KEE SAFETY STRUCTURES LAST SEVEN TIMES LONGER THAN FABRICATED HANDRAILING

Following a comparative study, Kee Safety has revealed that handrailing assembled using its hot dip galvanised Kee Klamp® fittings will remain safe and intact for more than 35 years in coastal locations - seven times longer than typical fabricated handrailing structures. The Zinc Millennium Map (1998-2000) details the background atmospheric corrosion rates of zinc across the UK and Ireland. Given sufficient time, oxygen, and water, any iron mass eventually converts entirely to rust and disintegrates, and in marine atmospheres (category 3 environments) the Map shows that untreated steel will uniformly corrode at up to 170 microns each year. Using information from the survey, and deeming the structure unsafe following local corrosion of 25%, Kee Safety has identified that the average life of a structure using corrosion resistant hot dip galvanised Kee Klamp® fittings will be 37 years in a category 3 town, such as, Newcastle Upon Tyne. This compares to 4.7 years for a fabricated structure featuring a uniform 3.2mm weld. “Corrosion resistance is a key reason why structures using Kee Klamp® fittings are favoured over fabricated structures”, says Ian Page, Product Manager at Kee Safety. “The information contained in the Zinc Millennium Map and our own analysis shows how partially galvanised welded fabrications are prone to rapid decay. Providing a structure that is safer for longer, and is also, therefore, cheaper in the long run makes sense for specifiers, especially those designing structures for more testing environments, close to the sea”. Kee Safety supplies the leading Kee Klamp® fittings range to contractors, architects and specifiers. Kee Safety’s cast iron fittings are fitted with Kee Koat corrosion protected grub screws and Thread Koat® recess protection to ensure that it remains comprehensively corrosion resistant. This comprehensive selection of simple to use, galvanised malleable cast iron fittings allow pre-cut lengths of standard tubing (from 21.3mm to 60.3mm) to be connected together to form handrailing and other types of tubular framework structure. Using Kee Klamp® fittings results in a finished structure with uniform appearance which meets guaranteed design loads. All fittings within the Kee Klamp® range incorporate an integral socket screw which locks the fitting securely onto its tube to give an excellent slip load performance. The extensive range ensures that they can also cope easily with any changes in direction or gradient, and accommodate requirements for adapting or extending an existing structure. Fittings are available in a powder or anti-bacterial coated finish. Kee Klamp® tubular fittings are manufactured to the requirements of BS EN 1562 & 1563. For further information visit www.keesafety.co.uk

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