The acclaimed A-Safe safety barrier and safety product range from A Safe (UK) Ltd offers a revolutionary safety barrier system that protects workforce personnel, site visitors, machinery, buildings and vehicles alike with the same high degree of care. It is very quick and economical to install, flexible and extremely strong in operation, and virtually maintenance free. A-Safe’s modular design means it can expand with businesses’ growing needs, and its visual appeal is guaranteed to enhance every working environment.
A-Safe’s barrier systems are tested and certified to British Standards, and are strong, durable and flexible, aesthetically pleasing and highly visible. Installation is easy as no screws or welding are required, and once installed they never need painting, and require little or no maintenance. Quality, re-usable components and simple repair procedures mean A-Safe’s safety products provide an economic and highly effective solution for resolving clients’ health and safety needs.
A-Safe has a worldwide agreement with Alcan to supply safety barriers and products for its manufacturing locations, and recently received a signed agreement from DHL Corporate Procurement to become the approved supplier of safety barriers to all DHL group sites and facilities in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It adds up to a bright future for this British-based company, as Neil Clifford, Business Development Manager, A-Safe UK Ltd, explained to Warehouse & Logistics News.
Warehouse & Logistics News – When was A-Safe set up? Who owns A-Safe now?
A-Safe (UK) Ltd was set up in January 2007 to sell and market the safety barrier range introduced to the market by A-Fax Ltd in March 2002.
David Smith formed A-Fax 25 years ago as a dedicated plastic extrusion company, since when A-Fax has built up a wealth of knowledge and experience in polymer blend formulation and specialist profile extrusion.
David is still involved with the business, but A-Safe and A-Fax’s day to day running and operation is now the responsibility of David’s two sons, James and Luke, who have both been involved with the business for 10 years. A-Safe (UK) Ltd trades as an associated company of A-Fax Ltd.
WLN – What is your role in the business?
The success of the barrier product range and the development of the company led to the creation of the position of Business Development Manager at A-Safe, which I took up in early 2007. My brief is to increase our product sales and market share by exploring new business opportunities for existing and new products. There is also a high emphasis on relationship development and marketing to blue chip customers, one result of which is the DHL agreement.
WLN – How big is A-Safe in turnover and staff? How fast is it growing?
I suppose we’re classed as an SME. Significant growth over the last two to three years has resulted in a 20% increase in the workforce. Staff additions have been made in the sales and marketing, technical and production departments, and a new product installation department has been created. We expect the recent growth to continue.
WLN – Where is your UK head office?
We’re based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in a self-contained manufacturing, warehousing and office facility. All design, development and test facilities are undertaken in house, and trained sales and technical staff members are always available to supply full customer and product support. Halifax is also the base for our dedicated product installation team.
WLN – How many other countries does A-Safe trade in?
We have distributors in Benelux, France and Iceland, and have supplied direct to end users in Spain, Germany, the USA, Malaysia and the Cameroon. We are looking to source and appoint further distributors in European countries and the USA, and envisage significant expansion in both markets.
WLN – Does the UK lead the world in the adoption of products like yours?
We believe the UK is a world leader in the field of Health and Safety legislation and regulations, which are rigorously implemented and enforced. Our products are designed to meet and exceed the stringent requirements of the UK legislation and regulations. As far as we are aware, we are the only company in the world producing barriers like ours. We are based in the UK, so it is fair to make the statement that the UK leads the world in adoption of this type of barrier.
WLN – When did you launch the A-Safe barrier product range? How fast are sales growing?
The A-Safe Barrier product range was officially launched at the end of 2006, but the actual barrier products have been on the market since early 2002. The increase in staff levels is a fair indication of product growth. More sales mean more staff!
WLN – What specific barrier products are in your current range?
Fundamentally the product range falls into two major categories, Pedestrian and Traffic, based on the products initially introduced to the market in 2002. The product range has grown to be quite comprehensive, and I would think all our products have a use somewhere in a warehouse, logistics or distribution facility.
