Nationwide extends ‘seatbelt for MEWPs’ to customers at zero cost

Nationwide Platforms’ Harness On.

Nationwide Platforms, the UK’s largest access rental company, has anounced that it is providing its innovative operator safety device Harness On, free of charge to its customers.

The device, first introduced in 2022 as the ‘seatbelt’ for MEWPs, ensures the operator’s lanyard is attached to the basket, otherwise the machine will not work. It is being fitted across the company’s entire fleet of boom lifts with no increase in the rental price of the equipment, meaning there is no extra cost for the customer.

Pointing to IPAF’s Global Safety Report for 2023, which emphasise the prevalence of falls from the platform as the primary cause of fatal accidents during MEWP operation, Nationwide says the device is designed to prevent such falls, and “revolutionises safe working at height by permanently connecting its intelligent induction technology to the manufacturer’s designated anchor point, securely fastening the operator in.”

Paul Rankin, CEO of Nationwide Platforms, part of Loxam’s Powered Access Division (PAD), said, “We drive and change safety in the market. It is a major part of our value proposition. When adding value, you have to do something different, and we have chosen safety as that differentiator.

“But it’s more important than that - this technology is essential to improve workplace safety. Falls from height are the largest cause of accidents, so we wanted to ensure that we developed a solution that we could openly share with our competitors and OEMs, with no Loxam branding.

“From a market perspective, such a move demonstrates how Nationwide Platforms separates itself from other companies, especially in light of rising inflation as well as other economic pressures in Europe. If we only sold in price, then we wouldn’t be here.

“Our motto at Nationwide Platforms is, ‘Your Safety, our priority’, and with this new initiative we’re ensuring that neither cost nor competition are barriers to customer safety.”

Harness On is the result of a collaborative effort between Nationwide Platforms, MEWP manufacturer Dingli, which produces the device, and Control Dynamics Inc (CDI), an aviation specialist and development partner. Additionally, Nationwide Platforms garnered support from major UK contractor Balfour Beatty, which has endorsed the device and conducted trials on major projects, further validating the technology’s effectiveness.

Christopher Houlton, Manager at BlueSky Solutions - the division of Nationwide that designed the device, said, “We are really excited about Harness On and hope to get as many people exposed to this device as possible in the coming months. Harness On is the future of safely working at height.”

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