Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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T)lT>1JF: Modular Safety Station
E~ ~P a~E_TI~~1 f'IyF:I'ITI~?1~1
This invention relates generally to modular cabinets, and in particular to
modular
cabinets that are often refewed to as safety stations and that may be used at
a
construction site for purposes of storing and displaying safety, emergency
and. medical
equipment, protocols, notices and similar materials.
BACKGRUUI~D OF '1<'~F INVk NTIQN
In most jurisdictions the operation of a construction site is subject to a
large number of
governmental controls, regulations and requirements directed to ensuring the
.safety of
workers on site and to facilitating the provision of medical and emergency
treatment in
the event of an accident or a sickness. In many instances local regulations
require that
first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and other safety and medical equipment be
made
available at a construction site, 1>ut often do not specify where and how they
are to be
stored. As a result, such devices and equipment may be stored at different
locations
around the construction site, or in different manners at different sites,
making their
retrieval difficult or time consuming in emergency situations. In addition to
regulations
requiring that a construction site have on hand basic medical or emergency
supplies,
many jurisdictions also require that Ministry of Labour inspection reports and
notices
CA 02429663 2003-05-26
ofcompliance, Worker', Compensation fours and information, and other
governmental
issued permits and certificates be openly posted or displayed. In some cases
information
required to be posted could include emergency medical contact information,
sale specific
emergency protocols, and similar information designed to provide instructions
and serve
as a source of information that may be quickly accessed in the event of an
emergency.
However, as with medical arid safety equipment stcorcd on site, such notices
and
information are often posted on bulletin boards that may be at various
locations around
the construction site, or that may be found at different locations from one
construction
site to the next. Notices and other documents are also sometimes stapled or
otherwise
fastened to walls in common a~°eas or site management cxftices. Neither
instance is ideal
since access to the information rnay prove to be difficult or time consuming.
When an accident or emergency occurs at a construction site, to ensure the
safety, and
in some cases the survival, of workers it is oaten critical that emergency and
medical
equipment and devices, and general information and protocols, be easily,
readily and
quickly accessible to all individuals on site. It is also desirable for such
equipment and
information to be stored in a common manner from one construction site to the
next to
help avoid confusion with respect to workers that may travel between
individual
consn-uction sites or projects. There is therefore the need for a mechanism
that permits
the assembly and storage of all such equipment, materials and information in a
central
location that may be easily accessed by anyone when necessary.
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CA 02429663 2003-05-26
SUM1VIARY QF T~» I1~1V~N'f1101~1
The invention therefore provides a modular cabinet or safety station that may
be used
to store and contain all of the necessary, required and desirable safety and
emergency
equipment for a particular construction site, and that may also be used to
readily and
openly display all necessary and required permits, reports, emergency contact
information, protocols, safety Gind medical information, etc.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides a modular safety
station
comprising; a cabinet having a lions and having generally enclosed top,
bottom, rear and
side surfaces and a generally open interior capable of receiving and storing a
plurality
of safety, emergency and medical devices and equipment: and, at least one
displ'~ay panel
secured to said cabinet, said display panel moveable from a first position
wherein said
display panel is held adjacent to at least one of the top, bottom, rear, side
or front
surfaces of the cabinet to a second position wherein said display panel is
extended from
said cabinet, said display panel having a front surface that accommodates the
posting
and exhibition of written materials, printed items and other safety, emergency
or
regulated devices, equipment and materials.
In a further aspect the invention provides a modular safety station for use on
a
construction site to contain and display emergency, safety and medical
equipment and
devices and to facilitate the posting and exhibition of written or printed
materials, the
CA 02429663 2003-05-26
safety station comprising; a cabinet having a front and having generally
enclosed top,
bottom, rear, and side surfaces and a generally open interior capable of
receiving and
supporting a plurality of safety, emergency and medical devices and equipment;
a pair
of display panels hingedly attached to said cabinet, said display panels
moveable from
a tirst position wherein said display panels are folded against said rear
surface of said
cabinet. to a second position wherein said display panels extend outwardly
from the
sides of said cabinet, said display panels having a front surface that
accommodates the
posting and exhibition of written or printed materials and information; and, a
stretcher
compartment having a generally open interior for receiving and storing a
collapsible
stretcher.
