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<strong>Plant</strong> & <strong>Equipment</strong> Professional ISSN: 2041-1154 (Online) £2.50<br />
at the cutting edge of<br />
diamond blade safety<br />
Special report by Chris Adams, TASC Solutions<br />
Simplifying mini<br />
excavator stability with<br />
track lock<br />
<strong>expert</strong> <strong>opinion</strong>:<br />
Hard hats <strong>and</strong> hot heads<br />
ΛmmΛnn compaction<br />
celebrates 100 years<br />
Putting<br />
the<br />
PeoPle<br />
into <strong>Plant</strong><br />
neW:<br />
June 2011<br />
Mud Muppet’s<br />
Practical<br />
tiPs<br />
UK debut for ‘floating bulldozer’ ● £2.25 million traffic investment for A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux ● New Liebherr 85 EC-B 5 FR.tronic city crane
2<br />
June 2011<br />
Industry professionals<br />
training future generations<br />
of plant operatives<br />
For more details please contact:<br />
Mr Chris Miller, National Registrar<br />
Contractors Mechanical <strong>Plant</strong> Engineers,<br />
Woodside House, Pedmore Road,<br />
Dudley, West Midl<strong>and</strong>s, DY2 ORL<br />
Tel: 01384 352403 Fax: 01384 350269<br />
Email: millplant@aol.com www.cmpe.co.uk
Editorial<br />
Diamond blades are a widely used appendage throughout<br />
industry <strong>and</strong> are often seen attached to fl oor saws or<br />
h<strong>and</strong> held disc cutters, cutting through a huge variety<br />
of materials from concrete to asphalt, bricks <strong>and</strong><br />
blocks. But how many professionals <strong>and</strong> tradesmen<br />
out there underst<strong>and</strong> the innovation <strong>and</strong> technology<br />
that goes into to designing these products <strong>and</strong> more<br />
importantly, of the hidden dangers of their misuse?<br />
At face value, diamond blades look fairly unassuming<br />
<strong>and</strong> bl<strong>and</strong> but each blade is designed with very specifi c<br />
specifi cations to meet equally specifi c applications. Failure<br />
to select the right blade for the task being undertaken<br />
may well mean that the productivity performance<br />
of the blade is vastly reduced <strong>and</strong> more critically, a<br />
serious health <strong>and</strong> safety incident could result.<br />
In this issue, Mr Chris Adams, TASC Solutions, a<br />
renowned international <strong>expert</strong> on diamond blades,<br />
reports upon a part of the work being conducted with<br />
Professor David Edwards, Birmingham City University<br />
which will encompass blade manufacture, failure<br />
modes <strong>and</strong> other guidance. It is a fascinating area<br />
of study <strong>and</strong> presents an important opportunity for<br />
practitioners to become more knowledgeable about<br />
diamond blade procurement, selection <strong>and</strong> use.<br />
Worryingly, many of the incidents involving diamond blade<br />
use go unreported, but it is not unusual for workers or<br />
members of the public to become seriously injured or even<br />
killed as a result of misuse, abuse or omissions (such as<br />
failing to adopt appropriate risk control measures). Take<br />
one particular issue of segment detachment: it is terrifying<br />
to think that such segments travel at a linear speed<br />
approaching that of a bullet – no amount of PPE would ever<br />
protect the worker or fellow workmate from such a hazard!<br />
This report provides the fi rst stage of ongoing<br />
research within <strong>OPERC</strong> to provide more defi nitive<br />
guidance to practitioners <strong>and</strong> professionals within the<br />
plant <strong>and</strong> equipment sector <strong>and</strong> the full results will<br />
be published later this year, so watch this space…<br />
one request for PEP readers, please pass this article<br />
on to others who may benefi t from its reading.<br />
Editorial Team<br />
Philippa Spittle, Karen Jones<br />
Published <strong>and</strong> Distributed by<br />
On-track Multimedia<br />
On Track Multimedia,<br />
Email: enquiries@operc.com (general)<br />
pep@operc.com (newsletter)<br />
Copyright © 2011 On-track Multimedia<br />
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of<br />
information published in <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Equipment</strong> Professional,<br />
the Editors cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies<br />
or omissions. The views expressed in articles are of the<br />
author(s) <strong>and</strong> do not necessarily refl ect those of the Editors.<br />
NEwS<br />
Major £2.25 million traffi c investment for A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux 4<br />
Chepstow <strong>Plant</strong> continue investing in Volvo CE products 5<br />
UK debut for ‘fl oating bulldozer’ 6<br />
Lafarge Cement prove that eight arms are better than one! 7<br />
New sustainability action plan from Speedy 8<br />
JCB steps up to the plate with new compaction equipment 8<br />
wear And Spare Parts - a new worldwide supplier 9<br />
New generation Eagle 2 MBI shears from Inmalo 9<br />
CG Power Solutions UK chooses Hewden for major projects 10<br />
Tata Steel reinforces commitment to construction equipment<br />
industry with £8m investment<br />
Rotary grinders for Bobcat loaders <strong>and</strong> excavators 12<br />
New EZiCAT i600 <strong>and</strong> i650 receive Network Rail approval 12<br />
Doosan announces changes in Scotl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Irel<strong>and</strong> 13<br />
New Liebherr city crane gets a fl at-top 14<br />
New Holl<strong>and</strong> Construction exp<strong>and</strong>s dealer territory 14<br />
SPECIAL REPoRTS<br />
CoNTENTS<br />
The most comfortable way to transport heavy loads 15<br />
Simplifying mini excavator stability with Track Lock 16<br />
At the cutting edge of diamond blade safety 18<br />
Ammann compaction celebrates 100 years 24<br />
A passion for training: an interview with Jonathan Young,<br />
Technical Director, C & G Services<br />
ExPERT oPINIoN<br />
Hard hats <strong>and</strong> hot heads 32<br />
IN ACTIoN<br />
The Dustfi ghter fi ghts fi re 36<br />
Bachy Soletanche powers up for wind turbine piling 37<br />
overnight works by Costain installing a new rail works signal 37<br />
wheeled loaders one, teleh<strong>and</strong>lers nil! 38<br />
Hewden’s marathon effort 39<br />
AwARDS<br />
Another industry award win for A-<strong>Plant</strong> innovation 40<br />
Bachy Soletanche takes home gold at GE Awards 40<br />
JCB Torquelock innovation honoured with Queen’s award 41<br />
ICE award success for Birse Civils South’s western Region 41<br />
EVENTS<br />
CMPE AGM 2011 42<br />
PEoPLE<br />
Royal honour for Henk Groeneveld 44<br />
CBE honour for JCB Deputy Chairman John Patterson 44<br />
New head of health & safety at Breedon Aggregates 44<br />
REGULARS<br />
Mud Muppet’s practical tips 30<br />
Competition 39<br />
Classifi eds 45<br />
News Megabytes 46<br />
June 2011<br />
3<br />
11<br />
28
NEwS<br />
Major £2.25 million<br />
traffic investment for<br />
a-<strong>Plant</strong> lux<br />
To meet customer dem<strong>and</strong> for traffic light sets with ultra low<br />
noise levels <strong>and</strong> ease of use, A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux Traffic Control &<br />
Management has invested over £2.25 million in new two way <strong>and</strong><br />
multi phase battery powered traffic light systems manufactured by<br />
the market leader Hollco Traffic Signals.<br />
4<br />
June 2011<br />
The new sets are supplied with a purpose<br />
built trailer <strong>and</strong> are approved to the latest<br />
Highways Agency UK Specification TR<br />
2502A. Environmentally friendly <strong>and</strong> ideal<br />
for use in residential areas due to their<br />
reduced noise properties, the traffic light<br />
sets provide up to 20 days running time<br />
operating on 24 hour days. Units can even<br />
be recharged without taking them off the<br />
trailer <strong>and</strong> if required, the batteries can<br />
be interchanged while the lights are still<br />
working.<br />
Jim McLachlan, Business Development<br />
Director for A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux said: “Over recent<br />
months, we have seen a strong dem<strong>and</strong><br />
from the market place for battery powered<br />
traffic lights with the inherent benefits of<br />
vastly reduced noise, reliability, minimal<br />
maintenance, eco-friendly properties<br />
<strong>and</strong> prolonged running times. We have<br />
made this significant investment in the<br />
Hollco sets as they have been specifically<br />
designed to overcome many of the<br />
problems associated with traditional traffic<br />
light sets. The new units will be delivered<br />
to our service centres nationwide over the<br />
next few months.”<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux Traffic Control & Management<br />
offers a vast range of products for hire,<br />
including traffic lights in 2,3 <strong>and</strong> 4-way<br />
configurations, variable message signs,<br />
traffic cones, sign <strong>and</strong> roadside lighting,<br />
event signage <strong>and</strong> Chapter 8 signing,<br />
lighting <strong>and</strong> guarding with Class 1 or Class<br />
2 signs.<br />
The company’s service extends from safe<br />
installation of the appropriate traffic control<br />
system to advanced site surveys, liaison<br />
with local authorities, site maintenance<br />
<strong>and</strong> de-installation of the chosen traffic<br />
control system - plus a 24-hour call-out<br />
service, 365 days a year.<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong> Lux Traffic Control &<br />
Management. which has both National<br />
Highways Sector Scheme 12 certification<br />
<strong>and</strong> ISO 9001 certification, also has a<br />
dedicated training centre <strong>and</strong> delivers<br />
a range of training courses, including<br />
Signing, Lighting <strong>and</strong> Guarding (Unit 02<br />
<strong>and</strong> Unit 10), National Highways Sector<br />
Scheme 12d <strong>and</strong> High Speed Traffic<br />
Management Training <strong>and</strong> Assessment<br />
(Sector Scheme 12a/12b), as well as<br />
Safety <strong>and</strong> First Aid courses.
