PROTECPIT® | BESTDRIVE Case study

BESTDRIVE, an automotive maintenance and tire specialist, is present throughout the entire French territory. The network comprises over 230 service centers offering tire-related services, technical maintenance, advice, and tire sales.

BESTDRIVE offers two types of centers:

• Centers dedicated to passenger vehicles
• Centers for industrial vehicles, with a focus on heavy-duty mechanics.

All across France, a significant number of truck maintenance centers are equipped with maintenance pits in their workshops. These pits allow access underneath vehicles and trucks for engine maintenance or various repairs.

A workshop pit measures approximately 1 meter in width and up to 1.50 meters in depth. When not in use, these pits are a real danger to operators if left uncovered or unprotected. Accidents involving falls into these pits can happen quickly, resulting in significant consequences for operators or anyone present in the garage: bruises, sprains, fractures, head injuries, and more severe damages.

Ensuring the safety of workers moving around these garages throughout the day is crucial to prevent the risk of falling into a pit. One of the essential safety measures to implement is securing the workshop pits.

Several alternatives exist, such as chains, posts, guardrails, or covers, but these are not optimal solutions for securing inspection pits.

What was the issue? 

In 2017, BESTDRIVE, committed to the safety of its employees and aware of the importance of pit safety to comply with market standards, contacted us to find a protective solution for equipping their French branches and safeguarding operators on-site.

We proposed conducting an initial test and extending the installation to all sites if successful.

The solution proposed by OTEXIO:

One of our Technical-Sales experts in protective solutions contacted the Site Manager. Following their project discussions and recommendations from our Design Department, we prepared a precise specification.

As specialists in human safety and protection, we developed and patented a safety net specifically designed for workshop and garage pit protection: PROTECPIT®.

The PROTECPIT® pit protection net complies with R468 recommendations from the National Technical Committee for Metallurgical Industries (CTNIM) and aligns with the guidelines of the Retirement Insurance Fund and Occupational Health (CARSAT).

This safety net was designed to cover and secured pits to prevent any damage in case of falls when they are not in use. Each net is custom-made based on on-site measurements and several criteria:

• Required strength
• Attachment points present in the pit
• Net composition based on needs: human fall and/or object fall
• Pit dimensions
• Need for fire resistance
• Shape and dimensions of corners
• Materials used in the pit
• Other information based on client needs

In this case, the pit measured 10 meters in length and 1 meter in width. We equipped it with a square-mesh safety net with a 60 mm mesh size, braided and knotted thread, highly durable and resistant in case of human falls or falls of objects/materials weighing over 350 kg.

Why choose the PROTECPIT® solution to guarantee the safety of your employees:

• Simple and quick usage, with the net easily set up in seconds
• Possibility of using external tools such as carts, oil pans, and pit jacks
• The net is fire-resistant (M1)
• Partial pit protection possible: in cases where there's a gap between the vehicle and the rest of the pit length, a portion of the net can be left in place to secured the exposed area.

For your information, this system requires specific installation by a specialized installation team. OTEXIO offers a turnkey solution, from study to installation, and provides all necessary accessories for installing the system in your workshop pit.

Client feedback after PROTECPIT® installation:

Following this successful test, the project expanded nationwide. As part of their site safety efforts, BESTDRIVE made the decision to equip their 29 maintenance sites for industrial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and lorries with the PROTECPIT® system, covering a total of 36 pits. Employees, operators, and external stakeholders (suppliers, subcontractors, etc.) now work in complete safety.

It was a project spanning over 3 years to equip all pits in the BESTDRIVE network with protection nets.

With this success in mind, we are currently working with BESTDRIVE branch managers to produce PROTECPIT® nets for workshop pits with brake testers.

OTEXIO's values

OTEXIO is committed to offering customized solutions and quality service to protect people and the environment.

We offer our expertise and know-how to address your needs and challenges in protection solutions for transportation, the environment, and industry.

Our sales team accompanies you and travels across France and the rest of Europe to offer innovative solutions.

Learn more:

Feel free to contact us for any specific needs.
Request a visit from a technician.

Discover PROTECPIT® in video here

You can reach us:

• by phone at 04 78 52 06 51
• by email at contact@otexio.com
• directly in the « Contact » section