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Technical Blog
Site hoarding is a familiar sight wherever there is construction work, and it’s vitally important to the safety of both construction workers and the public. Without it, the project simply couldn’t start.
With its robust and structurally sound features, highly-engineered SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT and SITEPROTECT PLUS panels from MEDITE SMARTPLY are designed to save hoarding contractors time and money by arriving pre-primed, allowing you to install them quickly and safely.
But what if you’re not quite ready to use them?
Storing and Handling
If SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT or SITEPROTECT PLUS panels are not going to be used as soon as they arrive on site, it’s imperative that they are stored correctly and safely to prevent damage, and to ensure the best possible installation when the time comes.
Panels should be stacked flat and supported on a minimum of three equally spaced bearings. Full packs of SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT and SITEPROTECT PLUS have bearings already attached.
It’s important that the panels should not be stacked on their edges as this could cause distortion and damage the edge coating.
Although our OSB panels are moisture resistant and designed for outdoor use, it’s still a good idea to protect the face and edges of the panels from the elements while in storage, to allow them to exercise their full and intended lifespan when installed. Similarly, there should be no water pooling on the surface of open packs or panels, as prolonged exposure to stagnant water may damage the coating over time.
If you have an open pack of panels waiting to be erected on site, or if there are any site delays, then they should be adequately protected. All packs of SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT that leave the factory are fully protected with polythene wrapping, which you are encouraged to use as weather protection prior to installation.
Transporting
If you need to transport panels from one section of the site to another in less than full pack quantities, they must be covered and banded to prevent damage to the exposed panels.
Further to this, edge protectors should be used on the top and bottom to prevent damage from bands and increase the protection of the panels.
All construction companies and site managers have a duty of care to ensure that the site is secure, and that those within it and passing close by are as safe as they reasonably can be. To achieve this, essential components such as quality site hoarding must be in top working condition in order to do their job properly.
For more information on SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT visit our dedicated page here.
