Decksafe Solutions ensures upgraded household recycling site meets demand

21 May 2013

DeckSafe Solutions has ensured the safety of users at a household recycling centre in Stoke Gifford near Bristol with the installation of a range of facilities incorporating non-slip surfaces

The recycling centre, which is managed by SITA UK, needed an extensive refurbishment and upgrade following the construction of a large housing estate nearby.

Established in 1988, SITA UK is an experienced recycling and resource management company that serves over 12 million residents and 40,000 business customers to help reduce the impact of their waste on the environment. The company manages in excess of seven million tonnes of waste through its network of recycling, composting, energy-from-waste and landfill facilities.

During this process, SITA UK recovers over two million tonnes and generates over 700,000 megawatt hours of electricity. The company’s household recycling centre at Stoke Gifford is visited by hundreds of local residents daily and DeckSafe Solutions was commissioned to put forward recommendations to ensure the safety of all users.

Following detailed consultation with SITA UK engineers, DeckSafe Solutions put forward an innovative design incorporating a complete refurbishment and upgrade of the site. These recommendations focused particularly on ensuring that all public access areas within the site met very stringent safety standards. As a result, DeckSafe has eliminated a number of potentially slippery, uneven and hazardous concrete steps and surfaces.

The upgraded site now features an installation of three raised platforms accessed via gently sloping ramps complete with sturdy, non-slip gritted surfaces. Users are able to carry their waste up the ramps to the raised platforms and deposit it into large skips without losing their footing especially during adverse weather conditions. DeckSafe Solutions also installed a set of safety handrails on each ramp to provide extra confidence to users of the site.

DeckSafe’s Solid Top Panels, which were used throughout the refurbishment, are ideal for pedestrian access. The fibreglass structural flooring offers high strength properties, lightweight construction and can be manufactured to conform to BS EN 124 specifications. Acclaimed by industry experts for its cost effectiveness and high environmental standards, the Solid Top Panels incorporated into the design of the upgraded recycling site at Stoke Gifford will help to ensure the safety of all users for many years to come.

SITA UK Senior Site Manager, Stuart Derrick, is delighted with the finished result and commends the professionalism of the DeckSafe team. He says, “At every stage of this project, from design through to commissioning, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the level of cooperation from DeckSafe Solutions. The whole team was very committed to delivering a solution that was not only effective but also met our very high environmental standards. The new housing estate close to the recycling centre resulted in a dramatic increase in visitors to the site. With our newly upgraded facilities, we’re now able to meet this demand without compromising on our stringent service and safety standards.”