Having purchased significant<br />
volumes of Volvo excavators,<br />
articulated haulers <strong>and</strong> loading<br />
shovels, numbering 50 in<br />
all during 2010, Chepstow<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> (International) Ltd (CPI),<br />
continues its investment with<br />
orders placed for a further 40<br />
units in 2011.<br />
The Blue Chip contractors who specialise<br />
in high production projects in the U.K.<br />
<strong>and</strong> abroad, are also the first to have<br />
taken delivery of two Perlini DP405 rigid<br />
dumptrucks since Volvo Construction<br />
<strong>Equipment</strong> Division became official<br />
dealers for the Perlini range of rigid<br />
haulers last year. The majority of<br />
machines for 2011 consist of Volvo A25F<br />
<strong>and</strong> A40F articulated haulers with a<br />
mix of shovels <strong>and</strong> excavators ranging<br />
from EW160C (sixteen tonnes) to the<br />
latest EC380D (thirty eight tonnes),<br />
the package being both a replacement<br />
programme as well as an increment to<br />
the CPI fleet of equipment.<br />
CPI have taken a mix of A25F & A40F articulated<br />
haulers (right) as well as G series loading shovels (below)<br />
with D series excavators on order for delivery in August<br />
“Our business has become<br />
synonymous in operating quality<br />
products for the projects we undertake<br />
where high production capacity <strong>and</strong><br />
high availability is called for,” said<br />
Managing Director John Corcoran.<br />
“In our <strong>opinion</strong>, continuing to opt for<br />
models from the Volvo range supports<br />
a sound business partnership between<br />
us, our clients <strong>and</strong> our supplier.”<br />
To provide added value to CPI’s<br />
customer base, all Volvo supplied<br />
products are equipped with<br />
CareTrack telematics utilising the<br />
latest technology in machine<br />
management. CareTrack<br />
provides operational data<br />
remotely via the internet,<br />
including fuel consumption<br />
<strong>and</strong> idle time, all helping to<br />
reduce cost of ownership<br />
<strong>and</strong> maximise utilisation.<br />
Furthermore all the Volvo<br />
equipment supplied to CPI<br />
during 2010 <strong>and</strong> for 2011 is<br />
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
Chepstow <strong>Plant</strong><br />
continue investing in<br />
Volvo ce products<br />
covered under a Volvo Blue Customer<br />
Support Agreement.<br />
“Tapping into this resource has proved<br />
to be a sound business decision,”<br />
continued Mr Corcoran. “By investing<br />
in support agreements for our fleet we<br />
are able to pass on the full benefit of<br />
Volvo’s integrated management system,<br />
associated accreditations <strong>and</strong> core<br />
values to our own customers whilst at<br />
the same time, sensibly deploy our own<br />
in-house resources for specific targeted<br />
achievements, maximize our uptime <strong>and</strong><br />
ensure our sustainability <strong>and</strong> profitability.”<br />
5
NEwS<br />
Mastenbroek Environmental<br />
has supplied the UK’s first<br />
Conver silt-pusher, marking a<br />
step-change in watercourse<br />
management where organic<br />
sediments need to be<br />
removed efficiently within<br />
increasingly dem<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
environmental constraints.<br />
Drainage Board representatives <strong>and</strong><br />
others were among those treated to<br />
their first glimpse of the sedimentclearing<br />
boat – dubbed the ‘floating<br />
bulldozer’ – at Pode Hole pumping<br />
station for Well<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Deepings IDB<br />
as it worked on a stretch of waterway.<br />
Built by Dutch firm Conver <strong>and</strong> supplied<br />
by Mastenbroek of Boston, Lincolnshire,<br />
the machine is the newest acquisition<br />
of ADC (East Anglia) Limited, which<br />
sees a big market for it on watercourses<br />
managed by the Environment<br />
Agency, IDBs <strong>and</strong> other operators.<br />
The fully self-contained boat has a<br />
bow-mounted, three-piece articulated<br />
blade capable of collecting up to 10m 3<br />
of material in a single push. Weighing<br />
in at 2.8 tonnes, measuring 4m long<br />
<strong>and</strong> with a beam of 1.55m, the siltpusher<br />
has a draught of just 450mm,<br />
making it capable of navigating<br />
some of the shallowest <strong>and</strong> most<br />
inaccessible inl<strong>and</strong> waterways.<br />
6<br />
June 2011<br />
The unit is ‘steered’ by a pair of fore<br />
<strong>and</strong> aft-attached cables, anchored to<br />
the bank, which are controlled using<br />
auto-spooling winches. In this way the<br />
machine may be accurately positioned<br />
for maximum engagement with the silt,<br />
an operation that is controlled directly<br />
from the operator compartment.<br />
The Conver is presently the only one<br />
of its kind in the UK, but similar units<br />
are a familiar sight in watercourse<br />
maintenance in mainl<strong>and</strong> Europe,<br />
particularly in Conver’s native Holl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
Germany <strong>and</strong> France. It is the smaller<br />
of two silt-pushers in the C86-series<br />
currently being offered for sale in the<br />
UK by Mastenbroek. In addition to the<br />
three-piece dozer blade at the front,<br />
each features an adjustable sternmounted<br />
tailpiece <strong>and</strong> removable<br />
scraper blade for more intricate work.<br />
The C86xs silt-pusher’s 25kW watercooled<br />
Yanmar industrial diesel<br />
engine drives two hydraulic pumps<br />
which deliver power for all of the<br />
unit’s functions, ensuring efficient<br />
operation even at low engine speeds<br />
<strong>and</strong> contributing significantly to fuel<br />
economy, reduced noise <strong>and</strong> exhaust<br />
emissions, <strong>and</strong> overall durability.<br />
Director of ADC (East Anglia) Ltd, Mike<br />
uk Debut for<br />
‘floating Bulldozer’<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Reeve, said the market for the unit is<br />
potentially huge, <strong>and</strong> a great deal of<br />
interest has already been shown. The<br />
Conver complements his company’s<br />
watercourse maintenance fleet <strong>and</strong> will<br />
enhance the service that they already<br />
offer to IDBs, the EA <strong>and</strong> other clients.<br />
He said: “Together with our mobile<br />
dewatering fleet it makes perfect<br />
sense. We can offer clients a full<br />
on-site service. The Conver positions<br />
the silt for removal by pumping. The<br />
sludge is dewatered on site, <strong>and</strong><br />
the recycled water returned to the<br />
waterway allowing the dried material<br />
to be taken to l<strong>and</strong>fill, where it can be<br />
used for capping material. There is no<br />
transport of wet material involved.”<br />
He continued: “Sometimes it’s difficult<br />
to gain access to a watercourse<br />
to extract the silt – particularly in<br />
urban locations or where there are<br />
road bridges. Excavators cannot get<br />
anywhere near, or are unable to due to<br />
safety issues. The only means of safe<br />
access is from the watercourse itself.<br />
What’s more, the boat can be applied<br />
to different types of water location. For<br />
example, there is work in the private<br />
sector, in lagoons <strong>and</strong> balancing<br />
ponds <strong>and</strong> elsewhere, allowing work<br />
to be carried out all year round.”
lafarge cement prove...<br />
Lafarge Cement <strong>and</strong> Silo Cleaning<br />
Services have developed a new<br />
cleaning system that improves the<br />
safety of its employees <strong>and</strong> is already<br />
being hailed as a ground-breaking piece<br />
of technology across the industry.<br />
The ‘Roof <strong>and</strong> Wall Master’ technology<br />
was invented by Silo Cleaning Services<br />
in response to a challenge Lafarge<br />
Cement faced at its Hope Cement<br />
Works in Derbyshire.<br />
Ashley Bryan, Lafarge Cement’s Hope<br />
Works manager explained: “We had a<br />
large amount of cement build up in the<br />
top of one of the cement silos, which<br />
needed to be cleaned in a safe manner.<br />
The usual cleaning systems require a<br />
person to go into the silo, however, we<br />
felt that this was unsafe in this instance.<br />
In response to this problem we asked<br />
Silo Cleaning Services to come up with<br />
a solution.”<br />
The ‘Roof <strong>and</strong> Wall Master’ works by<br />
using a series of tentacles driven by<br />
very high speed air. The tentacles are<br />
attached to a sweeping arm which can<br />
be lowered into the silo <strong>and</strong> operated<br />
...that eight arms are better than one!<br />
without the need for anyone being<br />
inside.<br />
Ian Dawson, deputy national health<br />
<strong>and</strong> safety manager at Lafarge Cement<br />
commented: “The product has been a<br />
great success here at Hope Works. By<br />
removing the need for anyone to work<br />
in a confined space this technology has<br />
provided a safe solution to a common<br />
problem in the industry.<br />
“Health <strong>and</strong> safety is a key priority for<br />
Lafarge Cement <strong>and</strong> we continue to<br />
look for ways to help improve safety<br />
across the industry. Following the<br />
introduction of the ‘Roof <strong>and</strong> Wall<br />
Master’ at Hope Works we invited the<br />
Mineral Products Association (MPA)<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Health <strong>and</strong> Safety Executive<br />
(HSE) to the site to demonstrate the<br />
safer technology to the industry first<br />
h<strong>and</strong>.”<br />
Ian Gibson, Health <strong>and</strong> Safety Manager<br />
at MPA Cement said: “In common with<br />
its member companies, MPA Cement’s<br />
number one priority is safety. We<br />
welcome Lafarge Cement UK’s initiative<br />
in finding new ways to reduce the risk<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
to staff from high level silo cleaning<br />
<strong>and</strong> we were very impressed with<br />
what we saw at Hope Cement works.<br />
Silo Cleaning Service’s new high air<br />
pressure ‘whip’ marks a step change in<br />
silo cleaning <strong>and</strong> clearly has industry<br />
wide application. We fully support any<br />
development that minimizes the risk of<br />
injury to staff <strong>and</strong> contractors.”<br />
Russell Thomas from Silo Cleaning<br />
Services added: “We have had<br />
excellent feedback from the Health<br />
<strong>and</strong> Safety Executive, particularly as<br />
the HSE has been prioritising finding<br />
solutions to cleaning confined spaces<br />
without man entry.<br />
“We are delighted that it seems that<br />
the safety improvements delivered<br />
by this equipment can be applied to<br />
many more applications than we first<br />
thought, including cleaning cyclones<br />
<strong>and</strong> concrete mixers. This technology<br />
removes the need for anyone to enter<br />
these confined spaces. It also saves<br />
on expensive scaffolding <strong>and</strong> downtime,<br />
helping site managers reduce their<br />
costs.”<br />
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
7
NEwS<br />
new sustainability<br />
action plan from<br />
speedy<br />
Speedy has launched<br />
its new sustainability<br />
strategy, One Plan,<br />
<strong>and</strong> urged suppliers<br />
to keep up or risk<br />
losing out.<br />
One Plan is a sustainability<br />
action plan, which<br />
combines new services,<br />
supplier incentives <strong>and</strong><br />
internal initiatives. It will<br />
enable contractors to<br />
reduce carbon emissions,<br />
improve health <strong>and</strong> safety<br />
<strong>and</strong> increase efficiency.<br />
Specific services provided<br />
under One Plan include<br />
the Green Options product<br />
range, sustainability<br />
consultancy, fuel<br />
management, energy<br />
<strong>and</strong> carbon reduction <strong>and</strong><br />
waste assurance services.<br />
Speedy will also be<br />
embedding its strategies<br />
internally.<br />
Speedy launched One<br />
Plan to 100 suppliers at its<br />
annual supplier conference<br />
last month, where they<br />
were invited to join the<br />
Supplier Excellence<br />
Programme. The<br />
programme will assisted<br />
suppliers in improving<br />
their own sustainability<br />
practices <strong>and</strong> is designed<br />
to help them implement<br />
change through a mixture<br />
of workshops <strong>and</strong> on-site<br />
reviews.<br />
8<br />
June 2011<br />
Andy Connor, supply<br />
chain director at Speedy,<br />
said: “At Speedy,<br />
sustainability isn’t just<br />
a buzz word – we place<br />
it at the heart of all we<br />
do. That’s why we’re not<br />
just going to help our<br />
customers improve their<br />
own sites; we’re also<br />
going to encourage our<br />
suppliers to do the same<br />
by providing them with<br />
the skills <strong>and</strong> knowledge<br />
they need to improve<br />
their own businesses <strong>and</strong><br />
make best practice in<br />
these areas a condition<br />
of working with us.<br />
“This is a collaborative<br />
approach that we hope<br />
will implement best<br />
practice at both ends of<br />
our supply chain. For<br />
our customers, One<br />
Plan offers improved<br />
efficiency, reduced<br />
costs <strong>and</strong> competitive<br />
advantage. For our<br />
suppliers, One Plan<br />
means we’re setting the<br />
bar high, <strong>and</strong> will seek<br />
to establish a long term<br />
relationship with those<br />
that take sustainability<br />
equally seriously.”<br />
For more information<br />
about One Plan go to<br />
www.speedyservices.<br />
com/oneplan<br />
JcB steps up to the plate with<br />
new compaction equipment<br />
JCB has launched a br<strong>and</strong><br />
new range of compaction<br />
plates designed to reduce<br />
h<strong>and</strong> arm vibration levels<br />
while delivering powerful <strong>and</strong><br />
long lasting performance.<br />
The three new models –<br />
the FP1030, FP1540 <strong>and</strong><br />
FP1550 – feature 300mm,<br />
400mm <strong>and</strong> 500mm wide<br />
base plates respectively.<br />
The smallest delivers a<br />
compaction force of 10kN<br />
while the larger two models<br />
deliver 15kN.<br />
Aimed at rental companies,<br />
road gangs <strong>and</strong> driveway,<br />
building or surface repair<br />
contractors, they are<br />
designed for the compaction<br />
of hardcore <strong>and</strong> soil. They<br />
are ideal for asphalt work<br />
when fitted with an optional<br />
water kit - which features<br />
a sprinkler bar positioned<br />
close to the base plate for<br />
optimum coverage - while a<br />
specialist paving kit tailors<br />
them for non-cohesive<br />
materials such as stone<br />
paving.<br />
Key features are the patentpending<br />
h<strong>and</strong>le design which<br />
ensures HAV levels (tested<br />
to EN500-4) are amongst<br />
the lowest in the industry<br />
– allowing up to 15 hours<br />
operation on the largest<br />
model. The h<strong>and</strong>le also<br />
incorporates a h<strong>and</strong> throttle<br />
for comfortable operation <strong>and</strong><br />
its compact folding design<br />
enables easy transportation,<br />
with the plates fitting in vans<br />
<strong>and</strong> most estate cars.<br />
Boasting the hallmarks<br />
of JCB construction they<br />
are easy to service <strong>and</strong><br />
built to last in the rugged<br />
rental environment. Each is<br />
powered by a reliable <strong>and</strong><br />
easy to service Honda engine<br />
<strong>and</strong> the large, simple to re-fill<br />
water tank gives extended<br />
operation time. Durability<br />
is enhanced by a cast<br />
base plate <strong>and</strong> robust solid<br />
bar frame which provides<br />
a strong lifting point <strong>and</strong><br />
increased engine protection<br />
while a remote oil drain<br />
makes routine servicing<br />
quick <strong>and</strong> easy.