In yet a further aspect the invention provides a modular safety station for
use on a
construction site to contain and display emergency, safety and medical
equipment and
devices and to facilitate the posting and exhibition of written or printed
materials, the
1 S modular safety station comprising; a cabinet having a front and having
generally
enclosed top, bottom, rear and side surfaces, said cabinet having a generally
open
interior capable of receiving and supporting a plurality of safety, emergency
and medical
devices and equipment; at least one door, said door having a closed position
wherein it
encloses said open interior of said cabinet. said door having an open position
wherein
said door allows access to said open interior of said cabinet; a pair of
display panels
attached to said cabinet, said display panels moveable from a first position
wherein said
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display panels are received adjacent to said rear surface of said cabinet, to
a second
position wherein said display panels are extended outwardly from said cabinet,
said
display panels permitting the posting and exhibition of written or printed
materials and
information thereon; a stretcher compartment having a generally open interior
for
receiving and storing a collapsible stretcher; and, a rigid frame, said
cabinet, said at least
one door, said display panels, and said stretcher compartment carried by said
rigid
frame, said rigid frame ussisti~ig in the supporting of said modular safety
station and
facilitating in the movement of said modular safety station about the
construcaion site
or from one construction site to another.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the
following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.
BR~I~~' D~~~:'~LPT~ON.(?.F TH»'~RAWING~
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly
how it
may be can-ied into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to
the
accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiments of the present
invention
in which:
Figure 1 is an upper side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the
modular
safety station in accordance with the present invention;
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Figure 2 is a plan view of the modular safety station shown in Figure I ;
Figure 3 is a side perspective view of the modular safety station shown in
Figure 1
having its display panels in their open or extended configuration;
Figure 4 is a side view of the modular display station shown in Figure 1
having its
stretcher compartment open and with the stretcher partially extended; and,
Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the modular safety station shown in
Figure 2
having its li-ont doors open and generally noting one form of positioning of
safety
equipment, emergency devices. and information that may be stored therein or
displayed
thereon.
I~~s~~.uPT~oN of ~~~Pal~l~~l~n »lv~op»lv~»N~r
The present invention may be embodied in a number of different forms. However,
the
specification and drawings that follow describe and disclose only some of the
specific
forms of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the
invention as defined
in the claims that follow herein.
In the attached drawings. a modular safety station constructed in accordance
with one
preferred embodiment of the invention is noted generally by reference numeral
1.
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Safety station 1 is comprised, in general, of a cabinet 2 having at least one
display panel
3 attached or secured thereto. 1.n the embodiment shown in the drawings
cabinet 2 is of
a generally rectangular configuration having a front 4 and enclosed top,
bottom, rear and
side surfaces 5. 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The top, bottom, rear and side
surfaces of
cabinet 2 define a generally open interior 10 that is designed and capable of
receiving
and storing a plurality of safety, emergency and medical devices and
equipment, as well
as a variety of other materials or objects as desired or necessary. One such
combination
of objects and devices that may be received and stored in cabinet 2 is shown
b~y way of
example in Figure ~. Here open interior I0 is shown as including a first aid
kit 20, an
eyewash centre '? l, various medical or other bulletins 22, safety manuals 23,
a splint 24,
emergency blankets 25, and a tire extinguisher 26. Depending upon the nature
of the
items to be stored within cabinet 2, the cabinet may be fitted with one or
more fixed or
adjustable shelves. In addition, the rear interior surface oi~the cabinet may
be comprised
of pegboard or other mechanical fastening system that allow for the
securc;ment of
devices within the cabinet at particular desired locations.
In accordance with the safety station of the present invention, one or more
display
panels may be secured to cabinet 2. 'hhe embodiment depicted in the attached
drawings
shows two panels 3 that are hingedly secured to opposite edges of rear surface
~. In this
manner panels 3 may be folded to a position where they are held adjacent to
rear surface
7 to minimize the overall dimensions of safety station 1 during transport and
when in
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storage and not in use. When the safety station is ready to be used, panels ~s
may be
rotated into an open position (see li'igure 3 ) where they extend outwardly
from cabinet
2. In this second or open position, the front surfaces 11 of display panels 3 -
will face
outwardly from front 4 of cabinet 2 and will provide an area that can
accommodate the
posting and exhibition of written materials or printed items and/or other
safety,
emergency or regulated devices and equipment.
'to accommodate this desired purpose, front surfaces 11 of display panels 3
may be
comprised of corkboard, a magnetic material, pegboard, or any one of a wide
variety of
other materials that help to facilitate the posting and exhibition of
materials, information
and devices. Alternately, front surfaces 1 1 may contain a number of inserts
of cork,
magnetic, pegboard or similar materials that allow for securing items to
display panels
3 at particular defined locations by means of specific mechanical fastening
means. For
example, in one embodiment the upper half of the display panels may be
comprised of
a cork or similar material to allow for the posting of papers through the use
of
thumbtacks. The bottom half of the display panels could be comprised of
pegboard to
allow heavier objects or written materials to be mechanically secured to the
panels. It
will, however, be appreciated that other combinations and configurations of
means to
secure objects to display panels 3 could be incorporated into safety station 1
while
remaining within the board scope of the invention. It will equally be
appreciated that
while the embodiment described and shown in the drawings indicates the usf: of
two
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display panels hingedly attached to the rear surface of the safety station,
more or less
than two panels could be used and the panels could be slidably attached to the
cabinet
or otherwise secured without the use of hinges.
