Fall protection equipment just got a little bit “green”.  Kee Safety has released a new counterbalance for its roof top railing system that is made from 100% recycled PVC.   In addition to being “green” the new counter balances are more ergonomic to carry (less weight, integrated handles), safer to walk around (reflective strips and integrated tread) and available in various colors (grey, orange, and custom). 

Find out more about about KeeGuard on our fall protection page and read a detailed brochure about the new PVC counterbalances. 

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Keith has a complete tutorial of how he built his shooting table on his web site.  link

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As with many of Kee Safety’s products, the focus is on modularity and durability.  Each component is very durable:

• Galvanized Steel Fittings
• Galvanized Rubber Bases
• Stainless Steel Cable & Connectors
• Vinyl Coated Cable
• High Quality Warning Flags

This is not a system that you will have to replace year after year.

Extension kits are available so that you can extend the base kit to any length and configuration.

Contact a sales engineer today to learn more about the Kee Mark Warning Line System.

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See John’s previous works:

Kee Klamp Pumpkin Head 
Kee Klamp Horse Head

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A recent customer utilized our Kwik Kit Safety Rail product to provide a safe right of way to pedestrians walking near utility vehicles in the warehouse.

Here is the scenario BEFORE the Kwik Kit Safety Rail was installed:
No physical barrier to protect the worker.  Only a visual barrier of cones was present to designate the walkway.

Here is the scenario AFTER the Kwik Kit Safety Railing was installed:
Workers clearly separated from hazards.  Workers are clearly aware of when they were leaving the “safe zone” via the self closing safety gate. 

Click Image to Enlarge

Click Image to Enlarge

Kwik Kits provided a solution that was:

• Durable - able to withstand impacts and protect workers in the walkway.
• Easy to use - Uprights come preassembled and powder coated safety yellow.
• Modular - Can fit a wide variety of configurations.
• Safe - The ultimate priority when considering a product.  Does it protect the worker from the hazard?  Kwik Kit does the job!

Allow us to help you separate your workers from dangerous working conditions - contact our sales engineer.

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This safety video was produced by students at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore.  via

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Researching desks started to give me an idea of what I did and did not want in a computer desk.  After a discussion with a friend I decided to make the plunge into building a desk to fit my needs.

Basic Strategy

I’m not a woodworker at heart, so I knew I needed to keep the construction of the desk simple.  I decided to build the desk legs and foundation using Kee Klamp fittings and fence post.  The aesthetic look isn’t for everyone, but it makes construction MUCH EASIER. Building the foundation of the desk is as simple as cutting some pipe and using an Allen wrench.

For the desk top I used a custom cut piece of MDF that I primed, painted and sealed (a must if you are using MDF).

To make the desk ergonomic I custom cut some of the remaining MDF into a keyboard tray and bought an articulating keyboard adjustable unit.

Getting Started

The first thing I did was make a plan.  I drew out several sketches on some graph paper to see how I wanted the desktop surface to look.  Having a particular space in mind, I made one side of the desk longer than the other.

Here’s my drawing:

Cutting the Top

After I had my design, I marked the outline onto a  4×8 sheet of MDF.  I used the top of a coffee can as a stencil for my rounded corners.

I supported it on saw horses and made the first couple of straight cuts with a circular saw.  I used a straight edge to guide the circular saw so that the edges were perfectly straight.

Then I used a HIGH QUALITY jig saw with a SHARP BLADE to cut out the curves and corners.

TIP: You need to be careful with how you support MDF — it is not as study as plywood and could crack if mishandled.

TIP: I borrowed a high quality jig saw. The performance of a high quality jig saw with a sharp blade is astounding compared to a cheaper unit.

An idea I got while cutting the desk was to include a section in the back for cord management.  I cut out an inch deep section in the back of the desk to accommodate power cords and various cables running off the desk.

With that, the initial cut of the top was finished.

At this point the desk had a rough edge.  I wanted a nice rounded edge.  Thankfully, a friend of mine had a high quality router.  With a simple pass around the edge, the desk top went from a rough cut piece of material to a smooth edged desktop.

Attaching the Base

At this point we were ready to start attaching the fittings that would connect the legs to the desk top.  I spaced out the Kee Klamp L61-7 fittings on the bottom of the desktop and screwed them in with 3/4″ #10 wood screws.

The fence post was cut (you can use a pipe cutter or a sawz-all — or just have the home center do it for you) to just under the desktop height (measure a height that works for you) and then attached to the fittings.

A Word About Kee Klamp Fittings and Fence Post

I chose to use Kee Klamp fittings on this project for several reasons.

