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FeedsHome: February / March 2012 › When safety is critical
When safety is critical
28/02/2012 | Channel: Health & Safety
CIRAS is the confidential, independent, safety reporting service for people working on the GB mainline railway and London Underground.
For more than 20 years Cosalt has been designing, manufacturing and supplying safety clothing to the UK rail industry. Today, over 30,000 rail personnel wear Cosalt personal protective equipment (PPE) and workwear to keep them safe, dry, warm and comfortable at work.
Not surprisingly, the company’s client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the rail infrastructure business with companies like Network Rail, Babcock and Bombardier to name just a few.
Explained Jon Crossland, the managing director of Cosalt Workwear: “Our many years in the business have given us a unique understanding of the rail industry so we know how to deliver what our customers want.”
As a UK leader in the design and supply of hi-visibility safety clothing for the road and rail networks, Cosalt safeguards life in dangerous and often hostile conditions. Offering products that exceed all UK required standards and international quality levels in terms of durability, lifespan and fitness for purpose, the company prides itself on in-house production and state-of-the-art IT software. Its in-house experienced management team, design and development team, sampling, and UK production facilities make it a frontrunner in the market that is able to supply a wide range of customers. Not only dedicated to the transport industries, Cosalt also provides PPE (personal protective equipment) clothing to other markets including fire and rescue services, police forces within the UK, motor manufacturers and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
“Our extensive experience in the design, manufacture and distribution of a wide variety of PPE and workwear for other market sectors allows us to work with rail customers to achieve the effective combination of optimum safety, complete comfort, maximum visibility, absolute protection and total performance,” commented Jon.
Working in close partnership with quality suppliers, Cosalt is focused on producing garments that are not only fit for purpose but also surpass legislative requirements without compromising on wearer comfort and fit. Safety is paramount for people working track-side and Cosalt spares no expense when it comes to pushing the boundaries of innovative design and product testing.
Operating in a high-risk environment, rail workers have to tolerate a variety of harsh weather conditions and they cannot just down tools in bad weather. It is imperative that workers can rely on their workwear garments to keep them highly visible in all levels of light as well as keeping them dry, warm and comfortable.
The Cosalt PPE range includes hi vis, GORE-TEX® fabric, flame-retardant garments and WINDSTOPPER® underwear. From next-to-skin underwear through to second layer workwear and outer layer foul weather waterproofs, Cosalt’s PPE meets – or exceeds – the relevant European standards. All Hi Vis garments supplied to the rail industry comply with GO/RT 3279.
But Cosalt’s strengths run deeper than their ability to design and develop market-leading products. The company’s managed service option is a turnkey solution that takes safety to a new level.
Cosalt will take on the responsibility for laundering and maintaining the garments and making sure they comply with health and safety standards. They will maintain the exacting quality control and product management procedures that allow every garment to be tracked and traced and finally decommissioned.
Jon explains: “This means that we manage all aspects of PPE provision to a customer’s workforce mainly through our advanced IT systems, which include wardrobe management. We can see when garments have been allocated to individuals, how many times they have been laundered, and how many times they have been replaced or repaired. We can track garments ‘from cradle to grave’, which is especially important when a health and safety incident occurs, in which case we can work with the HSE on behalf of the customer.”
As part of this managed service offering, Cosalt has created an advanced paperless system that can integrate seamlessly with a customer’s own enterprise, resource and planning systems. This provides access to real-time information on procurement requests, orders placed, ongoing support issues, invoices, payments and key performance indicator reports. Customers are able to take decisions based on clear, concise up-to-date information.
“This is what makes Cosalt unique. Our ‘Fully Managed Service’ offers everything a customer requires to manage a contract with ease. The system is helping to improve safety, increase efficiency and drive down overhead costs,” said Jon.
Whilst consistently delivering unrivalled quality throughout its range of clothing and safety accessories, Cosalt is on a permanent treadmill of development. It has re-designed a new hi-visibility range of products utilising the latest technologies, developed a number of items in conjunction with key supply partners that are currently in wearer trial, and introduced a new range of electric arc protective clothing alongside its UK and European suppliers. All new products undergo rigorous testing to ensure longevity and their laundry durability – the life-saving properties of its products are never underestimated.
Cosalt looks to cut cost and inefficiencies throughout all of its operations whilst maintaining a focus on customer requirements and satisfaction. As such, the company has gained a reputation for going over and above expectations and has experienced continued success despite the economic recession.
The greatest challenge for the organisation comes from the import market and exchange rate fluctuations that can cause issues in cost management, but its key partnerships with suppliers function to reduce such impacts. The UK PPE market has also become fragmented as a result of the downturn and Cosalt has witnessed the disappearance of a number of its peers in the last 18 months. However, the organisation remains strong and positive that there are plenty of opportunities for growth based on the dedication of its workforce, philosophy of face-to-face relationships with customers, and value-added portfolio.