Wear <strong>and</strong> spare Parts -<br />
a new worldwide supplier<br />
Wear And Spare Parts is a<br />
new company specifically<br />
created for the crushing<br />
plant aftermarket <strong>and</strong> is<br />
setting out its stall as a<br />
competitive <strong>and</strong> efficient<br />
worldwide provider of<br />
premium quality crusher<br />
spares <strong>and</strong> wearparts.<br />
The company has been<br />
formed by the directors<br />
of the Blue Group <strong>and</strong><br />
draws on the experience,<br />
<strong>expert</strong>ise <strong>and</strong> financial<br />
stability of the organisation<br />
in order to provide a<br />
growing customer base<br />
with an even greater<br />
after-sales choice for<br />
the complete spectrum<br />
of crushing plant <strong>and</strong><br />
equipment available on the<br />
market today.<br />
Blue has stressed that this<br />
new spares organisation<br />
in no way conflicts with<br />
its genuine OEM parts<br />
operations for the marketleading<br />
Powerscreen,<br />
Pegson <strong>and</strong> Doppstadt<br />
products supplied through<br />
Blue Spares, but is a<br />
separate entity <strong>and</strong> will be<br />
focussed on all competitor<br />
equipment consumables.<br />
Head of Procurement,<br />
Neil Marchi, said: “Our<br />
new company gives us the<br />
opportunity to enhance <strong>and</strong><br />
extend our coverage of the<br />
crushing markets both at<br />
home <strong>and</strong> abroad, where<br />
we can now supply quality<br />
spares <strong>and</strong> wearparts<br />
for the plethora of varied<br />
makes of machines<br />
available to the industry.<br />
With the <strong>expert</strong>ise <strong>and</strong><br />
financial backing of the<br />
Blue Group, we have<br />
been able to invest in an<br />
impressive stock of line<br />
items which enables an offthe-shelf<br />
availability”<br />
Commenting on a set of<br />
compatible jaw plates<br />
recently purchased for<br />
an Extec crushing plant,<br />
David Beveridge, Recycling<br />
General Manager of NWH,<br />
Edinburgh said: “The jaw<br />
plates we bought from<br />
Wear And Spare Parts<br />
have been fantastic! We<br />
have had more than double<br />
the wear life out of this set<br />
than any previous jaws<br />
we have ever used <strong>and</strong><br />
I thoroughly recommend<br />
anyone to give them<br />
a try. They won’t be<br />
disappointed!”<br />
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
new generation eagle 2<br />
mBi shears from inmalo<br />
Sole UK importer for MBI<br />
excavator attachments,<br />
Inmalo, has announced a<br />
new <strong>and</strong> improved range<br />
of shears for the demolition<br />
<strong>and</strong> recycling industries.<br />
MBI (Mantovanibenne)<br />
has a continuing product<br />
development programme<br />
which constantly refines<br />
<strong>and</strong> enhances their<br />
comprehensive range;<br />
these latest additions<br />
offer improved power<br />
<strong>and</strong> performance, <strong>and</strong><br />
a longer working life.<br />
Superseding the Eagle<br />
1 series <strong>and</strong> building<br />
on the success of these<br />
versatile shears, the new<br />
generation Eagle 2 range<br />
spans operating weights<br />
from the 160kgs SH10<br />
to the massive SH900,<br />
which weighs in at 10.20<br />
tonnes . Carrier machine<br />
weights are from 2 - 250<br />
tonnes. In development<br />
for 2011 are the SH1500<br />
<strong>and</strong> the SH2500, 15<br />
<strong>and</strong> 25 tonne shears.<br />
Significant product<br />
developments on the Eagle<br />
2 range include double<br />
adjuster guide rams, a new<br />
jaw design for increased<br />
cutting capacity, power<br />
valves for shorter cycle<br />
times, fully butting blades<br />
<strong>and</strong> front cutter, larger<br />
cylinders with forged<br />
piston heads <strong>and</strong> 360°<br />
dampened hydraulic rotation<br />
which prolongs motor life;<br />
the range also includes<br />
non-rotating models of<br />
between 1,700 <strong>and</strong> 8,500<br />
kgs. An optional bolt-on<br />
piercing tip is available <strong>and</strong><br />
interchangeable spare parts<br />
are also a feature of this new<br />
generation of attachments.<br />
Eagle 2 Shears are designed<br />
<strong>and</strong> built for both demolition<br />
<strong>and</strong> recycling applications<br />
for the cost-efficient cutting<br />
of structural, reinforcement<br />
<strong>and</strong> sheet steel, as well<br />
as reducing reclaimed<br />
scrap metal elements into<br />
manageable proportions<br />
for onward processing.<br />
9
NEwS<br />
cg Power solutions uk chooses Tarmac secures...<br />
hewden for major projects<br />
In the latest phase of<br />
a growing relationship,<br />
CG Power Solutions UK<br />
has selected Hewden<br />
to provide plant <strong>and</strong><br />
equipment hire plus<br />
site support for a<br />
number of major power<br />
installation contracts.<br />
In Phase 1 of the London Gateway<br />
port development by DP World, CG<br />
Power Solutions will be responsible<br />
for the Coryton Tee-off, taking power<br />
from the nearby Coryton power<br />
station, which primarily feeds Coryton<br />
refinery, <strong>and</strong> delivering the power<br />
to the groundworks site for the new<br />
container port terminal. Construction is<br />
now underway, with dredging <strong>and</strong> new<br />
l<strong>and</strong> creation taking place alongside<br />
the development of key infrastructure.<br />
Situated on the north bank of the River<br />
Thames, London Gateway provides<br />
unrivalled deep-sea shipping access<br />
<strong>and</strong> will ensure ships load <strong>and</strong> unload<br />
as fast as possible. The port will<br />
be the most efficient in the country,<br />
adding an additional 3.5million TEU<br />
(st<strong>and</strong>ard twenty foot equivalent cargo<br />
units (containers)) to the nation’s<br />
port capacity. In addition to a major<br />
deep-sea port, London Gateway will<br />
10<br />
June 2011<br />
integrate with Europe’s largest logistics<br />
park <strong>and</strong> will offer units up to <strong>and</strong> in<br />
excess of one million square feet.<br />
Already on site, CG Power<br />
Solutions Sales Director, Mr<br />
Charles Birchall commented:<br />
“We will be making full use of our in<br />
house design <strong>and</strong> assembly facilities,<br />
as well as project managing critical sub<br />
systems <strong>and</strong> other suppliers. This is one<br />
of the largest power delivery projects<br />
currently running in the South East <strong>and</strong><br />
we are delighted to have been selected.”<br />
“To deliver on time, we will need the<br />
full support of partnership suppliers<br />
like Hewden who underst<strong>and</strong> the<br />
timescales <strong>and</strong> the vital importance of<br />
health <strong>and</strong> safety on these projects.”<br />
In addition to the London Gateway<br />
project, CG Power Solutions has<br />
appointed Hewden to provide<br />
plant hire <strong>and</strong> crane hire support<br />
for all wind farm projects.<br />
These projects involve Hewden<br />
carrying out a series of difficult<br />
lifting operations for the associated<br />
package sub stations. The lifting<br />
involves the positioning of each of the<br />
units at the base of each turbine.<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Commenting on these projects, a<br />
Hewden spokesperson said: “CG<br />
Power Solutions is a fast growing<br />
<strong>and</strong> leading <strong>expert</strong> in transmission<br />
<strong>and</strong> distribution installation projects.<br />
There is a growing relationship with<br />
Hewden <strong>and</strong> we are now supporting<br />
CG on an increasing number of energy<br />
installation projects around the UK.”<br />
CG Power Solutions, formerly known<br />
as Power Technology Solutions,<br />
provides a comprehensive range of<br />
engineering services to blue chip clients<br />
in the UK high voltage electrical power<br />
system industries. These include the<br />
major utilities/Distribution Network<br />
Operators (DNOs), heavy industrial<br />
users, major switchgear manufacturers<br />
<strong>and</strong> ESI approved contractors.
tata steel reinforces<br />
commitment to construction<br />
equipment industry with<br />
£8m investment<br />
Tata Steel has<br />
announced it will<br />
invest £8 million in<br />
its specialist steels<br />
Clydebridge plant<br />
in Cambuslang,<br />
Glasgow, increasing<br />
the plant’s capacity to<br />
produce the premium<br />
quality high-strength<br />
steel plate, essential<br />
for construction<br />
<strong>and</strong> earth moving<br />
equipment (CEME),<br />
by up to 50%.<br />
The Clydebridge plant produces<br />
the specialist high-strength steel for<br />
applications where the strength-to-weight<br />
ratio <strong>and</strong> contact abrasion are significant<br />
factors, such as for CEME buckets <strong>and</strong><br />
dump truck bodies.<br />
The difficult-to-make material, used<br />
in some of the most challenging<br />
environments around the world, is<br />
produced by heating steel to 1,000°C<br />
before quenching <strong>and</strong>/or tempering<br />
to alter its microstructure to improve<br />
strength. The investment at Tata Steel’s<br />
Clydebridge plant – which includes<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>ing the plant’s two furnaces,<br />
installing two new gas-cutting machines,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a new stamping <strong>and</strong> marking<br />
machine – will increase output capacity<br />
to 3,200 tonnes per week <strong>and</strong> lead to the<br />
creation of about 26 new jobs.<br />
The Clydebridge investment is the<br />
latest operational enhancement by Tata<br />
Steel to ensure it continues to meet<br />
the needs of its customer base into the<br />
future. A significant part of this has been<br />
the introduction of a sector-focused<br />
approach with specialist knowledge<br />
of the industries they serve <strong>and</strong> the<br />
different products required by them.<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
As such, CEME is part of the Lifting &<br />
Excavating sector, which also serves<br />
the related product requirements of the<br />
mining equipment, crane <strong>and</strong> fork lift<br />
truck markets.<br />
“Tata Steel is committed to providing<br />
the best possible quality, <strong>expert</strong>ise <strong>and</strong><br />
service support across a uniquely broad<br />
product range,” said Director Sales<br />
<strong>and</strong> Marketing - Lifting <strong>and</strong> Excavating,<br />
Gareth Beese. “While our structure<br />
ensures we can offer industry-specific<br />
<strong>expert</strong>ise across any of the specialist<br />
steel markets, our ‘One Company’<br />
philosophy gives us an holistic approach<br />
to our customers’ needs. That makes<br />
Tata Steel uniquely placed as a steel<br />
supplier in offering a ‘one-stop-shop’<br />
solution.”<br />
The steel processed at Clydebridge<br />
is manufactured in Scunthorpe, North<br />
Lincolnshire, before being rolled at one<br />
of Tata Steel’s two UK plate mills –<br />
Scunthorpe or Dalzell. The recruitment<br />
at Clydebridge will start next spring prior<br />
to the exp<strong>and</strong>ed capacity coming on line<br />
in summer 2012. About 100 people are<br />
currently employed in Clydebridge, with<br />
a further 230 in Dalzell.<br />
11
NEwS<br />
rotary grinders for Bobcat<br />
loaders <strong>and</strong> excavators<br />
Bobcat has launched<br />
a new range of rotary<br />
grinder attachments for<br />
the company’s compact<br />
loaders <strong>and</strong> excavators<br />
aimed at a wide range of<br />
construction, demolition <strong>and</strong><br />
utility industry applications.<br />
The new Bobcat rotary grinders<br />
are powerful attachments that<br />
consist of a double drum, driven<br />
by a completely integrated hightorque<br />
hydraulic motor. Quieter in<br />
operation compared to equivalent<br />
hydraulic or pneumatic demolition<br />
tools, the new attachments still grind<br />
powerfully in concrete, asphalt or<br />
rock. They also transmit relatively<br />
low vibration levels to surrounding<br />
structures <strong>and</strong> produce small<br />
diameter debris that can be reused.<br />
12<br />
June 2011<br />
The design of the new grinding<br />
attachments allows them to be<br />
used for applications requiring<br />
precise removal of material,<br />
without damaging adjacent<br />
structures. They can also be<br />
used for less precise work such<br />
as the demolition of walls <strong>and</strong><br />
other structures; for digging<br />
trenches in hard <strong>and</strong> rocky ground<br />
<strong>and</strong> for preparing asphalt or<br />
concrete surfaces for repair.<br />
The three models in the range,<br />
the RG20, RG40 <strong>and</strong> RG60<br />
grinders, provide a choice of<br />
cuttings widths <strong>and</strong> are suitable<br />
for use on the larger Bobcat<br />
loaders <strong>and</strong> excavators:<br />
The RG20 grinder has a<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard cutting width of<br />
565 mm <strong>and</strong> is approved<br />
for use on Bobcat E32,<br />
E35, E45, E50, E55W <strong>and</strong><br />
E60 mini-excavators.<br />
The RG40 grinder has a<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard cutting width of 625<br />
mm <strong>and</strong> is approved for use on<br />
the E80 excavator <strong>and</strong> on the<br />
Bobcat S205H, S630, S630H,<br />
S650, S650H, T190H, T650<br />
<strong>and</strong> T650H compact loaders<br />
The largest model, the RG60<br />
grinder, cuts to a width of<br />
850 mm <strong>and</strong> can be used<br />
on the Bobcat S770H,<br />
S850H, T770H, T870H <strong>and</strong><br />
A770H compact loaders.<br />
The use of rotary grinders on<br />
Bobcat compact loaders or<br />
excavators requires the installation<br />
of a special applications kit on the<br />
machines, the same as that used<br />
for mounting Bobcat hydraulic<br />
breakers. The rotary grinder<br />
attachments can be mounted on<br />
Bobcat excavators with Pin-on,<br />
Klac or Lehnhoff systems. For<br />
Bobcat compact loaders, a<br />
Bob-Tach bolt-on frame is used.<br />
New EZiCAT i600<br />
<strong>and</strong> i650 receive<br />
Network Rail approval<br />
Having recently obtained Network Rail<br />
approval on the EZiCAT i500 <strong>and</strong> i550,<br />
Cable Detection has announced that the<br />
latest editions to its product range - the<br />
EZiCAT i600 <strong>and</strong> i650 - have also secured<br />
the nationally acclaimed approval.<br />
This is the latest in a string of positive reports<br />
the new products have received since their<br />
launch in March this year. The EZiCAT i600 <strong>and</strong><br />
i650 build on the success of previous models<br />
by providing a unique data capture <strong>and</strong> on<br />
board memory function which allow logging of<br />
the locators’ use. This is seen by management<br />
as a huge positive step in the improvement<br />
of onsite safety <strong>and</strong> training provisions.<br />
The i600 <strong>and</strong> i650 make locating underground<br />
cables <strong>and</strong> pipes a simple <strong>and</strong> efficient task,<br />
ultimately saving time <strong>and</strong> money. With the<br />
unique LOGiCAT Software, records can be<br />
retrieved <strong>and</strong> collated helping to increase on<br />
site safety, whilst identifying training needs.<br />
i-Series LOGiCAT Software retrieves the<br />
following information from the locator:<br />
time & date information<br />
usage duration<br />
user identification<br />
detection mode used<br />
service detection<br />
product fleet<br />
management<br />
diagnostic check<br />
management reports<br />
Simon Branson, Head<br />
of Engineering for Cable<br />
Detection, sees the products as an important<br />
step in increasing safety during excavation<br />
projects, “We are extremely excited about<br />
the EZiCAT i600 <strong>and</strong> i650 launch. For the<br />
first time ever, operators <strong>and</strong> management<br />
have an insight into how their locators are<br />
being used. Safety equipment can amount<br />
to a large expense for companies <strong>and</strong> if<br />
these products are not used or maintained<br />
correctly, then safety is compromised. With the<br />
EZiCAT i600, i650 <strong>and</strong> the LOGiCAT software,<br />
management has the ability to recognise poor<br />
usage, pinpoint the exact user <strong>and</strong> provide<br />
training to ensure maximum efficiency”.
