How Ezi Klamp's GRP structures help you comply with WIMES

Did you know that the water supply and waste management sector had more non-fatal injuries than any other industry in 2023/24? Water facilities are some of the most hazardous workplaces in the country, with workers having to navigate slippery surfaces and confined spaces to carry out essential operations.

The Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specifications (WIMES) were designed to raise standards across the board, outlining best practice for everything from access systems to safety infrastructure. By complying with WIMES, you can be confident that your equipment meets the highest quality, performance, and safety standards possible, which will have a direct impact on your business’ bottom line.

In this blog, we explore everything there is to know about WIMES, and explain how our GRP structures can help you comply with these stringent regulations, whilst keeping your workforce safe.

Why WIMES matters

Developed by leading UK water companies, WIMES is a collaborative specification framework that is helping to raise the bar on safety, reliability, and performance across the industry. It covers a wide range of equipment and infrastructure, from access walkways and platforms to handrails and structural supports, ensuring that everything is designed, installed, and maintained to a consistently high-quality standard.

By aligning with WIMES, your company can:

Achieve consistent quality standards across every site
Ensure that your critical infrastructure runs smoothly
Improve on-site safety in hazardous water environments
Reduce costly maintenance and avoid downtime
Boost your eco credentials through the use of energy-efficient technology

If you’re working in or supplying to the UK water industry, you need to make sure that your products are WIMES-compliant. And that’s exactly where Ezi Klamp’s GRP products come in.

Explore our GRP products for the water sector

We offer a full range of WIMES-compliant GRP products that are built to handle even the toughest water environments. Our range includes:

GRP handrail systems

Our modular GRP handrail systems are the perfect fit for treatment works, pumping stations, and other water facilities. They’re non-corrosive, even in high-humidity and chemical-heavy environments, and are fully non-conductive – making them safe to install near electric equipment.

GRP access solutions and structures

Our GRP platforms, walkways, stepovers, and raised structures are designed to keep operatives safe and compliant in all weather and site conditions. Their non-slip surfaces and long-lasting corrosion resistance makes them ideal for tasks such as bund access, task maintenance, pipe crossovers and more.

GRP steps

We offer two core designs for our Ezi Access steps:

Mark 1 steps – a non-complex stair solution that is designed to follow natural ground gradients
Mark 2 steps – our freestanding, elevated access step solution that is mounted on GRP posts

Both systems feature anti-slip treads and high-visibility finishes, ensuring safer foot traffic in wet, dirty, or low-light environments. They’re fully customisable and easy to deploy, making them the go-to choice if you’re working to tight deadlines or retrofitting existing sites.

GRP palisade fencing

Our GRP palisade fencing is ideal for safeguarding all types of water sites. As well as meeting WIMES standards for durability, they’re easy to install and require minimal upkeep, giving your facility long-term protection from the elements without the maintenance burden.

GRP grating

Our GRP grating is a popular choice for flooring, walkways, and drainage covers. Thanks to its high slip resistance and low conductivity, it’s particularly well-suited in water and wastewater environments, with its open-grid design helping to improve drainage in wet, high-footfall areas.

GRP catch pit lids

Our GRP catch pit lids provide a secure, slip-resistant covering for underground chambers and pits, without the weight and corrosion risk of traditional metal covers. They’re clearly visible and easy to access, helping to improve on-site safety and access without compromising durability.

Challenge us to improve your water infrastructure

Your choice of material plays a huge role in ensuring your infrastructure is compliant with WIMES. But you’ll also need to partner with a supplier that understands the nuances of the water industry, and can develop quality solutions for a wide range of hazardous environments.

Our expert team has been supplying the water industry with bespoke access and safety solutions for over 25 years. We see every project through from concept to completion, providing helpful guidance and support along the way. We know everything there is to know about WIMES, and we pride ourselves on being able to solve even the most complex challenges.

Take our recent work with Wessex Water, for example. The existing access routes at Colerne Pumping Station were old and non-compliant with current safety standards, which made routine maintenance risky, especially in wet conditions. So, we designed a bespoke GRP stair system to replace the failing infrastructure, which significantly improved safety around the facilities. The anti-slip grating helped to minimise the risks of slips, trips, and falls, making day-to-day operations far safer and more efficient for their maintenance teams.

So, what challenge are you experiencing on your site? Get in touch today and let’s get your next project WIMES-compliant.