BS 8620 podium has been shortlisted for two awards this year – The London Construction Awards Health and Safety Solution of the Year and the HAE Construction Product of the Year.
When you look at the product, you can see why.
When the BS 8620 standard was released, significantly upping the game for podium safety, Alto took their usual thorough approach to the project and redesigned their podium from the ground up to ensure that the new product really was a step in the right direction. They then went the extra mile and had the podium tested by an external laboratory to confirm that it really did meet all of the standard’s requirements.
The result is a product with an impressive array of beneficial real improvements for the safety conscious site operator.
• This is the first podium ever to be externally tested and certified to a recognised standard. A huge increase in strength and stability is required to pass the enhanced tests.
• No wheels are in contact with ground when the unit is deployed – high friction rubber feet only. The podium cannot be “surfed” or “bunny hopped”. Its anti-slide capability was tested on mirror glass.
• The stabilisers are permanently attached with pre-set deployment positions – they cannot be lost or omitted and a simple visual check shows whether they are correctly deployed or not.
• There are no spring “saloon” gates to trap fingers/clothing/tool belts.
• The top tread on all configurations is a wide step – not a rung, to minimise risk of missing footing.
• There are no horizontal bars on side protection that operatives can stand on.
When you add the operational benefits of the unique booster system, the legendary Alto durability and fold flat storage with all components stowed, this starts to look like a quantum leap in low level access safety.
It’s easy to see why a number of major construction companies are looking at standardising on the Alto Podium when falls are so prevalent in construction and so costly to deal with.