The Xcalibre fall arrest block, developed by British company Checkmate Lifting and Safety, won a Queens Award for Innovation earlier this year. The block is attached by a wire from the worker to the structure that they are working on. In the event of a fall, an inertia reel locks the wire to decelerate the user and reduce the impact of falls from height. Unlike most blocks of this kind, Xcalibre fall arrest blocks are cased in polymer, making them lighter and easier to use.
Checkmate will provide Speedy with 1000 additional XCalibre Fall Arrest Blocks and a buy-back scheme for half of Speedy’s existing blocks has been put in place. By the end of 2011, the entire Speedy fleet will have been standardised to include only this product.
Speedy training director Tony Longmire said: “The Xcalibre is a fine example of British innovation, and will soon be provided as standard across our fleet. We put health and safety at the heart of everything we do at Speedy, and we’re confident that this piece of equipment will prevent many falls from height in the workplace.”
Checkmate managing director Oliver Auston said: “The awards we have won are testimony to the effectiveness of our products in preventing accidents, and working with Speedy will mean that they are available to many more users of height safety equipment.”
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