Oxford Safety Components Supports Leading House Builder In Reducing Waste and Carbon Emissions With Innovative StairSpan Bridge

Introduction

We have had the privilege of collaborating with a leading national housebuilder when they approached OSC to help with an initiative to reduce waste on timber frame construction sites, and we were more than happy to help.
During the initial install phase of the build process, a large wooden cassette would be removed from the first floor to allow an access point where the staircase would be installed.

There were two significant concerns with this.

• Firstly, the removal of the cassette would leave a large, unprotected void that presented the risk of operatives falling from height and the potential for injury.
• Secondly, the wooden cassette itself from each plot generated a large amount of
  wastage which took up considerable space on site and also had to be disposed of.

The Solution

OSC took an existing product the StairSpan stair protection system, and with a bit of innovation created the StairSpan Bridge to address the two major concerns without negatively impacting work or schedules.

• Once in place the StairSpan Bridge completely protects the void area from the risk of falls, supporting their commitment to site safety.
• The implementation of the StairSpan Bridge totally removed the need for the wooden cassettes, therefore significantly reducing the amount of waste onsite.

In fact, the StairSpan Bridge system has several key features that enables site operatives and associated trades to continue to work in safety, and even improved productivity.

Key features:

• The unique trellis mat provides full visibility above and below
• The easy open and close design allows for a ladder to be used, enabling access for site workers and materials to flow freely between floors, minimising disruption
• Not only prevents falls but can be used as a safe working platform or landing  
• Oxford Safety Components operates as a circular business, and many of our systems can be relocated and reused many times over, making them a sustainable solution.
• And with our inspection and repair service we can help ensure the continued safety and longevity of the systems.

The Result

Following the implementation of the StairSpan Bridge, our customer was extremely happy with the solution that we have provided.  With the improved safety aspect and the considerable reduction of wastage on the timber frame sites, using the StairSpan Bridge is contributing significantly to reducing carbon emissions during the build phase. 

In fact, together we have calculated the following CO2e savings:

Total number of StairSpan Bridges implemented by the house builder across 2024/2025 = 812

Timber wastage of 53.7kg per wooden cassette which is equivalent to a CO2e savings of 21.48kg each

21.48kg CO2e x 812 cassettes.

Note: Figures are for one usage per system!

Each StairSpan Bridge can be used again and again, so this figure will be significantly higher with each reuse, therefore supporting our customer with their commitment to reduce their Carbon emissions into the future.

Contact Us

For further details on how we can help improve site safety, and support with the reduction of Carbon emissions with our range of fall prevention solutions, contact the team on:

01869 323282 or email: sales@oxfordsafety.com