25 Oct Safe on Purpose
Every business starts with a purpose, Powersafe was born because Vic Knight (our founder) noticed that in his equipment hire business there was a lack of safe, portable power-boards on the market that did not have issues with dust, water damage or even having an emergency stop fitted.
As an electrician by trade, Vic knew that working with electricity is a leading cause of injury or even in some cases fatalities in the workplace. Something needed to be done to avert these risks. He started to develop some key products to take to market. Some 12 years on and Powersafe are the leading manufacturers of safe power-boards in Australia.
Electricity is one of the most important power sources that we all use every day, it needs to be respected and managed with care.
Did you know-
Fast Facts: (reference Safework Australia website)
Between 2003–15:
- 142 workers died as a result of contact with electricity (an average of 11 workers each year)
- 87% (123) of these deaths happened when installing electrical infrastructure
- almost half of worker deaths occurred in the construction industry.
Risks using electricity on site must be managed and there are ways to do it. We have noted that even today, even though there are products on the market that reduce risk, we still see power boards out there that are not as safe as they should be.
We would love to see the instances of injury and death reduced drastically, because really, this is Australia – we have the means and the capacity to improve this and 142 deaths (in just 12 years) is just not ok. That’s 142 families whose lives have been devastated by something that is totally avoidable.
Let’s take a look at what is making up these stats and outline what we do at Powersafe, to mitigate these risks:-
Risks associated with electricity
The risk of death or injury from electricity is strongly linked to where and how it is used. For example, the risks are generally higher if it is used:
- Outdoors or in damp surroundings—equipment may become wet and may be at greater risk of becoming damaged: – Powersafe Power boards are constructed in a completely moulded sealed unit, the lid is attached using the correct torque and an IP66 breather drain has been installed which allows one way moisture flow and two way airflow to reduce condensation in the board
- In cramped spaces with earthed metalwork. For example, inside a tank or bin it may be difficult to avoid receiving an electrical shock if an electrical fault develops: We have installed RCD DUO’s into our PowerBoards which means that an earth stake may not be required.
Some types of equipment can also involve greater risk than others, for example:
- Portable electrical equipment including plugs and sockets, electrical connections and to the cable itself are especially vulnerable to damage: We have developed a range of cable protection equipment, plus our sockets and plugs have been designed to meet the rigours of our harshest environments.
- Extension leads, particularly those connected to equipment that is frequently moved, can suffer similar problems: Our Braided Extension leads are the premium lead on the market. Here are a heap of facts as to why you should choose a Powersafe powerlead
We are always looking for the next innovation to maintain our commitment to rise to industry challenges in a responsive timeframe. The Powersafe team will demonstrate excellence through our commitment to delivering improved safe solutions to the market and emerge as leaders who respond to change with speed, determination and great customer service.
Find out more about Powersafe here
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