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
Doosan announces changes in Scotl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Irel<strong>and</strong><br />
new Bobcat dealerships in scotl<strong>and</strong><br />
Doosan Infracore Construction <strong>Equipment</strong><br />
has announced that Lloyd Ltd, Scotia <strong>Plant</strong><br />
Ltd <strong>and</strong> Balgownie Ltd, the existing dealers<br />
for the popular Doosan-br<strong>and</strong>ed range of<br />
excavators, wheel loaders <strong>and</strong> articulated<br />
dump trucks in Scotl<strong>and</strong>, have all been<br />
awarded new Bobcat dealerships. All three<br />
companies are now offering sales <strong>and</strong><br />
service for the Bobcat range of compact<br />
equipment in their respective areas.<br />
Inverurie-based Balgownie Ltd has<br />
been appointed as the Bobcat dealer for<br />
Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Angus (from<br />
2012) <strong>and</strong> for much of the Highl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
parts of Perthshire <strong>and</strong> Kinross-shire.<br />
The remainder of Perthshire <strong>and</strong><br />
Kinross-shire is part of the area now<br />
h<strong>and</strong>led by Scotia <strong>Plant</strong> Ltd, based in<br />
Coatbridge, which will now represent<br />
both Bobcat <strong>and</strong> Doosan products in the<br />
central belt of Scotl<strong>and</strong>. Scotia <strong>Plant</strong> will<br />
work alongside another Bobcat dealer,<br />
George Colliar Ltd, based at Kinross.<br />
new Doosan <strong>and</strong> Bobcat Dealer in irel<strong>and</strong><br />
Doosan Infracore Construction<br />
<strong>Equipment</strong> has appointed Dublinbased<br />
Montana <strong>Plant</strong> Sales, part of<br />
Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd, as a new<br />
authorised dealer for Doosan <strong>and</strong> Bobcat<br />
products in the provinces of Leinster,<br />
Munster <strong>and</strong> Connacht in Irel<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Under the new agreement, Montana <strong>Plant</strong><br />
Sales is now providing sales <strong>and</strong> service<br />
in these areas for Doosan excavators<br />
from 14 to 70 tonne, the Doosan range of<br />
Lloyd Ltd has won the Bobcat<br />
dealership for the southern part of<br />
Scotl<strong>and</strong>, covering East <strong>and</strong> South<br />
Ayrshire, the Border counties,<br />
South Lanarkshire <strong>and</strong> Dumfries<br />
<strong>and</strong> Galloway. Lloyd Ltd is also the<br />
new Bobcat dealer for Cumbria in<br />
Engl<strong>and</strong>. In both areas, Lloyd Ltd is<br />
responsible for all Bobcat products<br />
except the telescopic h<strong>and</strong>ler range.<br />
wheel loader models <strong>and</strong> the Doosan<br />
range of high capacity telescopic<br />
h<strong>and</strong>lers. The company is also an<br />
authorised dealer for the complete<br />
range of Bobcat compact equipment<br />
in the three provinces, including<br />
skid-steer, compact tracked <strong>and</strong> all<br />
wheel steer loaders, mini-excavators,<br />
teleh<strong>and</strong>lers, utility vehicles <strong>and</strong><br />
attachments. Montana <strong>Plant</strong> Sales<br />
will work alongside the other Bobcat<br />
dealer, Pat O’Donnell & Co.<br />
Lee Roberton, General Manager<br />
at Scotia <strong>Plant</strong> Ltd, based at<br />
Coatbridge, said: “This is a very<br />
exciting development for Scotia<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>. Like our fellow Doosan<br />
dealers, the availability <strong>and</strong> support<br />
for the Bobcat range from Scotia<br />
will be of great interest to our<br />
many customers in construction,<br />
demolition, plant hire <strong>and</strong> quarrying.”<br />
Dermot Cunnie, General Manager<br />
of the Construction Division of<br />
Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd, said:<br />
“We are very familiar with Doosan<br />
<strong>and</strong> Bobcat products through our<br />
subsidiary, Scotia <strong>Plant</strong> Limited,<br />
which has been very successful with<br />
both dealerships in the central belt of<br />
Scotl<strong>and</strong>. So when Doosan offered<br />
us the new dealerships…we were<br />
delighted to accept the appointment.”<br />
Montana <strong>Plant</strong> Sales is offering<br />
service <strong>and</strong> warranty work on<br />
all existing Doosan <strong>and</strong> Bobcat<br />
machines in the three provinces,<br />
backed by a full selection of genuine<br />
accessories <strong>and</strong> parts. The company<br />
will also hold a stock of new <strong>and</strong><br />
used Doosan <strong>and</strong> Bobcat br<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
machines, to respond quickly to<br />
customers’ needs. Customers will<br />
also benefit from the company’s wellestablished<br />
on-site service network,<br />
covering everything from emergency<br />
repairs to routine maintenance.<br />
13
NEwS<br />
new liebherr city crane gets a flat-top<br />
At the 2011 Smopyc trade fair in<br />
Zaragoza, Liebherr presented a new<br />
design to the<br />
public for the<br />
first time, the 85<br />
EC-B 5 FR.tronic<br />
Flat-Top Crane. It has<br />
a maximum load capacity of<br />
5000 kg <strong>and</strong> can lift 1300 kg at the<br />
jib end, up to a maximum working<br />
radius of 50 m. All loads are lifted<br />
in the double-reeved mode.<br />
When the new 85 EC-B 5 FR.tronic<br />
‘City Crane’ was being developed,<br />
the emphasis was not just on the<br />
superstructure but also on the lowwidth<br />
85 LC tower system, which has<br />
been optimally matched to the new<br />
crane <strong>and</strong> has new pin connectors<br />
among the many features that qualify<br />
it ideally for inner-city operation.<br />
A decisive advantage of the new 85<br />
EC-B 5 FR.tronic City Crane is that<br />
the dimensions of all the assemblies<br />
are so compact. With a cross-section<br />
of only 1.2 x 1.2 m, transportation <strong>and</strong><br />
erecting work is simplified if the inner-<br />
14<br />
June 2011<br />
city site is small or access is difficult.<br />
And a cruciform base measuring just<br />
3.0 x 3.0 m, together with slim tower<br />
sections, means that the crane can<br />
be erected quickly <strong>and</strong><br />
safely in just<br />
about<br />
every gap<br />
in the building line.<br />
The complete slewing section of the<br />
new 85 EC B 5 FR.tronic can travel<br />
on just two semi-trailer trucks – a<br />
guarantee of lower transport costs<br />
<strong>and</strong> more rapid availability on the<br />
working site. Since each crated unit<br />
weighs less, smaller mobile cranes<br />
are sufficient for the erecting work<br />
- the heaviest individual element<br />
weighs less than 3 t <strong>and</strong> can be<br />
lifted by a 60-t truck crane.<br />
The new 85 LC tower system consists<br />
of 11.7 m, 5.85 m or 3.9 m tower<br />
sections, with a tower base element<br />
12.0 m long. The 3.9 m long climbing<br />
tower section is highly versatile, <strong>and</strong><br />
can be used inside or outside the<br />
new holl<strong>and</strong> construction<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>s dealer territory<br />
New Holl<strong>and</strong> Construction is<br />
exp<strong>and</strong>ing the territory of their<br />
dealer European <strong>Plant</strong> Services<br />
(EPS), part of the K Rouse group of<br />
companies based in Leeds, to cover<br />
the whole of central Engl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Scott Freeman, Business Director of<br />
New Holl<strong>and</strong> Construction said, “The<br />
team at EPS are<br />
highly professional<br />
<strong>and</strong> extremely<br />
experienced with<br />
all aspects of the<br />
business. We<br />
recognise the results<br />
EPS have achieved<br />
so far with the br<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> also the future<br />
potential of this<br />
strong partner. It is<br />
also our intention to<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
building. The 85 KC tower can climb<br />
to extreme heights when used outside<br />
the building. If other structures prevent<br />
this, the new climbing tower can be<br />
installed in an elevator shaft. The 24kW<br />
frequency-converter hoist gear,<br />
which is st<strong>and</strong>ard equipment, permits<br />
lifting heights up to 260 metres.<br />
focus dealers with similar strengths <strong>and</strong><br />
ambitions across the entire network.”<br />
EPS consistently stock an average of<br />
60 units across the New Holl<strong>and</strong> range<br />
of products with a substantial forward<br />
order portfolio to maintain this machine<br />
park. With an impressive workshop with<br />
individual repair <strong>and</strong> preparation bays,<br />
EPS pride themselves on preparing<br />
the majority of stock machines for<br />
sale within 24 hrs notice, meeting the<br />
industry’s requirement for fast delivery.<br />
EPS also offers its customers full<br />
fabrication, spray shop <strong>and</strong> sign<br />
writing facilities from its 5 acre site in<br />
Leeds. They have recently purchased<br />
an adjoining 18000sq ft facility<br />
dedicated to workshops <strong>and</strong> offices to<br />
accommodate the increased volume of<br />
machine sales in the new territories.
