What has Mahtech Developed?
Mahtech has designed and developed a simple safety scaffolding product to reduce the risk of scaffolding boards being dislodged from strong winds, human error or accidents. Mahtech’s innovative and very effective ‘Lockdown brackets” are easy to install, prevent board dislodgements and reduce the risk of fall hazards being created on scaffolding decks.
Why Mahtech Lock Downs?
Mahtech developed our ‘Lockdown brackets’ to stem the rising incidents of ‘falling from heights incidents’, to protect workers and the general public from being struck from a scaffolding board that has been dislodged and to reduce the risk of a ‘fall hazard’ being created by a dislodged board or a board that has been removed illegally by other trades. We needed to replace the outdated and illegal methods of securing scaffold such as steel fixing tie wire, cable ties and steel strapping with something easier, more efficient and most importantly fully engineered and tested to withstand the anticipated wind forces. There is also a lot of illegal removal of boards by other trades, so we needed a product that would deter this illegal removal. It is too easy to just cut the tie wire, cable ties and steel strapping, and remove boards and not be able to re-secure them. We needed to design a product that if other trades were hell bent on removing boards illegally, that they could at least re-install our product and keep the boards secure. Keeping everyone safe.
How Do Our Lock Downs Work?
Our product works by connecting to the existing scaffolding system, whether that is kwikstage, cuplock, ring/rosette type of scaffold or tube and clip scaffolding. Our ‘Lockdowns’ will simply connect to the v wedge, cup or ring on modular scaffold, using the same connection points as a ledger or transom, 500mm above the deck or hop-ups you want to secure. Using risers to connect to a flat bar that compresses down onto your deck, from the inside of the standard to the inside of the opposite standard, when the wedge is driven home or the top cup is locked down. On tube and clip the same applies with the compression down on to the flatbar but is secured by using a ‘half coupler/clip (90) to the standard/upright, that is connected to risers compressing down. This compression down is major reason why our product was tested and engineered to withstand category 5 cyclonic winds (300kph), with the testing being carried out by the University of Newcastle’s Engineering Department in conjunction with Stekiz Engineering. This compression down was a major breakthrough in our development for strength, stability and rigidity.
Are Mahtech Products Affordable?
Mahtech dramatically reduces the the time it takes to secure boards compared to the outdated and illegal methods mentioned earlier. It takes 10-15 times longer to use the other methods.(time lapse videos below) Not only is the installation way more efficient, but if you have to remove and replace boards for access, or have board movements for different trades or hop-up movements, you have that same time disparity multiple times. Our Lockdowns don’t cause ‘trip hazards’ as the other methods might, resulting in less ‘lost time injuries’. Our Lockdowns deter other trades from illegally removing boards and creating fall hazards rendering the scaffold incomplete and not usable, and having to recall scaffolders on ‘day labor’ to reinstall the scaffold and sign off to say that it is fit again for purpose. Easy to install and remove and very efficient and effective, with a lifespan of 20-25 years if used and stored correctly and regular maintenance.
Don’t take our word for it, see Mahtech products demonstrated below.