Alpacific Part M Compliant Access Rail
We recently supplied a Part M compliant handrail to Alpacific Ltd, a new metal recycling facility in County Laois. They required a Part M handrail in order to provide safe access up a ramp at the entrance to their premises. Ammar, from Alpacific, wanted to ensure that all customers visiting the premises were kept safe as they walked around, while ensuring that all insurance requirements were met.
Having been sent a simple plan sketch of the ramp, we set to work on producing a detailed sketch in order to work out what was required, in order to provide a quote.
Part M Handrail Requirements
The first consideration that we needed to keep in mind while designing the rail, was that it would need to suit Part M of the Building Regulations. This meant that it would need to meet certain criteria in order to have a handrail which would comply:
- The rail would need to be smooth from beginning to end, allowing the users hand to pass freely along without them having to remove their hand at any point.
- It would also need to be continuous, with no unnecessary breaks or pauses in the system, where the user would have to navigate the slope without assistance.
- The ends of the rails would need to have a turn inwards or downwards in order to alert the user that the rail has come to an end. Doing so will also minimise the chance of clothing or bags getting caught as people pass by.
We Provide A Detailed Sketch Of Your Handrail
When asked to design out a handrail, no matter which handrail design type, we draw it out fully and mark all the fittings and tube lengths on the sketch. We do this for two reasons.
The first, as mentioned above, means we can work out exactly what fittings are required for the handrail and ensures that we don’t miss any that may be needed.
Secondly, we can then send this sketch to the customer and it shows them exactly where each component goes. The customer can then match the fittings codes with their thumbnail image on the quote, making installation much easier.
Steel Safety Barrier - Kee Klamp
Ammar wasn’t finished safeguarding his premises with the ramp handrail. He also required a standard Kee Klamp safety rail to work as a demarcation barrier at the edge of their yard. This would also keep customers away from machinery traversing the building.
This double rail handrail system was even easier to install than the handrail on their ramp, but provided another vital element of safety required. Like the access ramp handrail, this safety barrier contained 2 rails. However as this was a safety barrier rather than a safe access rail, the rails could be kept in-line with the posts.
Have A Handrail Inquiry?
Projects such as this are where we feel we excel. We can work out what you need, depending on the handrail criteria required. All rails are different depending on the nature of the ramps/steps involved, or the requirements and ability of the likely user of the rail. Sometimes a Kee Klamp rail will suffice, whereas in other situations the rail will need to be compliant with the Building Regulations. We are happy to guide the customer and recommend what we feel will work best for them. We can quickly work out what you need and dispatch it quickly, to meet any timeframe.