the most comfortable way<br />
to transport heavy loads<br />
German seat manufacturer,<br />
Grammer AG, has introduced<br />
its new premium aftermarket<br />
seat for heavy-duty forklifts - the<br />
innovative new Primo Evolution<br />
- which boasts fully automated<br />
weight adjustment <strong>and</strong> active<br />
seat climate control.<br />
When st<strong>and</strong>ard forklifts are no longer<br />
enough to h<strong>and</strong>le heavy weights or<br />
large transport volumes, heavy–duty<br />
<strong>and</strong> container forklifts are put on the<br />
job. These robust bundles of strength<br />
use modern technology to ensure that<br />
heavy loads in numerous industries<br />
can be precisely, safely <strong>and</strong> effectively<br />
transported.<br />
Just as important as the technical<br />
details, however, are the working<br />
conditions for operators of such heavyduty<br />
machines. The cab must be<br />
designed for this challenging job with<br />
the best-possible ergonomic features.<br />
All controls should be located at an<br />
optimum distance – <strong>and</strong> protection of<br />
the driver against damaging vibrations<br />
is of paramount importance.<br />
In light of this, Grammer AG is now<br />
offering a new dimension of seating<br />
<strong>and</strong> operating comfort for heavy-duty<br />
<strong>and</strong> container forklifts, with the Primo<br />
Evolution. The main unique feature of<br />
this new, premium aftermarket seat is<br />
its remarkably low-profile suspension<br />
combined with fully automated<br />
adjustment to the weight of the driver.<br />
Improper adjustment a thing of<br />
the past<br />
Over the course of a single day, a<br />
forklift is often used by several drivers.<br />
With a conventional seat, each time a<br />
new driver enters the cab, they must<br />
make a number of adjustments to<br />
match the individual settings that are<br />
right for them. This is the challenge<br />
that innovation <strong>and</strong> technology leader<br />
Grammer has taken on with the<br />
Primo Evolution: using electronics<br />
<strong>and</strong> sensor technology, the seat<br />
automatically adjusts to the optimal<br />
suspension settings whenever there<br />
is even a minimal change in weight<br />
– guaranteeing the right amount of<br />
suspension travel at all times. Thus,<br />
improper adjustments, which can lead<br />
to health problems over time, are a<br />
thing of the past. The seat effectively<br />
protects the spine <strong>and</strong> vertebrae of<br />
the operators, without the need for a<br />
manual weight adjustment.<br />
Comfort <strong>and</strong> support for the<br />
operator<br />
Grammer offers more than just this<br />
innovative feature to demonstrate<br />
how comfortable work on heavy<br />
equipment can be in today’s world.<br />
The comfortable seat itself features<br />
an active climate control system that<br />
keeps the seat dry both in the heat<br />
<strong>and</strong> cold, as well as keeping the<br />
driver warm when temperatures drop.<br />
The seat cushion depth <strong>and</strong> incline<br />
settings, pneumatic lumbar support <strong>and</strong><br />
seatback height adjustment combine to<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
enhance ergonomics <strong>and</strong> sustain driver<br />
performance.<br />
20 percent reduction in shocks<br />
<strong>and</strong> vibrations<br />
The low frequency pneumatic<br />
suspension with 110 mm of travel<br />
provides for a smoother ride, reducing<br />
shocks <strong>and</strong> vibrations by 20 percent<br />
over conventional air suspension seats,<br />
making the Primo Evolution the ideal<br />
seat when it comes to driver health<br />
concerns <strong>and</strong> the Physical Agents<br />
(Vibration) Directive 2002/44/EC, which<br />
has been implemented across the<br />
EU to protect workers from damaging<br />
whole-body vibrations.<br />
The Primo Evolution is just the latest<br />
example of Grammer’s technical<br />
leadership in the market. The seat<br />
easily meets all structural requirements<br />
of Europe’s ISO 24135 norm for<br />
industrial trucks, as well as complying<br />
with DIN EN 13490 mechanical<br />
vibration st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> spectral<br />
classes IT 1, 2 <strong>and</strong> 3 for forklifts.<br />
June 2011<br />
15
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
simplifying mini excavator stability with<br />
transporting issues<br />
How many times have you seen a mini<br />
excavator bouncing around as it’s being<br />
loaded or unloaded from a trailer or<br />
worse still, witnessed one toppling over<br />
the edge of the trailer? These incidents<br />
are surprisingly common <strong>and</strong> yet very<br />
rarely reported, possibly because being<br />
a smaller machine, mini excavators are<br />
often viewed more as equipment than<br />
mobile <strong>and</strong> potentially fatal machines.<br />
There are several typical issues which<br />
may be involved in the poor securing of<br />
a mini excavator to a trailer, including<br />
inadequate edge protection, a lack<br />
of (or inappropriate) load secure,<br />
poor operator training / competence<br />
<strong>and</strong> ramps onto trailers that are far<br />
too steep. However, a new system -<br />
entitled the Track Lock System - has<br />
been developed by Worcester based<br />
hire company WHC Hire Services<br />
which claims to have the answer to this<br />
persistent problem.<br />
16<br />
June 2011<br />
how the system works<br />
The Track Lock system consists of a<br />
set of guide bars which are fixed to the<br />
trailer bed for correct positioning of the<br />
excavator on the trailer. The excavator<br />
is loaded with blade facing forwards<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Track Lock system bars are<br />
then placed across the tracks <strong>and</strong><br />
clipped into place using a lynch pin.<br />
The tracks cannot move <strong>and</strong> the<br />
excavator is not only completely<br />
locked down, but also positioned<br />
correctly <strong>and</strong> balanced on the trailer<br />
to allow for safe transportation.<br />
Furthermore, the ditching bucket is<br />
retained in a front cradle which stops<br />
any movement from the boom.<br />
The bars are easily put in place<br />
<strong>and</strong> easily removed making this an<br />
efficient, operator friendly <strong>and</strong> time<br />
saving system. It can be altered to fit<br />
any make of mini excavator.<br />
track lock<br />
how the system came about<br />
The original idea for the innovative<br />
new trailer came about following a fatal<br />
accident during the 1990s involving a<br />
contractor in the North Midl<strong>and</strong>s. A 1.5<br />
tonne mini excavator that had not been<br />
strapped down correctly by the operator<br />
onto its trailer toppled over<br />
<strong>and</strong> killed an elderly lady. However,<br />
rather than simply blaming the operator,<br />
the original designer <strong>and</strong> inventor, Mr<br />
James Clutterbuck decided to look to<br />
engineer out the risk of loading <strong>and</strong><br />
unloading a machine incorrectly.<br />
He said: “When we looked into it <strong>and</strong><br />
considered what we had seen over the<br />
years regards strapping of machines,<br />
we realised that pretty much the<br />
majority of straps were being incorrectly<br />
fitted. So we took it upon ourselves to<br />
design <strong>and</strong> make a better system <strong>and</strong><br />
hence, the Track Lock system was<br />
conceived.”
“Several prototypes were designed<br />
until the final system was developed,<br />
then the trailer was load tested by<br />
leading academics at Loughborough<br />
University with excellent results. We<br />
completed the design rights on UK<br />
<strong>and</strong> European Patents ‘design <strong>and</strong><br />
principal’ so no one can take a bar<br />
across the trailer or have a frame<br />
around the bucket. The system actually<br />
cuts down the loading time a great<br />
deal <strong>and</strong> you’re guaranteed to have<br />
that machine in the correct place <strong>and</strong><br />
more important safe! You cannot get it<br />
wrong.”<br />
simple <strong>and</strong> safe<br />
James said: “It’s a very simple system<br />
that allows you each <strong>and</strong> every time<br />
to ensure that the machine is in the<br />
right place <strong>and</strong> its weights uniformly<br />
distributed on the trailer. We can also<br />
adjust nose (on the drawbar) weights<br />
to suit individual client’s preferences<br />
within the limited allowed (from<br />
circa 60 to 120Kgs). This depends<br />
upon the towing vehicles, heights<br />
of those vehicles <strong>and</strong> stability of the<br />
trailer – if you have negative nose<br />
weight, the trailer can<br />
move uncontrollably so<br />
adjustment is essential.<br />
“We have also updated<br />
the system to go<br />
tubular to cut down on<br />
weight without losing<br />
strength – there is 45<br />
kg additional weight for<br />
a complete Track Lock<br />
system on a 1.5 tonne<br />
machine <strong>and</strong> 54 kg for<br />
a 2.5 tonne machine.<br />
When combined with<br />
the Ivor Williams GH<br />
range trailer, the load<br />
angles are improved<br />
again so safety is<br />
enhanced because most<br />
of the time up to 90%<br />
of the track maintains<br />
contact with the bed.”<br />
Mr James Clutterbuck,<br />
Managing Director, WHC<br />
Hire Service<br />
This simple, straightforward <strong>and</strong><br />
uncomplicated design could provide<br />
more than just the answer to the problem<br />
of mini excavator topple during loading<br />
<strong>and</strong> unloading - it could also help to<br />
ensure safer machines in transit. As<br />
one industry observer commented, “the<br />
utility company’s mini excavator probably<br />
spends more time being towed up <strong>and</strong><br />
down motorways than it actual does on<br />
site <strong>and</strong> so stability <strong>and</strong> load secure is<br />
essential to public safety. This invention<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
could well be the key to providing<br />
a safer system of work <strong>and</strong> we will<br />
be looking at it in far more detail”.<br />
The Track Lock system is exclusive<br />
to WHC Hire Services <strong>and</strong> cannot be<br />
obtained from any other company<br />
within the UK. If you would like to<br />
obtain further information about the<br />
system, or arrange a demo, please<br />
call James on 01905 356075 or<br />
email: hire@whchireservices.com.<br />
June 2011<br />
17
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
At the cutting edge…<br />
Article by Mr Chris Adams, TASC Solutions <strong>and</strong> Professor David J. Edwards, Birmingham City University<br />
Over recent years, there has been a<br />
series of incidents where workers have<br />
been seriously injured or permanently<br />
maimed as a result of the misuse or<br />
abuse of diamond blades in h<strong>and</strong><br />
guided floor saws, h<strong>and</strong> held angle<br />
grinders <strong>and</strong> petrol driven cut off saws.<br />
A common <strong>and</strong> persistent issue<br />
appears to be the lack of operator or<br />
manager/supervisor education, skill<br />
<strong>and</strong> competence. It can be contended<br />
that although ‘abrasive wheels’ courses<br />
form part of site induction, they are far<br />
too generic (covering a disparate range<br />
of products including grinding wheels)<br />
to be of real use to the operator or<br />
manager.<br />
In this report, Mr Chris Adams, TASC<br />
Solutions, a leading authority on<br />
diamond blades <strong>and</strong> operator training,<br />
joins Professor David J. Edwards,<br />
Birmingham City University to provide<br />
an overview of the diamond blade<br />
manufacturing process <strong>and</strong> appropriate<br />
manufacturing st<strong>and</strong>ards before<br />
proceeding to examine some examples<br />
of failure modes <strong>and</strong> the wider issues<br />
related to their occurrence. It is an<br />
informative <strong>and</strong> fascinating insight into<br />
diamond blade safety.<br />
18<br />
June 2011<br />
of diamond blade safety<br />
DiamonD BlaDe manufacture<br />