1. They are easy to use.  I’m not a carpenter, so it was a quick and easy way to build a study foundation for a desk that would look good.  Kee Klamp fittings slip onto pipe and then “bite down” into the pipe with a set screw.  Normally they are used as an alternative to welding in the handrail world, but they work great for all sorts of DIY projects as well.

2. I am partner in a company that distributes them so I get a pretty good discount on them (if you’re a DIYer, mention this post and I’ll cut you 10% discount on the parts).  They can be expensive, but when you consider the time and resources saved in other areas I think they are “worth” the investment.  Literally, it took me minutes to get the desk upright once the desktop was cut out.

3. The Aluminum fittings (Kee Lite) have some aesthetic value for a modern looking office.

4. The size 7 (1 1/4″) fittings work well with fence post.  I used about 3 1/2 - 8 foot lengths of galvanized fence posts that can be obtained at any home store.  Fence post is a lot cheaper than the using galvanized schedule 40 pipe (not to mention it’s easier to work with too).

Building the Base

The base consisted of six uprights with a pipe running between each of the uprights. The cross supports made the entire unit very stable.  They are necessary so that the horizontal forces on the desk (like when moving it) are not placed upon the MDF.  I think without the cross supports it would be easy for the MDF top to crack and break.

The pipe is held in the fittings with a set screw that is tightened down with a standard allen wrench.

Here the cross supports are added with Kee Klamp L10-7 Fittings.  They were staggered in height for even greater stability.   Once the desk is in its final location the fittings can be adjusted and retightened.

Painting the Desk

Painting the MDF desktop is a must. Without paint, the first time you set a glass of water on your desk you’ll really wish you hadn’t!  The MDF grain swells very easily and also continues to put off dust.

I painted the desk top in a thee part process.

1) Primed with a NON WATER BASED - BIN Primer
2) Painted with an Indoor Latex Paint
3) Finished with a Polycrylic to provide a protective finish.

I put one coat of primer on the surface and two on the edges, sanding lightly in between each coat.  I also wiped the surfaces down with a tack cloth.  Using a mini roller made the paint go on quickly and smoothly.

When I was painting both sides (for the keyboard tray and shelves), I supported them with nails driven into the saw horses.  This allowed minimal damage to the underside of the painted surface.

Here is the paint and Polycrylic that I used.

Finished Painting:

Finishing Touches

At this point the basic desk was done.  Now the only thing that needed to be added was the keyboard tray.  I ordered an articulating unit from www.ergoindemand.com.  I found their customer service people very helpful.

Here is the unit I ordered.

Here is the desk in place, ready for keyboard tray.

Once the desk is in place, I adjusted the cross pieces to make sure that they were spaced properly and evenly.

First I screwed the unit into the bottom of the keyboard tray.

Then I screwed the track onto the bottom of the desk.

The keyboard tray slid right into the track and worked perfectly.

The cord management cut also worked very well.

In order to keep the pipe from ruining the floor, I also added some plastic pipe end caps to make the desk easier to move around.

Admiring the Finished Product

To finish it off I laid down some laminate floor so that my chair would roll.   I made the extra shelves out of MDF in hopes of using them down the road (that’ll be another post).

Desk setup with 22″ wide screen monitors and ergonomic mouse and keyboard.

At the time of writing I have been using the setup for about two weeks and am very happy with how everything turned out.

Counting the Cost

I mentioned that this was cheaper than buying your own ergonomic desk.  The cheapest ergonomic desk that I could find was around $600 (not including shipping), so what did this desk cost:

1. 1pc. - 4×8 MDF - $25
2. 10pc. - L10-7 Tee Fitting - $80
3. 6pc. -  L61-7 Flange - $65
4. 6pc - 77-7 Plastic Plug - $9
5. 4pc - 8ft Fence Post - $35
6. Various Paint Supplies - $30
7. Articulating Keyboard Unit - $100

Total Cost: ~ $350

$350 is NOT Cheap, but it is less expensive than the ergonomic desks that I could find on the market.  Of course that also doesn’t include the fact that you get the satisfaction of building it yourself and customizing the desk to fit your space.

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Protect your workers, inquire about our many fall protection solutions.

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At Simplified Building Concepts, we try to go the extra mile to help you understand how our railing products work.  Frequently, we receive quotes for complex railing jobs where the only document supplied is a 2D landscape or architectural layout.  When you order a railing system from us we can supply a 3D drawing, complete with fitting labels.  These drawings will help you communicate to your contractors exactly what needs to go where. 

Here are some samples from a recent job.  Our CSP, Sam Wender, completed the 3D drawings from the 2D layout below.