To facilitate with the transportation of safety station 1, cabinet 2 and
display panels 3
may be mounted upon a rigid frame 12 having a base 13. h'rame 12 and base 13
permit
the safety station to be held in an upright configuration upon a floor or the
ground at a
construction site. Depending upon the particular application of safety station
1, base 13
may include a series of castors 14 to allow the safety station to be rolled
around on a
generally flat horizontal surface. In other embodiments castors 1~1 may be
replaced by
a series of legs, or may be omitted completely.
Referring to figures 3 and 4, in one pri;ferred embodiment of the invention
modular
safety station 1 includes at least one door 15 that is hingedly secured to
cabinet 2 and
that may be used to enclose open interior 10. In most instances it is expected
that a pair
of doors will be utilized and that the doors would be transparent or have
transparent
inserts within them to allow individuals to readily see and identify the
contents within
cabinet 2. Doors 15 serve the primary purpose of helping to maintain the
contents of
cabinet ? in place, to protect the contents of the cabinet, and to help keep
emergency and
medical devices and materials stored within the cabinet dry and clean. To that
end,
cabinet ? may also include a seal 16 situated circumferentially about front 4.
When in
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their closed position, doors 15 contact seal I 6 to help further prevent the
ingress of dirt,
water and debris into the interior oi, the cabinet.
As is also shown in Figures 3 and 4, modular safety station I may include a
stretcher
compartment 17 having a generally open interior capable of receiving and
storing a
collapsible stretcher 18. While stretcher cabinet 17 may be positioned at a
variety of
locations about safety station 1, in the embodiment shown in the attached
drav~rings the
stretcher cabinet is fixed to bottom surface 6 of cabinet 2, and is also
mounted upon or
carried by rigid frame 12. The stretcher cabinet preferably includes a hinged
door 19
to enclose its open interi«r and to keep the collapsable stretcher safe,
secure, and clean
until such time as it may be needed.
In addition to standard safety and emergency equipment and devices, modular
safety
station I may also be fitted with a sounding device that may be used or
activated to call
for help in an emergency. In its simplest form, the sounding device may be
nothing
more than a bell or whistle fixed to the safety station by means of a lanyard
or cable.
Alternately, safety station 1 may include an emergency siren 27 activated by
depressing
a handle or button. The siren could be operated through the release of
pressurized gas
from a storage bottle mounted within the safety station or it could be an
electrically
operated siren powered by an internal battery or exterior source of
electricity. Further,
modular safety station 1 may include a cellular or hard wired telephone 28
that presents
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a means for individuals on a construction site to call for help in situations
where
telephone access may otherwise not be readily available.
Safety station 1 and its cumponent parts may be formed from a wide variety of
different
materials, including metal, plastic and/or wood. Depending upon the
environment
within which the safety station is to be utilized. certain construction
materials may be
preferable over others. For example. where the safety station is to be used
outside and
where it may be subjected to the weather, it could be formed from molded
plastic or a
similar synthetic material making it rustproof; impact resistant, and
waterproof. Under
such circumstance, the front surfaces 1 I of display panels 3 may include a
glass or
transparent plastic cover to prevent paper or printed materials exhibited
thereon from
becoming wet. Regardless of the material li-om which safety station 1 is
constructed
(with the exception of doors I 5 and any transparent covers that may be placed
over the
front surfaces of display panel s) the remainder of safety station 1 is
preferably painted
in a distinctive bright colour such that it can be easily and quickly
identified by workers
on a construction site in the case of an actual emergency.
It will be appreciated from a thorough understanding of the above invention
that there
is provided a modular cabinet or safety station that may be used to store and
contain all
of the necessary, required and desirable medical and emergency equipment for a
particular consttl.~ction site, and that may also be used to readily and
openly di~;play all
CA 02429663 2003-05-26
of the necessary and required permits, reports, emergency contact information,
safety
protocols, medical information, etc. 'The display panels of the modular safety
station
may be retracted from their extended position to facilitate the transportation
and storage
of the device when it is no longer required. Presenting a single mobile unit
capable of
transporting and storing all of the necessary equipment and information for a
construction site is of benefit to both management and workers alike. 'through
the
utilization of safety station 1, management is ensured of complying with all
of the local
governmental regulatory requirements in an efficient, cost effective and
simplified
manner. Both management and the workers will also benefit from having a
readily
available and easily identifiable source that houses alt necessary emergency
and safety
equipment and written notices, contact information, protocols, etc. Having
such
materials readily available in one common location allows for the potential to
treat
injured workers more quickly in the event of an emergency.
It is to be understood that what has been described are the preferred
embodiments of the
invention and that it may be possible to make variations to these embodiments
while
staying within the broad scope of the invention. Some of these variations have
been
discussed while others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
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