A diamond blade consists of a circular steel disc, or centre, with typically a ring of<br />
segments attached to its outer edge - refer to figure 1 for the key elements of blade<br />
anatomy.<br />
Figure 1 - Blade anatomy:<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Segment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>ings<br />
Gullets (keyhole)<br />
Steel centre<br />
Bore<br />
Locating pin hole
the steel centre<br />
The steel centre of the blade is<br />
produced under high volume robotic<br />
production conditions <strong>and</strong> hardly<br />
ever touched by human h<strong>and</strong>. It is<br />
essential that the right grade of steel is<br />
selected (<strong>and</strong> used) with regards to its<br />
toughness <strong>and</strong> strength because the<br />
blade has to withst<strong>and</strong> two key types of<br />
stress: ‘radial’ stress, which acts upon<br />
the tip of the centre <strong>and</strong> segments, <strong>and</strong><br />
‘side’ stress, a lateral force acting upon<br />
the side of the centre <strong>and</strong> segments.<br />
the segments<br />
The segments themselves are<br />
made from a metallic powder which<br />
incorporates diamond grit, but the<br />
bottom part of the segments that<br />
will be joined to the steel centre (the<br />
‘freeback’) has to be diamond free,<br />
because during laser welding the<br />
diamonds would cause spitting <strong>and</strong> lead<br />
to a poor <strong>and</strong> unstable join.<br />
The freeback area on blades of<br />
up to about 300mm diameter will<br />
account for approximately 0.5mm. It<br />
is important not to confuse the depth<br />
of freeback with the depth of diamond<br />
cutting. It has been known for some<br />
manufacturers to include 2, 3, 4 or<br />
even 5 mm of free-back, then publish<br />
<strong>and</strong> sell the segment on the blade as<br />
a 15mm segment, but this is not the<br />
usable cutting depth - in the case of<br />
a 5mm freeback, the usable cutting<br />
depth would be 10mm not 15mm.<br />
There are two common methods<br />
of joining the segments to the<br />
steel centre, namely laser welding<br />
<strong>and</strong> sintering, with laser welding<br />
perhaps being the most common,<br />
<strong>and</strong> also the strongest, of the two.<br />
Laser welding<br />
Prior to the welding process, the<br />
metallic powder mixture, known as the<br />
bond, is put into a stamping machine<br />
to form the shape of the segments<br />
– at this stage the segments are still<br />
‘green’ which means that they can be<br />
broken with finger tip strength, almost<br />
like a biscuit. The mixture is next<br />
compressed, before being heated under<br />
pressure to a temperature of almost<br />
1000ºC, which causes the compressed<br />
powder to become molten <strong>and</strong> form<br />
the completed segments ready for<br />
attachment to the steel core. Finally, the<br />
centre <strong>and</strong> the segments are placed in<br />
a jig <strong>and</strong> welded by a laser beam under<br />
intense heat to fuse them together<br />
Prior to welding, the segments are<br />
categorised within one of seven<br />
dimensional tolerance b<strong>and</strong>ings<br />
(height <strong>and</strong> width) – where segments<br />
of a similar tolerance (either high<br />
(plus) or low (minus) <strong>and</strong> within these<br />
b<strong>and</strong>ings) are used to ensure that the<br />
blade is balanced correctly, rotates<br />
smoothly <strong>and</strong> can be operated safely.<br />
Failure to do this would cause erratic<br />
operaton until the segments are worn<br />
<strong>and</strong> rotating smoothly, a situation<br />
which would increase the risk of an<br />
accident occurring considerably <strong>and</strong><br />
unnecessarily.<br />
Sintering<br />
In the sintering process, the steel centre<br />
has castellations on the l<strong>and</strong>ings (i.e.<br />
the steel rim between the gullets) that<br />
will hold the segments. The centre is<br />
placed in a former <strong>and</strong> then the metallic<br />
powder is poured into a mould around<br />
it. The whole centre <strong>and</strong> segments are<br />
baked under heat <strong>and</strong> pressure in an<br />
automated, robotic process.<br />
Diamonds<br />
There are currently four major suppliers<br />
of manufactured ‘grown’ diamonds in<br />
the world with De Beers being perhaps<br />
one of the most prominent world-wide.<br />
These synthetic ‘industrial’ diamonds<br />
allow abrasive manufacturers to check<br />
<strong>and</strong> discard any that contain a fault.<br />
For natural diamonds, the dust from the<br />
jewellery industry would largely be used<br />
<strong>and</strong> there is currently limited means<br />
of quality control <strong>and</strong> testing for the<br />
presence of faults, whereas synthetic<br />
diamonds can be manufactured to<br />
exact specifications in terms of size <strong>and</strong><br />
shape. Synthetic diamonds have similar<br />
properties to natural ones, but they are<br />
more consistent in how they behave<br />
<strong>and</strong> are generally stronger although<br />
natural diamonds are more resistant to<br />
heat.<br />
The shape <strong>and</strong> size of diamond<br />
used in the blade is critical, as is the<br />
concentration of diamonds within<br />
the segment bond, because both the<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
diamond <strong>and</strong> the bond will affect the<br />
cut. As a general rule, larger diamonds<br />
are used for more abrasive materials<br />
such as asphalt or breeze blocks as<br />
they last longer <strong>and</strong> also act to clear the<br />
spoil away from the cut as quickly as<br />
possible. Smaller diamonds are used<br />
for very hard materials such as granite<br />
or very high specification concrete<br />
as used on airport runways or major<br />
civil engineering projects. Using small<br />
diamonds on asphalt would increase the<br />
blade’s wear rates.<br />
The mixture of metallic compounds used<br />
in the segment bond is also critical.<br />
A hard bond specification would be<br />
used in a segment for cutting abrasive<br />
materials such as asphalt, whereas<br />
a softer bond specification would be<br />
used in a segment for cutting very hard<br />
materials such as high strength concrete<br />
<strong>and</strong> hard natural stone, like granite. The<br />
correct diamond, size <strong>and</strong> concentration,<br />
<strong>and</strong> bond specification should produce<br />
a blade that will allow free cutting right<br />
through the depth of the segment.<br />
tensioning<br />
Once formed, the blade is tensioned at<br />
the recommended rpm to prevent it from<br />
distorting at high speeds. Overspeeding<br />
<strong>and</strong> side load can deform <strong>and</strong> wobble<br />
the blade (in a figure of 8) <strong>and</strong> make<br />
it unsafe to use. The tensioning is<br />
done by putting the steel centre of the<br />
completed blade through pinch side<br />
rollers which leave a visible ring on the<br />
steel centre (particularly on some of the<br />
larger diameter blades). Tensioning is<br />
particularly important for larger diameter<br />
blades (300mm plus) such as those<br />
used for applications like floor sawing<br />
which is both aggressive <strong>and</strong> arduous in<br />
terms of cutting.<br />
testing<br />
Each segment is also tested using a<br />
non-destructive bending stress test<br />
(within the elastic limits of the materials<br />
being tested), where the blade is held<br />
in an operational position whilst metal<br />
fingers exert a force upon the segments<br />
to put torque upon them. Blades should<br />
also be batch tested using destructive<br />
bending testing to determine the elastic<br />
<strong>and</strong> plastic limits of the blades <strong>and</strong><br />
ensure that st<strong>and</strong>ards are met if not<br />
exceeded.<br />
June 2011<br />
19
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
Dressing<br />
Dressing is the final process in<br />
producing a diamond blade that is ready<br />
for use in industry. Historically, blades<br />
had to be worn in prior to use, but<br />
today they are dressed on a grinding<br />
machine which sharpens the blade (by<br />
exposing the diamonds) <strong>and</strong> provides<br />
a directional arrow to indicate the<br />
direction of blade spin, which in turn<br />
indicates the way that the diamonds<br />
Figure 2 - Comet tails on the edge<br />
<strong>and</strong> side of a magnified segment<br />
The arrow illustrates the directions of cut<br />
on the side edge of the segment<br />
a<br />
The arrow illustrates the direction of cut<br />
on the top edge<br />
B<br />
stanDarD of safety<br />
The European st<strong>and</strong>ard BS EN<br />
13236:2010 ‘Safety requirements for<br />
superabrasive products’ establishes a<br />
Figure 5 - Design of blade marking<br />
20<br />
Maximum speed<br />
of rotation (RPM)<br />
June 2011<br />
Manufacturer/Supplier<br />
Importer/Trade mark<br />
Order N°, Serial N°<br />
Maximum Operating Speed<br />
m/s<br />
min -1 /rpm<br />
Other inscriptions e.g. restrictions of use<br />
EN 13236<br />
Note: Figure 5 has been modified from EN 13236<br />
have been dressed. Under the naked<br />
eye, comet tails streaming from the<br />
back of the diamond illustrate the<br />
direction of dressing (see figure 2).<br />
customisation<br />
After dressing the blade is finally<br />
complete <strong>and</strong> can then be painted,<br />
printed or stamped with manufacturer<br />
make, livery <strong>and</strong> specification details.<br />
The manufacturer normally states<br />
the application of the blade within the<br />
product’s literature, often consisting<br />
of a cardboard sleeve displaying<br />
the manufacturers’ br<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong><br />
product specification. For example,<br />
in the Clipper Norton range a black<br />
strip on the packing denotes its use<br />
for asphalt cutting, blue for general<br />
purpose concrete <strong>and</strong> bricks cutting<br />
<strong>and</strong> green for natural stone (see<br />
figure 3).<br />
Colour coding schemes also appear<br />
on the blade itself to demonstrate<br />
its use <strong>and</strong> application - figure 4<br />
illustrates a blue general purpose<br />
blade. Safety symbols included<br />
provide instructions for the operator,<br />
for example with regards to the<br />
use of suitable personal protective<br />
equipment (PPE).<br />
set of guidelines that have to be met<br />
to ensure compliancy of the product<br />
with that st<strong>and</strong>ard. The st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
relates to the build quality of<br />
superabrasives <strong>and</strong> is aimed<br />
at designers, manufacturers<br />
<strong>and</strong> suppliers. It details<br />
requirements for the design,<br />
manufacture <strong>and</strong> inspection<br />
of a diamond blade, including<br />
the various tests that must be<br />
carried out, such as bursting<br />
speed, overspeed, bending<br />
<strong>and</strong> so forth.<br />
In order to conform to BS EN<br />
13236 the blade must also<br />
display permanently marked,<br />
key information about its<br />
specifications as shown in<br />
figure 5 <strong>and</strong> as previously<br />
illustrated in figure 4.<br />
Figure 3 - Example of colour coding<br />
on packaging<br />
Figure 4 - Colour coding on the blade<br />
The serial number is particularly<br />
important, as each blade must have<br />
its own unique serial number. Should<br />
any incident occur with a particular<br />
blade, the unique serial number<br />
means the blade can be traced back<br />
to the manufacturer. Traceability is a<br />
very important part of the EN 13236<br />
safety st<strong>and</strong>ard. It is essential that<br />
this information is permanently on the<br />
blade through its life.<br />
Policing the st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
Unfortunately, EN 13236 is largely self<br />
policed by manufacturers <strong>and</strong> there<br />
are various means of non-compliance,<br />
such as including painting, or affixing<br />
stickers, onto blades that contain the<br />
specification details for that blade -<br />
these methods are non-permanent<br />
<strong>and</strong> removed easily during use.