The products are designed and supplied to satisfy the needs and applications required in different areas of the workplace. Our Handrail is suitable for direction and guidance of pedestrians and indication of, and access restriction to, fall and edge hazards.
Pedestrian Barrier is for use where segregation of pedestrians or workforce personnel and vehicles is required, such as pedestrian walkways. It also has the ability to absorb the impact of a moving forklift truck.
Providing a higher level of impact protection, our Traffic Barrier product is used to define and segregate forklift truck and other vehicle routes. A double rail version is available for use where larger and/or more powerful vehicles are present. The Traffic Barrier can also be fitted with Pedestrian Rail Attachments where enhanced low level impact protection is required with the height of a Pedestrian Barrier needed to protect personnel.
Our Rack End Barrier is a non-contacting method of protection used at rack aisle ends, giving the same impact protection level as the Traffic Barrier. We also have rack upright protectors available, if protection of individual uprights in an aisle is needed.
Where bollards are required for loading bay protection, edge protection at vehicle or pedestrian entry and exit points or to prevent vehicle access, we have high impact bollards in heights from 400mm to 1200mm, with a heavy duty version of the 1200mm high bollard also available.
We also have an ongoing development of a barrier specifically for use in car parks, designed in accordance with the latest legislation and regulations relating to car park barriers.
We believe we have developed a product range that will provide a solution for nearly any barrier requirement.
If we come across a need that can’t be satisfied with an existing product, we are flexible enough to be able to design and supply a product that will.
WLN – Do you offer a consultancy and barrier advice service?
This is included as part of our sales service. As product requirements (type, dimensions and layout) tend to be specific to individual sites and facilities, the process of defining exactly what is required is usually an interactive one between the customer and ourselves. If necessary, we will give a product presentation to show a customer what solutions we have available or a product demonstration to prove a certain product type will meet his needs. If necessary we will undertake a site survey, and advise and recommend what products are needed in specific locations or areas. Layout drawings will be supplied if necessary.
WLN – How do you go about the business of selling your safety products in the UK?
The products are predominantly supplied direct within the UK, with a focus on forming strategic supply relationships with key customers such as DHL. We have a number of distributors within the UK, and our products appear in a number of nationally distributed catalogues.
WLN – How do your polypropylene barriers compare with metal ones?
Very well. Many people don’t realise that extruded polypropylene has a very high tensile strength, with the ability to flex under impact conditions, thus absorbing and dissipating the impact forces before returning to its original shape and form. Metal barriers, however, tend to provide a rigid obstacle to an impact source and can quite easily suffer permanent damage, to both barrier and vehicle.
What this means to the customer is that he has a product that will suffer little or no damage on impact, does not cause damage to the vehicle causing the impact, and does not need frequently repairing or repainting to maintain its appearance and effectiveness. It also severely reduces the risk of expensive floor damage. On impact with metal barriers the bulk of the impact force is transmitted to the barrier anchor points, which can often cause the barrier fixings to be ripped out of the ground.
A-Safe products also offer other additional features and benefits. They won’t rust or rot and are coloured all the way through, so don’t need repainting when they get scratched or chipped on impact. They are easily cleaned, corrosion resistant, and impervious to environmental conditions, meaning they can be used internally or externally. The products are lightweight, with no sharp edges, and don’t use nuts and bolts, welding or fixing brackets for assembly, allowing quick and easy installation. They also have a low maintenance requirement and are highly visible.
WLN – How do they compare in terms of cost and lifespan? How easy are they to repair?
Whilst our products are competitively priced, frequently being cheaper on a like for like basis, a truer cost comparison can be made by comparing the cost of purchasing and installing the product and maintaining it over a 12 month period.
