Jewson is rolling out a new health and safety system across its fleet of heavy commercial vehicles.

By the end of 2014, the merchant will have installed up to 450 of its vehicles with a dropside fall restraint system and a bulk bag-grab nip safety system, enabling drivers to avoid risk and enhance overall safety when loading and making deliveries.

The dropside fall restraint system, called Safe-T-Drop, has been designed to act as a barrier on both sides and the rear of the vehicle. It acts as a fall restraint and guard, ensuring Jewson drivers can access the load-space on the vehicle safely and securely, preventing any accidental falls. Once the delivery is complete, drivers can simply remove the restraint and replace the sides of the vehicle before leaving.

Jewson has also improved the crane bulk bag-grab system on its vehicles. In the past, drivers would have had to access the vehicle bed to physically attach the bulk bag handles for delivery. Now, the mechanism has been designed to be strong enough to nip the load and lift it onto site. This means the delivery can be made without the driver getting onto the vehicle bed – removing them from harm’s way and reducing unnecessary risk.

“We are delighted to be launching our new health and safety systems,” said Ian Berrill, director of transport for Jewson. “Health and safety is the number-one priority at Jewson, which is why we continually strive to find new and innovative ways of providing our colleagues and customers with the safest possible working environment. The combination of the two new vehicle safety systems will significantly reduce the risk to our drivers when making deliveries to site.”