A group of reputable manufacturers<br />
formed the Organisation for the Safety<br />
of Abrasives (OSA), which although<br />
financed <strong>and</strong> run by the world’s leading<br />
manufacturers, does have some<br />
independence. Inspectors can arrive at<br />
a blade factory unannounced, at any<br />
time, <strong>and</strong> must be given access <strong>and</strong><br />
entry to the plant for the inspection<br />
<strong>and</strong> auditing of the manufacturing<br />
processes including materials used,<br />
test specifications, etc.<br />
However, the buck seems to end<br />
here, so if you spot an unsafe product,<br />
where do you go? Trading st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
can now enforce a law that came out<br />
iDentifying failures<br />
Despite strict manufacturing procedures<br />
<strong>and</strong> the safety requirements provided<br />
within EN 13236, incidents involving<br />
the failure of diamond blades still all<br />
too frequently occur. Although it is<br />
possible that the blade itself might<br />
be at fault, a closer look at some<br />
typical failures illustrates that the<br />
more likely causes involve human/<br />
behavioural factors, such as selecting<br />
the wrong blade for the job, improper<br />
use <strong>and</strong>/or storage, <strong>and</strong> insufficient<br />
maintenance <strong>and</strong> inspection.<br />
glazing<br />
Glazing is where the blade becomes<br />
shiny <strong>and</strong> smooth (see figure 6)<br />
<strong>and</strong> can be caused by a number of<br />
factors, for example, using the wrong<br />
specification of blade for the given<br />
application, or operating such that the<br />
diamonds are not allowed to freecut,<br />
a failure mode that often occurs<br />
when excessive feedforce is applied.<br />
Essentially, the blade is being used<br />
Figure 6 - Glazing<br />
in 2005 called the ‘General Products<br />
Safety Regulations’ which implement<br />
directive 2001/95/EC of the European<br />
Parliament <strong>and</strong> of the Council of 3<br />
December 2001 on general product<br />
safety (OJ No. L11, 15/1/2002 p.4).<br />
Regulation 2 of the st<strong>and</strong>ard clearly<br />
defines coverage <strong>and</strong> states that:<br />
“These Regulations impose<br />
requirements concerning the safety<br />
of products intended for consumers<br />
or which are likely to be used by<br />
consumers. The products covered are<br />
defined in regulation 2 <strong>and</strong> extend to<br />
second-h<strong>and</strong> products, ones intended<br />
for professional use which it can be<br />
outside the scope of applications<br />
that it was originally designed for.<br />
If blades do become glazed, then<br />
they can be redressed using a<br />
bespoke machine as recommended<br />
by the manufacturer, or alternatively<br />
<strong>and</strong> perhaps more pragmatically,<br />
the blade can be run through a<br />
sharpening stone. Arguably the best<br />
type of stone for this application is<br />
s<strong>and</strong>stone but dried mortar provides<br />
a useful <strong>and</strong> often h<strong>and</strong>y alternative.<br />
stress fractures<br />
These often occur when the blade is<br />
operated at speeds in excess of the<br />
specified design speed, where there is<br />
excessive pressure from too high a feed<br />
force or where the blade is too hard for<br />
the type of material being cut. The result<br />
is that undue stress is placed on the<br />
blade <strong>and</strong> the metal becomes fatigued.<br />
Stress cracks can be particularly<br />
dangerous as they will become<br />
progressively worse in prolonged use,<br />
until the point where a fragment of the<br />
Figure 7 - Stress fractures<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
foreseen may be used by consumers,<br />
<strong>and</strong> products supplied in the course of a<br />
service.”<br />
It goes onto state that producers <strong>and</strong><br />
distributors must place or supply only<br />
products that are safe in normal or<br />
reasonable foreseeable use (implied here<br />
is that blades supplied conform to relevant<br />
European St<strong>and</strong>ards – in this case BS<br />
EN13236). The principal responsibility for<br />
day-to-day enforcement of the Regulations<br />
lies with local authorities. So if you feel<br />
that you have procured a blade that is<br />
non-conformant with the regulations, then<br />
Trading St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> your local authority<br />
should be contacted immediately.<br />
blade flies off at high speed. A 300mm<br />
blade operating on a petrol saw is<br />
rotating at 5,000 rotations per minute<br />
(RPM) <strong>and</strong> in linear speed, at 100m per<br />
second, this equates to about 220m<br />
per hour which is faster than many high<br />
powered sports cars <strong>and</strong> approaching<br />
the speed of a bullet. At such speeds,<br />
the damage caused to human flesh is<br />
huge which underlies the importance<br />
of using blades <strong>and</strong> tools correctly.<br />
undercutting<br />
Undercutting occurs when cutting<br />
abrasive materials such as asphalt,<br />
where the relatively softer steel centre<br />
wears at a faster rate than the relatively<br />
harder segment (refer to figure 8).<br />
This is caused by the spoils from the<br />
cut, which form a highly abrasive<br />
grinding paste within the groove of the<br />
cut <strong>and</strong> act to wear the steel centre.<br />
If the blade is used continually in<br />
such circumstances, the segment will<br />
become detached from the blade <strong>and</strong><br />
the raised l<strong>and</strong>ing steel will become<br />
razor sharp <strong>and</strong> potentially lethal.<br />
Figure 8 - Undercutting<br />
June 2011<br />
21
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
22<br />
Figure 9 - Damaged blade due to inappropriate h<strong>and</strong>ling<br />
segment loss<br />
Segment loss can occur as a result<br />
of a faulty weld or a failure of the<br />
segment attachment to the steel centre.<br />
Segment loss, or partial segment<br />
loss, can also occur during use. If the<br />
blade is slowed down below its optimal<br />
speed, or stopped in the cut due to<br />
heavy down pressure, force feeding or<br />
twisting in the cut, then the segment<br />
<strong>and</strong> rim of the blade will rapidly<br />
overheat. This could cause the segment<br />
to disintegrate or detach. Visible<br />
symptoms of this are overheating<br />
burn discolouration to the blade.<br />
mistreatment<br />
One example of this is where a h<strong>and</strong><br />
held mechanical disk saw is exposed to<br />
excessive feed force which slows the<br />
blade below its optimum cutting speed.<br />
Under such circumstances, the operator<br />
is operating the equipment outside of<br />
the specified safety parameter <strong>and</strong> after<br />
a prolonged period of misuse, the blade<br />
will become unsafe to operate further.<br />
Another example is the unloading <strong>and</strong><br />
loading of floor saws (refer to figure 9);<br />
this task should only be undertaken with<br />
anteceDents of failure<br />
The three constituent parts of<br />
workplace safety are: safe machine,<br />
safe operator <strong>and</strong> safe site; failure in<br />
any one or all of these factors can result<br />
in an incident occurring. However, when<br />
a health <strong>and</strong> safety incident involving<br />
a diamond blade occurs on site, the<br />
manufacturer (or supplier/importer of<br />
the diamond blade) is often the first<br />
to be sought for their help, advice <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>expert</strong> guidance.<br />
Product safety is both a critical <strong>and</strong><br />
integral part of managing safety in the<br />
workplace because the product has to<br />
June 2011<br />
the blade removed from the machine<br />
otherwise there is a higher risk of blade<br />
or machine damage.<br />
Poor selection <strong>and</strong> inspection<br />
Inappropriate selection <strong>and</strong><br />
procurement of a blade for a specific<br />
task, when combined with misuse, can<br />
lead to arguably the most dangerous<br />
failure modes which are stress cracks,<br />
which emanate from the bottom of the<br />
gullet <strong>and</strong> head progressively towards<br />
the centre hole, <strong>and</strong> segment loss (or<br />
part thereof), which will throw the blade<br />
Table 1 - Causes of hazard situations<br />
HAZARD DESIGNATIoN HAZARD SITUATIoN (Examples)<br />
Ejection of parts<br />
Vibration<br />
be fit for purpose. Provided the blade<br />
has been manufactured to the correct<br />
minimum st<strong>and</strong>ard of conformance<br />
(as detailed in EN 13236), then all too<br />
often it is the operator, site manager(s)<br />
or the company’s management<br />
processes <strong>and</strong> procedures that are<br />
found to be at fault; this message can<br />
be extremely difficult to convey to the<br />
customer of a manufacturer’s products,<br />
especially when it is the manufacturer<br />
who has to deliver the bad news.<br />
Whilst the safe machine - operator<br />
- site triangle provides a generic<br />
1. Failure of the blade caused by:<br />
• improper design, manufacturing defect.<br />
• insufficient strength.<br />
• incorrect selection.<br />
• improper h<strong>and</strong>ling <strong>and</strong> storage.<br />
• improper use (mounting <strong>and</strong> grinding process).<br />
2. Loosening of grinding particles.<br />
Unbalancing caused by:<br />
• manufacturing defects.<br />
• improper use, mounting.<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
out balance so that it does not cut<br />
safely <strong>and</strong> effectively.<br />
These particular failures highlight the<br />
need for regular shift checks to be<br />
conducted by competent operators,<br />
in this instance to check for hairline<br />
cracks extending from the gullet <strong>and</strong><br />
heading towards the centre bore, <strong>and</strong><br />
segment loss or any part thereof. All<br />
blades must be visually inspected<br />
before <strong>and</strong> after each operation of the<br />
blade - not at the start or end of each<br />
day’s operation as some industrialists<br />
would contend. At the first sign of any<br />
damage, the blade should be safely<br />
<strong>and</strong> securely disposed of to ensure<br />
that no other persons are able to<br />
acquire <strong>and</strong> use the blade.<br />
A more definitive list of hazards is<br />
provided within table 1 which has<br />
been modified from EN 13236.<br />
overview <strong>and</strong> reference for<br />
managing site safety, it is possible<br />
to elaborate further to identify the<br />
antecedents of blade failure which<br />
will include: poor site supervision,<br />
inadequate procurement, lowest<br />
cost mentality, operator training<br />
<strong>and</strong> competence, <strong>and</strong> management<br />
qualifications (see figure 10).<br />
Whilst this list is not exhaustive<br />
it illustrates that effective safety<br />
management is reliant upon a<br />
range of interrelated factors where<br />
the breakdown of any could result<br />
in an incident occurring.
Figure 10 - Antecedents of failure<br />
Management<br />
qualifications<br />
Training vs<br />
competence<br />
Poor workplace supervision<br />
Preparing a correct <strong>and</strong> safe<br />
method of working is just the start<br />
of a comprehensive <strong>and</strong> complete<br />
safe system of working <strong>and</strong> whilst<br />
the supporting paperwork may be<br />
comprehensively produced in the office,<br />
this has to be effectively communicated<br />
to the workforce <strong>and</strong> physically<br />
implemented on site.<br />
supervision<br />
Inadequate<br />
procurement<br />
ANTECEDENTS<br />
OF FAILURE<br />
Poor workplace<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
mentality<br />
Lowest cost<br />
inadequate procurement<br />
A procurement department’s<br />
purchasing procedures must<br />
resonate, <strong>and</strong> be in line, with the<br />
safety department’s requirements<br />
in terms of selecting <strong>and</strong> procuring<br />
the right specification of diamond<br />
blade for use on the specific<br />
works being undertaken by that<br />
organisation. It must be understood<br />
that conformance to a st<strong>and</strong>ard per<br />
se merely ensures that a minimum<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard of conformance has been<br />
achieved – it does not necessarily<br />
demonstrate best practice<br />
lowest cost mentality<br />
Procuring the cheapest product<br />
does not always ensure that the<br />
cheapest job is achieved. Cheaper<br />
products may be less safe, they<br />
may wear at a far faster rate, cost<br />
more per unit of work completed<br />
<strong>and</strong> be slower in terms of production<br />
rates. A cheap product is cheap for<br />
a reason <strong>and</strong> often this is because<br />
the specification <strong>and</strong> quality of the<br />
blade is less than more expensive<br />
counterparts.<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
operator training<br />
<strong>and</strong> competence<br />
Ensuring operators are trained <strong>and</strong><br />
competent is an essential part of<br />
managing safety, not least because<br />
such an operator is often a safe <strong>and</strong><br />
productive one. However, many<br />
instances of training identified were<br />
found to provide not much more than<br />
a generic overview of diamond blades,<br />
with a general lack of knowledge<br />
amongst trainers themselves.<br />
Ideally, a comprehensive course of<br />
diamond blade usage should cover<br />
at least: i) manufacturer <strong>and</strong> design<br />
of blades, ii) relevant legislation<br />
requirements, iii) specifications <strong>and</strong><br />
applications, iv) faults <strong>and</strong> how these<br />
occur, v) safe operation <strong>and</strong> use,<br />
vi) maintenance <strong>and</strong> inspection, vi)<br />
safety systems <strong>and</strong> procedures for use<br />
(specific to that company/organisation<br />
assuming that a transient workforce is<br />
employed) <strong>and</strong> vii) personal protective<br />
equipment (PPE) requirements.*<br />
management qualifications<br />
At present there is limited availability for<br />
managers <strong>and</strong> supervisors to acquire<br />
an appropriate level of knowledge<br />
regards the safe use, operation <strong>and</strong><br />
maintenance of diamond blades. Many<br />
universities <strong>and</strong> colleges simply do<br />
not include such knowledge as part<br />
of taught provisions in courses such<br />
as Quarry Management, Construction<br />
Management or Civil Engineering,<br />
simply because the materials are<br />
considered to be far too specialist<br />
in nature. Whilst this assumption<br />
should be contended it is often left to<br />
the organisation/company to adopt<br />
bespoke training run by external<br />
training providers. The content of such<br />
should cover the fundamentals of safe<br />
operation previously referred to but in<br />
addition, should also cover aspects<br />
relating to safe systems of work, risk<br />
assessment, method statements <strong>and</strong><br />
employee training <strong>and</strong> competence<br />
development.<br />
* For more detailed guidance on<br />
the subject of operator training <strong>and</strong><br />
competence development see <strong>OPERC</strong>’s<br />
‘Voluntary Code of Practice for <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Equipment</strong>: Operator Training’.<br />
June 2011<br />
23
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
DTV 213, 1985<br />
the Birth of ammΛnn comPaction<br />
At the beginning of the 20th century,<br />
the Ammann Engineering factory was<br />
already a renowned provider of mixing<br />
plants for road surfacing. Proprietary<br />
patents were registered in 1908, when<br />
the first mobile mixing drums left the<br />
factory in Switzerl<strong>and</strong>. The drive with<br />
which the company was continuously<br />
improving its products brought with it<br />
a necessary extension to the product<br />
range for road builders <strong>and</strong> in 1911 the<br />
first road rollers were built, equipped<br />
with sophisticated technology right from<br />
the start.<br />
The road rollers worked by employing<br />
the traditional technique of ‘static‘<br />
compaction which is based on the<br />
heavy weight of the roller. The<br />
machines became increasingly heavier<br />
<strong>and</strong> rolled majestically along whilst<br />
surrounded by impressive clouds of<br />
steam due to a lack of diesel engines.<br />
They were known as compaction<br />
trains, which consisted of the roller, the<br />
coal tender, the water wagon <strong>and</strong> the<br />
24<br />
June 2011<br />
compaction celebrates 100 years<br />
caravan for the operator. The operator<br />
never went home at the weekend but<br />
rather stayed with his train throughout<br />
the entire road-building season.<br />
To this day, the concept of the static<br />
three-wheeled roller is held in high<br />
esteem by road-builders around the<br />
world. Equipped with pneumatic tyres<br />
as an alternative, these static models<br />
have a balanced weight distribution<br />
that achieves<br />
an unsurpassed<br />
compacted<br />
surface<br />
smoothness.<br />
In 1914, just<br />
three years later,<br />
the patented<br />
Ammann Rugel<br />
roller, a manually<br />
controlled roller<br />
weighing 1.6<br />
tonnes <strong>and</strong> driven<br />
by a combustion<br />
Ammann “Rugel” motor roller, 1914<br />
Ammann built its first road<br />
rollers in 1911. Even 100<br />
years ago, the machines were<br />
equipped with sophisticated<br />
technology, but since then,<br />
numerous further developments<br />
have followed at a high pace<br />
whilst fascinating technologies<br />
are still taking the markets<br />
by storm to this day. In this<br />
article we take a look back at<br />
Ammann’s 100 successful years<br />
of constructing compaction<br />
rollers, vibratory plates, trench<br />
rollers <strong>and</strong> rammers, more<br />
than 80 models of which work<br />
continuously for road builders<br />
around the globe today.<br />
engine, was launched on the market.<br />
Its major advantage was that it enabled<br />
the professional compaction of smaller<br />
roadworks, pavements <strong>and</strong> industrial areas.<br />
From 1918 onwards, tar-based Macadam<br />
surfaces were replaced by bitumen mixtures<br />
<strong>and</strong> Ammann’s engineers used this groundbreaking<br />
development to gain experience<br />
for the design of the next generation of<br />
asphalt mixing plants.
