Inspection pit innovations from Premier
Premier Pits – which supplies and installs prefabricated inspection pits for fleet operators, dealerships and independent workshops across the UK and beyond – has recently expanded its safety range with a new hinged pit cover to help protect workshop employees.
The patented Premier Hinged Cover is an air-operated fall restraint made up of banks of 2.5m steel mesh panels.
The cover is operated by pneumatic cylinders connected to a central control box for easy on- person operation. The stairs of the pit are covered by individual sections which are manually lifted, and have the additional benefit of acting as a hand rail for ingress and egress.
Pit covers are becoming increasingly common in workshops across the UK, says Premier Pits, following health and safety guidelines – and in some countries, it is a legal requirement.
The company offers a variety of options to assist with health and safety around the pit area, but says that retrofitting covers, such as retractable types, can require extensive groundworks to form storage areas for the cover – or, if this is not possible, the pit length must be reduced, meaning a loss of working space.
The Premier Hinged Cover enables clients to protect their staff with minimal disruption whilst keeping the maximum working space.
Premier Pits managing director Mel Burrell said: “The Premier Hinged Cover is a versatile fall restraint that can be fitted to any new Premier Pit, or to existing pits, whether they are steel, concrete or brick.
“There is no requirement for a storage cassette, meaning that a pit of any length can be covered with minimal working space lost. This solution offers a quick and easy solution to protect your staff from accidents in the workshop.”
The company’s full range includes inspection, authorised testing facility (ATF) and maintenance pits, all supported by a comprehensive range of accessories and health and safety equipment, such as covers and barriers, pit bridges and pit jacks.
Premier also provides a range of solutions for the washbay, including under-chassis wash pits and ramps.
The company emphasises the importance of ensuring products meet the highest manufacturing standards when selecting a pit supplier.
“From the first point of contact, to the completion of the job, Premier Pits offer a complete package,” said the firm.
“Advice is given on the type of pit to install, along with the modifications and accessories required for working on specific vehicles.
“Our skilled, experienced, design engineers using the latest CAD design facilities, and are able to provide design support to architects, structural engineers, and contractors alike.”
Although all pits are built around standard basic formats they can be tailored to suit individual customer needs, says the firm, thereby making available an endless range of combinations. Among the facilities on its website is an online pit builder, allowing prospective customers to specify desired pit features and enquire for further details.
“Once delivered to the site, the pits are installed by one of Premier Pits’ own teams of skilled and experienced fitters. Before handover, we always ensure that the pit and surrounding floor is clean and tidy, with all waste material removed.
“To ensure that everything is still in order on new build projects, we revisit the site just prior to the building being handed over to the client.”
Premier Pits is also distributor for the BrakeMate product, an elevated service platform for servicing heavy vehicle brake disc assemblies.
It is said to eliminate the majority of manual lifting during the disc brake maintenance process and substantially reduce service time. It also enables a single user to complete the whole process, enabling other jobs to be completed more efficiently.