Here’s a sample of the drawings that were supplied:

Here are some of the 3D drawings that Sam produced.

Great job Sam!

Check our ADA Railing page for more information on building ADA compliant railings with our unique fittings. 

Sam can help you visualize your next railing job.  Contact us to find out more about our handrail systems.

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See our complete selection of Safety Buckets.

See the training videos below for instruction on the use of the Guardian Bucket of Safe-Tie.

For more construction related fall protection products click here.

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The video animations below will give you an idea of how BeamClamp can work for you:

Please contact us or view our BeamClamp Product Page to learn more about this steel connection system.

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Ramp Safety Rail

The handrail here is used to protect the side of the ramp.  This rail has a unique feature: the top of the rail bends ninety degrees to protect people from the corner of the loading dock.  This rail reflects some of the unique configurations that can be built using Kee Klamp fittings.

Safety Gate

This safety gate was used to protect the entrance to an open elevator shaft.  There used to be a “fence” the slid up and down to protect the area.  The gate has spring loaded hinges so it will close automatically (not leaving it to the worker to create a safe environment). 

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We like to show gratitude to contractors who use our products.  Andy is the first contractor we’d like to feature in our “Contractor Spotlight”.  He installed an OSHA/ADA compliant rail with our Kee Access ADA fittings – read the feature article.

Here’s some information about Andy.  Thanks again Andy.

Company Name:
Limited Access

Contact Information:
Andy Pease
308 Woodard Ave
Kent, Ohio  44240
1-877-712-9034

Website: www.andysautomaticgates.com
E-mail: peasea@sbcglobal.net

Serving Northeast Ohio

Specializing In:

• Limited Access specializes in providing and installing Gates, Gate Operators, Access Systems, Perimeter Fencing and Handrail.
• Family Owned, serving Northeast Ohio for 18 years.
• Residential, Commercial and Industrial projects.
• Wrought Iron Gate Restoration.
• Licensed, Bonded and Insured.
• Free Estimates.
• We can automate new or existing gates.
• On site Service and Maintenance support for new or existing equipment.

We hope to feature more contractors who have used our products.  If you’re interested in being featured, please contact us.

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However, we also realize that there are many who would like to see a greater emphasis on worker safety inside their workplace.  For those individuals, below is another web resource.  It is a employment “death map” that shows where and why people have died at work.  A quick perusal of the map will show you that there are many fall incidents (presumably ones that could have been prevented with proper fall protection measures). 

http://edlabor.house.gov/issues/workerdeaths.shtml

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In addition to the videos above there is also and entire set of safety videos produced by Work Safe BC here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=WorkSafeBC

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One of our recent customers needed help in this exact area. He was trying to build a large booth for a convention, had a concept in mind, but wasn’t sure how to implement the idea. As we usually ask, we requested a drawing. Here was the original concept:

After discussing the ways we could create the structure, the idea turned into this:

And then it turned into this:

This particular customer wanted to use aluminum pipe – not galvanized steel. Because we have a limited selection of aluminum fittings, this put a wrench in the plans for part of the concept. The fittings that we would typically use for the corners were not available (see below), so we had to think outside the box.

This is a drawing of the solution that we came up with:

We used the combination of these two fittings (Type L21) to create the “joint” that was needed at the corners. The resulting idea was a very strong, simple corner that would meet the customer’s needs exactly:

These last two drawings and some of the ones to follow were drawn up by Simplified (by Sam) for the customer to see and understand the concept. This is a common practice that we try to incorporate into our design assistance when needed. It certainly shortens the learning curve and helps with eventual installation.

The customer was able to confirm that this was a good “fit” for his idea, and sent us one last drawing to confirm the design:

From this, we were able to supply a final drawing to insure that we were on the same page, but more importantly, to help the installers understand where each fitting was going:

The customer was able to then turn his concept into reality – and built an incredible booth:

Even though this process is often a difficult one, we stuck through the process and were able to see it to completion. Many thanks to Eric for letting us tell this story – and for the great pictures of the completed project. If there is a design that you are trying to work into reality, and need some help, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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 Browse more project ideas…

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A couple of weeks a go my wife found a book called Kids Weaving by Sarah Swett.  It contains numerous weaving projects for kids (notably kids of all ages).  Inside was a complete description of how to build a loom from PVC.  I contacted Sarah, and she kindly allowed us to post the instructions for building a loom out of PVC pipe and fittings. 

Click here see the PVC Loom Project. 

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In joining the Better Business Bureau we have agreed to the following Reliability Program Requirements. 

To find our more about our company and the BBB, click on the logo below:

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