Please visit Cosalt on Stand J11 at InfraRail 2012 where they’ll be happy to discuss all aspects of their rail products and services.
Cosalt
Tel: +44 (0)161 429 1100
Email: workwear@cosalt.com
Web: www.cosalt.com
Not surprisingly, the company’s client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the rail infrastructure business with companies like Network Rail, Babcock and Bombardier to name just a few.
Explained Jon Crossland, the managing director of Cosalt Workwear: “Our many years in the business have given us a unique understanding of the rail industry so we know how to deliver what our customers want.”
As a UK leader in the design and supply of hi-visibility safety clothing for the road and rail networks, Cosalt safeguards life in dangerous and often hostile conditions. Offering products that exceed all UK required standards and international quality levels in terms of durability, lifespan and fitness for purpose, the company prides itself on in-house production and state-of-the-art IT software. Its in-house experienced management team, design and development team, sampling, and UK production facilities make it a frontrunner in the market that is able to supply a wide range of customers. Not only dedicated to the transport industries, Cosalt also provides PPE (personal protective equipment) clothing to other markets including fire and rescue services, police forces within the UK, motor manufacturers and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
“Our extensive experience in the design, manufacture and distribution of a wide variety of PPE and workwear for other market sectors allows us to work with rail customers to achieve the effective combination of optimum safety, complete comfort, maximum visibility, absolute protection and total performance,” commented Jon.
Working in close partnership with quality suppliers, Cosalt is focused on producing garments that are not only fit for purpose but also surpass legislative requirements without compromising on wearer comfort and fit. Safety is paramount for people working track-side and Cosalt spares no expense when it comes to pushing the boundaries of innovative design and product testing.
Operating in a high-risk environment, rail workers have to tolerate a variety of harsh weather conditions and they cannot just down tools in bad weather. It is imperative that workers can rely on their workwear garments to keep them highly visible in all levels of light as well as keeping them dry, warm and comfortable.
The Cosalt PPE range includes hi vis, GORE-TEX® fabric, flame-retardant garments and WINDSTOPPER® underwear. From next-to-skin underwear through to second layer workwear and outer layer foul weather waterproofs, Cosalt’s PPE meets – or exceeds – the relevant European standards. All Hi Vis garments supplied to the rail industry comply with GO/RT 3279.
But Cosalt’s strengths run deeper than their ability to design and develop market-leading products. The company’s managed service option is a turnkey solution that takes safety to a new level.
Cosalt will take on the responsibility for laundering and maintaining the garments and making sure they comply with health and safety standards. They will maintain the exacting quality control and product management procedures that allow every garment to be tracked and traced and finally decommissioned.
Jon explains: “This means that we manage all aspects of PPE provision to a customer’s workforce mainly through our advanced IT systems, which include wardrobe management. We can see when garments have been allocated to individuals, how many times they have been laundered, and how many times they have been replaced or repaired. We can track garments ‘from cradle to grave’, which is especially important when a health and safety incident occurs, in which case we can work with the HSE on behalf of the customer.”
As part of this managed service offering, Cosalt has created an advanced paperless system that can integrate seamlessly with a customer’s own enterprise, resource and planning systems. This provides access to real-time information on procurement requests, orders placed, ongoing support issues, invoices, payments and key performance indicator reports. Customers are able to take decisions based on clear, concise up-to-date information.
“This is what makes Cosalt unique. Our ‘Fully Managed Service’ offers everything a customer requires to manage a contract with ease. The system is helping to improve safety, increase efficiency and drive down overhead costs,” said Jon.
Whilst consistently delivering unrivalled quality throughout its range of clothing and safety accessories, Cosalt is on a permanent treadmill of development. It has re-designed a new hi-visibility range of products utilising the latest technologies, developed a number of items in conjunction with key supply partners that are currently in wearer trial, and introduced a new range of electric arc protective clothing alongside its UK and European suppliers. All new products undergo rigorous testing to ensure longevity and their laundry durability – the life-saving properties of its products are never underestimated.
Cosalt looks to cut cost and inefficiencies throughout all of its operations whilst maintaining a focus on customer requirements and satisfaction. As such, the company has gained a reputation for going over and above expectations and has experienced continued success despite the economic recession.
The greatest challenge for the organisation comes from the import market and exchange rate fluctuations that can cause issues in cost management, but its key partnerships with suppliers function to reduce such impacts. The UK PPE market has also become fragmented as a result of the downturn and Cosalt has witnessed the disappearance of a number of its peers in the last 18 months. However, the organisation remains strong and positive that there are plenty of opportunities for growth based on the dedication of its workforce, philosophy of face-to-face relationships with customers, and value-added portfolio.
Please visit Cosalt on Stand J11 at InfraRail 2012 where they’ll be happy to discuss all aspects of their rail products and services.
Cosalt
Tel: +44 (0)161 429 1100
Email: workwear@cosalt.com
Web: www.cosalt.com
