SPEEDPANEL® Manual Handling Information
Although Speedpanel is generally considered lightweight, like all products of its nature it can pose potential risks and hazards if manual handling methodologies, installation practices and/or system designs are not optimised for effective installation.
In line with the requirements of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, employers and employees must all work together to manage manual handling risks on site.
Proper assessment of all risks and hazards must be conducted prior to any manual or assisted handling of Speedpanel products. Assessments should identify tasks involved in the successful installation of Speedpanel, considering all movements and their effects on the body. These need to be considered in conjunction with the specifics of the Speedpanel being installed, factoring in length, weight, access and environment. Careful consideration must also be placed on appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a safe Method Work Statement (SWMS) may need to be completed.
For further information please speak with your site’s OHS representative or contact the Work Safe / Safe Work regulatory body in your state.
Panel weight
Speedpanel is delivered with information related to the estimated weight on the pack label. In order to determine the approximate weight of individual panels, simply divide the total estimated pack weight by the total panel quantity. (Refer to the below guide for further details) CARE MUST BE TAKEN on-site when separating panels from their original packs, as densities within Speedpanel models vary and higher densities can be significantly heavier despite having an identical appearance.
We STRONGLY recommend that installers mark densities on the protective panel plastic (sometimes removed after installation) with a marker to help with identification if separated from the original pack.
Speedpanel also publishes all panel weights in technical literature. We have also developed the below panel weight calculator tool to help calculate weight specific to the profile, density and length of your panel to aid in manual handling risk assessments.