Core Highways has launched an innovation that could dramatically reduce the risk of injury to workers handling A-Frame signs.
The new design was a response to concerns from its workforce around the potential for fingers to be trapped in the frame mechanism, potentially causing serious injury.
A taskforce was assembled to address the problem, resulting in a new product that works with all existing signage and does not affect the ability to stack the frames flat.
Highways understands that Core has not patented the product, allowing others to replicate it.
The firm, which directly employs over 1,000 traffic management operatives, said manual handling is one of the highest causes of accidents and injuries within the temporary traffic management industry.
Image: Core Highways
Group head of safety, health, environment and quality Simon Robinson said: ‘Manual handling and pinch point injuries occur too frequently in low-speed temporary traffic management, resulting in some nasty debilitating injuries.
‘Working with Cougar Developments and Brookes Tarpaulins, we have been able to design out this risk at source, removing one less thing to think about, and supporting our operatives who often work in high-risk environments.
‘Something so simple will be effective in reducing these injuries, moving us all closer to the ultimate aspiration of zero harm.’
Core said a retrofit attachment providing the additional protection is currently in development with a view to starting manufacturing imminently.
With 36 depots nationally and a fleet of over 1000 vehicles, Core Highways is the single brand under which legacy brands Forest Traffic, Amberon and MLP Traffic now operate.
