Fire safety to the fore

27 July 2022

Health & Safety considerations have always been amongst the most important drivers of demand for hired equipment, but following the record UK temperatures of last week and the wildfires in many areas of the country, fire safety is now occupying the minds of many people.

Indeed, some weather forecasters are predicting another heatwave next week. 

Matt Dolan, managing director of MD Tool Hire & Sales of Warrington, tells me that Elite fire point trolleys from the Hire Supply Company (HSC) have been proving popular with many building site managers for quite some time. 

These portable trolleys can be equipped with the appropriate extinguishers as a package and hired out as required, often over the long term. 

“They are very good earners for us and I think every construction site, big or small, should have one for peace of mind,” says Matt. “We ordered a consignment of them recently (pictured) for a 16-week hire placed by a contractor working in Durham.” 

HSC offers a variety of fire trolleys and extinguishers for different hazards. The trolleys also incorporate alarms which send an alert in the event of an incident on site.

Steve McKenzie, HSC’s group sales manager, adds: “Their portability means that they can be placed in areas of potential risk such as landings, corridors and locations where workers are undertaking tasks like cutting which could generate sparks. Similarly they can be placed near fuel storage areas.”  

On long-term hire contracts, HSC can also administer the required annual equipment safety checks through its separate Fire Safe division.