Based on figures provided by A-Safe product users, the installation and maintenance costs for a typical metal product can represent 125% of the product’s purchase price, with product installation alone accounting for 60% and yearly floor maintenance for 30%. The figure for an equivalent A-Safe product is 25%. This means that over 12 months our products can cost nearly 50% less than their metal counterparts.
We would expect our products to have a longer usable lifespan. Being polypropylene, they are also 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life.
WLN – Does having your barrier products improve a company’s insurance risk?
Definitely. Pedestrian segregation is a prerequisite of Health and Safety regulations. Our products ensure pedestrian and structure protection from FLT’s and other vehicles. A visit by the company’s CEO to an Alcan site in the UK where our barriers are installed resulted in our products being recommended for installation as best practice where Pedestrian Segregation was required, on Alcan sites worldwide.
WLN – What impacts can your barriers withstand?
The products are tested and certified as capable of withstanding the impact forces specified in the relevant British Standards, a horizontal 90° impact force of 150kN. Simply put, this equates to a vehicle up to 2500kg moving at 4.5m/s.
We know from the tests carried out to obtain certification that the products will withstand impact forces exceeding those required by the standards. In-house testing has proved that the actual forces the products withstand can be 50-75% higher than the standards stipulate.
WLN – What industry sectors are the target markets for your products? Can you name any of your customers and talk about what you do for them?
Nearly all industry sectors have a need for our products to some extent. Our major markets are obviously warehousing, logistics and distribution, as well as automotive, brewing and drinks, car parks, engineering, local authorities and councils, manufacturing, paper and printing.
We have a large number of existing customers, small and large. The better known names include Alcan, Amazon.co.uk, Asda, BaeSystems, Business Post, Coca-Cola, DHL, Excel, Kimberly Clark, Maplin, SCA, ThyssenKrupp, Toyota and Tradeteam. Our products provide all our customers with a cost effective, low maintenance solution that ‘does what it says on the tin.’
WLN – What is your particular proposition for the warehouse and logistics sector?
We are currently specifically targeting the ‘W&L’ sector, addressing the market’s needs and establishing the product requirements for improving safety for personnel, equipment and building structures. The project is my responsibility, and most of my time will be spent addressing customers in the industry sector.
WLN – Are you launching any new products in 2008?
We’ll be adding vehicle kerb/wheel alignment guide, column protector and height restrictor products in early 2008, as well as expanding the range of bollard sizes we have available.
The vehicle kerb is intended for use in vehicle parking bays, loading bay vehicle manoeuvring areas and in warehouses on vehicle traffic routes and between aisle access lanes. The column protectors will be suitable for a range of circular, square or H section column sizes. Although officially a 2008 product, several height restrictors have already been supplied for roller shutter door protection.
WLN – Can people buy your products online? How long does it take to deliver your products?
We don’t currently offer online ordering. We try to deliver all orders within 1 -2 weeks from receipt, and hold high product stock levels so generally most orders will be delivered within five working days.
WLN – What safety standards are your products made to?
The assembled products are designed and manufactured to comply with the latest Health and Safety legislation and regulations and relevant British Standards. The most relevant documents are the HSC Approved Code of Practice, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, the Guidance for employers regarding Workplace Transport Safety issued by the HSE, BS6180: 1999, Barriers in and about buildings, BS6399: Part 1:1996 Loading for Buildings and the Building Regulations 2000, Approved Document K.
As stated earlier, the products have been tested and certified to the impact force loadings specified in the relevant Standards.
WLN – What external factors do you see impacting on demand for your products?
The main ones are more stringent Health and Safety legislation and regulations, both here and overseas, and increased implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulations, particularly overseas.
WLN – Final question – where do you see A-Safe going from here?
I see us continuing to grow, as the market potential is so huge. To achieve this we shall carry on working closely with customers to identify needs and provide cost effective solutions, increasing market penetration in new and existing market sectors and continuing our new product development, including design of a highway crash barrier.
A-Safe (UK) Ltd
Tel: 01442 344402
www.asafe.co.uk
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