South Africa’s agricultural sector is vast, geographically dispersed, and where some of the country’s most underestimated occupational hazards are found.
Bolt and Engineering Distributors Group (B.E.D.) provides agri customers with effective solutions to combat these hazards through its dedicated personal protective equipment (PPE) division: a reliable, long-term safety partner to farmers and agri operations across the country. The company combines its comprehensive product range with deep technical expertise, hands-on training and a national branch network which reaches into every key agri region and sector.
Unique safety challenges
Agri workers face a combination of risks differing markedly from those found in more controlled industrial environments. Silo environments present very specific hazards: limited ventilation, poor air quality, grain dust inhalation, the potential build-up of harmful gases, work at heights and proximity to moving machinery – which all combine to create a concentration of high-risk working conditions.
Furthermore, grain dust poses both respiratory risks and, under certain conditions, explosion hazards: “The challenge is not only protecting workers from machinery and operational hazards, but also protecting them from the environment in which they work on a daily basis,” explains Magdelene Doubell, PPE Product Manager at B.E.D.
An indication of B.E.D.’s growing credibility in the agri safety space is its recent appointment as a PPE supplier to a leading local grain management company. This relationship is built on a foundation of trust that had already been established through B.E.D.’s other product divisions, which have served this customer as a supply partner over a number of years.
“As an existing service provider to the customer through other divisions within B.E.D., we had already built a strong track record as a dependable and knowledgeable supply partner,” explains Annelien Crock, PPE Product Manager at B.E.D.
“This gave us a solid understanding of the client’s operational and safety requirements – supported by our ability to provide support, stock availability, technical guidance and after-sales service across multiple regions: all important factors in strengthening the partnership,” Crock points out.
The PPE solutions supplied to the grain management customer by B.E.D. are specifically suited to combatting the risks associated with silo and agricultural operation, such as respiratory protection for dust exposure, hearing, eye and hand protection, protective clothing and fall protection equipment.
Furthermore, for gas detection in silo environments, B.E.D. supplies customers with the Dräger Pac 8000 single-gas detector and the Dräger X-am 5800 multi-gas detector. The Pac 8000 is a robust, personal single-gas detection device capable of detecting the hazardous concentrations of twenty-nine different gases, including phosphine, a fumigation gas which poses particular risks in grain storage environments.
The X-am 5800 is a multi-gas detector capable of measuring up to six gases simultaneously, approved for use in explosion-risk environments and designed for personal monitoring in high-risk, confined spaces.
“B.E.D. is an authorised Dräger Channel Partner, with access to Channel Programme product information and training – as well as markets and applications guidance,” Crock explains, adding that these resources allow B.E.D. to remain at the forefront of safety technology and share this knowledge as a value-added service to customers such as the one in grain management – educating their teams in the field on the correct selection, use and maintenance of safety equipment.
Beyond product supply
Central to B.E.D.’s value proposition is the principle that effective PPE management extends well beyond the supply of products. The company offers customers initial needs assessments, product selection guidance, fitment assistance and practical skills-transfer training on the correct use and maintenance of PPE and safety equipment.
“One of the key aspects of workplace safety is helping end-users to understand not only which PPE products are available, but also the frequently unseen risks which they are exposed to,” says Doubell.
“If workers understand why they are at risk – and what the long-term consequences of grain dust inhalation are – they are motivated to change their behaviour,” she adds.
B.E.D. also provides ongoing after-sales support, including product evaluations, site visits, and technical guidance, working closely with management and end-users to drive continuous improvement in workplace safety and compliance.
B.E.D.’s fully equipped PPE demonstration vehicle further extends this commitment, bringing the showroom directly to the customer’s site, complete with a choice of sizes and a wide range of PPE options. This enables customers to physically assess product fit, quality, comfort and suitability on site, before procurement decisions are made.
With 13 branches across South Africa, B.E.D.’s extensive national footprint aligns well with the geographic spread of the agricultural sector. Each branch takes responsibility for agri customers within its region, and B.E.D.’s own fleet of delivery vehicles ensures that products reach customers across the country. Stockholding at branch level ensures that the most commonly required PPE products are available for rapid supply – ensuring that agri operations are not left without critical safety equipment when they need it most.
“Customer service excellence is our stock in trade,” says Doubell. “We get to know our customers and ensure that the right product and support are available when and where they are required – in line with B.E.D.’s ethos and mottos ‘it’s our business to know your business’ and ‘the perfect fit, fast’,” she advises.
Growing B.E.D.’s agri safety offering
“We take the time to understand each customer’s environment and risks, so that we can help to find the right PPE and safety solution for their specific challenge. Farming and agri operations are not sectors automatically associated with PPE in the same way that mining or construction are – but the risks are real, and the need for proper safety solutions is just as critical.
We therefore encourage farmers and agri operations to reach out and engage with us – because with the right products, technical support, and industry knowledge, B.E.D. can truly make a difference and ensure that they can reap the benefits of their labours in safety,” she concludes.