early DeVeloPments<br />
The tireless developers at Ammann<br />
soon produced a number of new models<br />
of compaction rollers, characterised<br />
by several technical advantages. The<br />
new compact range was controlled by<br />
an operator sitting on top of the roller;<br />
its responsive steering - even though<br />
mechanical in nature - left hardly any<br />
offset tracks, whilst its drive was virtually<br />
jolt-free <strong>and</strong> guaranteed a presentable,<br />
smooth surface.<br />
However, in America at the end of the<br />
1920s, the occurrence of two dam bursts<br />
(with grave consequences) triggered a<br />
development in compaction technology<br />
that marked an epochal turning point.<br />
California’s water authorities defined<br />
the measurement method developed<br />
by American engineer Ralph Proctor -<br />
named the ‘Proctor test’ in his memory<br />
- as the minimum target requirement<br />
for adequate substrate compaction.<br />
Proctor’s work demonstrated in particular<br />
that the moisture content of a substrate<br />
is of crucial importance to the maximum<br />
possible degree of compaction.<br />
Pertinent to the development of<br />
compaction equipment is that the<br />
degree of compaction defined by the<br />
Proctor Value could not be achieved<br />
with the conventional method of static<br />
compaction. This therefore led to the first<br />
attempts to equip rollers with eccentrics,<br />
causing the roller to vibrate, with models<br />
being developed at Ammann during the<br />
second half of the 1930s.<br />
the neW era: ViBratory rollers<br />
Following the Second World War<br />
this new ‘vibratory’ method of<br />
compaction gave rise to fascinating<br />
technologies that in turn led to<br />
seminal improvements in the<br />
possibilities <strong>and</strong> quality of road<br />
construction. From this point the<br />
subsidence process of fresh earth<br />
in the substructure of the road was<br />
reduced to a minimum.<br />
The first towed vibratory rollers<br />
achieved compaction results that<br />
were previously unknown. The<br />
weight of the vibratory rollers no<br />
longer played such a significant<br />
role as it did in the preceding static<br />
models; three to four times the level<br />
of compaction was now achievable<br />
with the same weight.<br />
Once again, Ammann’s<br />
development engineers saw an<br />
opportunity to achieve more efficient<br />
compaction results on earth <strong>and</strong><br />
asphalt substrates with compact<br />
machines of a two tonne weight<br />
category, a development welcomed<br />
by site engineers.<br />
The successful DTV (double t<strong>and</strong>em<br />
vibration) range was developed at<br />
the end of the 1960s, first in the<br />
form of a vibrating drum followed<br />
just a few years later by double<br />
vibration, offering the operator<br />
a broad spectrum of possible<br />
uses. <strong>Off</strong>set drums prevented the<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
creation of tracks during asphalt<br />
compaction, whilst an articulated<br />
joint capable of oscillating by up<br />
to 8° – the object of an Ammann<br />
patent – followed twists in the<br />
surface without causing cracks<br />
<strong>and</strong> the side clearance enabled<br />
compaction right up against<br />
the wall. These ‘self-driving’<br />
machines enabled the operator<br />
to concentrate fully on the job in<br />
h<strong>and</strong> without tiring.<br />
Walk-behind vibratory rollers were<br />
developed in Hennef during the<br />
mid-1960s <strong>and</strong> found a market<br />
niche in the 500 to 800 kg range;<br />
the rapid development of urban<br />
road networks <strong>and</strong> a variety of<br />
uses soon made any building<br />
site virtually unthinkable without<br />
them. Nonetheless, there was<br />
still room for further development<br />
in the category of light-weight<br />
mini-compactors. Unidirectional<br />
<strong>and</strong> reversible vibratory plates<br />
equipped with powerful petrol or<br />
diesel engines met a dem<strong>and</strong> that<br />
is still growing today.<br />
A trading partnership for<br />
walk-behind rollers founded<br />
in the 1970s culminated in<br />
the acquisition of the German<br />
company <strong>and</strong>, as a result, an<br />
expedient addition to the model<br />
range that secured a number of<br />
valuable patents for Ammann.<br />
Ammann three-wheeled motor roller with steering device, circa 1935 Ammann vibratory t<strong>and</strong>em roller with steering drum, 1967<br />
June 2011<br />
25
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
Milestones...<br />
1911 Acquisition of the Swiss<br />
patent for a small walk-behind roller.<br />
Ulrich Ammann <strong>and</strong> his team can<br />
already look back on 42 eventful years<br />
of company history.<br />
26<br />
Articulated DTV 822<br />
at work on the asphalt surface of the Gotthard tunnel in 1978<br />
Ammann’s development engineers<br />
spontaneously embraced a welcome<br />
development in drive technology for<br />
compaction rollers <strong>and</strong> put it to many<br />
different uses – much to the benefit of<br />
the company’s customers. Mechanical<br />
drives were successively replaced by<br />
hydrostats that were soon available to<br />
the manufacturer in every performance<br />
category. This epochal development<br />
enabled the engineers to achieve<br />
goals that had previously seemed<br />
unattainable. Steplessly controllable<br />
drives <strong>and</strong> smooth-driving, reversible<br />
machines were soon an everyday<br />
occurrence on construction sites.<br />
Furthermore, these advantages soon<br />
become prerequisites for installing<br />
increasingly subtle bitumen recipes<br />
with the necessary fine control.<br />
Ammann was once again a step ahead<br />
of the dem<strong>and</strong>s raised by road-building<br />
engineers. The self regulating measuring<br />
June 2011<br />
<strong>and</strong> control system for compaction<br />
rollers patented as Ammann ACE<br />
<strong>and</strong> introduced during the mid-<br />
1990s transformed the machines<br />
into intelligent, thinking partners.<br />
This ingenious technology became<br />
available for Ammann machines of<br />
1914 Launch of the Rugel roller<br />
with a combustion engine.<br />
Complete DTV product range: 12, 152, 222, 472 <strong>and</strong> 822<br />
soPhisticateD DriVe technology: oil-hyDraulics<br />
1935 First mounted roller<br />
in the medium weight class enters<br />
the market.<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
every type <strong>and</strong> class in the years that<br />
followed. Today, even hydrostatic<br />
vibratory plates from Ammann<br />
are able to increase or decrease<br />
their compaction force depending<br />
on the level of compaction <strong>and</strong> to<br />
inform the operator continuously<br />
of the compaction result.<br />
Heavyweight asphalt compactors AV 95-2 <strong>and</strong> AV 130X with ACE, 2010<br />
1967 The first Double<br />
T<strong>and</strong>em Vibratory roller DTV 22<br />
leaves the factory in Langenthal.
ammΛnn –<br />
a ValuaBle PartnershiP<br />
Ammann Compaction has experienced<br />
above-average growth over the past<br />
20 years. Globalisation has resulted in<br />
subsidiaries <strong>and</strong> trade partnerships on every<br />
continent that support the main claim of the<br />
Swiss company to provide the appropriate<br />
service for every machine delivered<br />
In response to the dem<strong>and</strong> for greater<br />
production capacity, the company’s<br />
shareholders decided to make appropriate<br />
investments to implement the growth phases<br />
<strong>and</strong> secure its outst<strong>and</strong>ing know-how. The<br />
specialist for walk-behind double vibratory<br />
rollers <strong>and</strong> vibratory plates in Hennef,<br />
the globally established market leader for<br />
vibratory trench rollers Rammax in Metzingen<br />
(both in Germany), <strong>and</strong> finally, in 2005, the<br />
specialist for single drum rollers in Nove<br />
Mesto, Czech Republic, were the acquisitions<br />
that, in addition to rapid organic growth,<br />
have made Ammann one of the world’s<br />
leading manufacturers of a complete range of<br />
compaction machines.<br />
In 2011, Ammann can look back on 100<br />
successful years of building compaction<br />
rollers, vibratory plates <strong>and</strong> rammers that are<br />
in use around the world <strong>and</strong> represent the<br />
foundation of many valuable partnerships<br />
with road-building companies <strong>and</strong> retail<br />
dealerships. Revolutionary development<br />
is a continuous challenge to Ammann’s<br />
engineers in their search for more economical<br />
drive solutions <strong>and</strong> more effective vibration<br />
technology. Respect for the environment is<br />
the driving force behind Ammann’s research<br />
into conservative <strong>and</strong> safe alternatives, <strong>and</strong><br />
every employee contributes towards tackling<br />
these dem<strong>and</strong>ing challenges.<br />
1984 Acquisition of<br />
Duomat GmbH Hennef in<br />
Germany. The factory produces<br />
rammers <strong>and</strong> vibratory plates,<br />
among other machinery<br />
1995 Acquisition of<br />
Rammax GmbH in Metzingen,<br />
Germany. This is where the famous<br />
trench rollers are manufactured.<br />
2005 Acquisition of Stavostroj in<br />
Nové Mesto nad Metuji, Czech Republic.<br />
Heavyweight rollers <strong>and</strong> single drum rollers<br />
complement Ammann’s product range.<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
AVH plate, 2010<br />
Rammax trench roller, 2011<br />
2011 Ammann Compaction is 100 years<br />
old <strong>and</strong> consists of a product range of more<br />
than 80 machine types. Close to 50 patents<br />
protect the company’s innovative know-how.<br />
June 2011<br />
27
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
a Passion for training<br />
An interview with Jonathan Young,<br />
Technical Director, C&G Services<br />
In this issue of PEP we continue to provide a focus upon the people within<br />
industry, as we meet Mr Jonathan Young, the 40 year old Technical Director<br />
at C&G Services, a widely recognised <strong>and</strong> respected training provider based<br />
in Gloucestershire. Given the recent turmoil surrounding operator training <strong>and</strong><br />
competence development within the UK, it is a pleasure to report upon the<br />
success of one of the next wave of professionals within our industry <strong>and</strong> also<br />
allow Jonathan (or Jon as he’s known to his friends <strong>and</strong> family) to share his<br />
insightful experiences <strong>and</strong> views about the industry.<br />
Early beginnings<br />
Jonathan left school at the age of 16<br />
<strong>and</strong> akin to many senior managers<br />
of today, moved directly into an<br />
apprenticeship working for a local<br />
plant hire company (Stroud <strong>Plant</strong><br />
Hire). During the apprenticeship Jon<br />
acquired a real thirst for plant <strong>and</strong><br />
machinery <strong>and</strong> spent much of these<br />
early formative years working on<br />
items ranging from traffic lights <strong>and</strong><br />
concrete pokers right up to 360 degree<br />
excavators, crushers <strong>and</strong> screeners,<br />
wheeled backhoe loaders <strong>and</strong> mixers.<br />
At the end of his apprenticeship he<br />
achieved an Advanced Contractors<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> Mechanics certificate (City<br />
<strong>and</strong> Guilds) after studying part-time<br />
at Stroud Technical College.<br />
28<br />
June 2011<br />
Unfortunately for Jon, during the early<br />
1990s many staff at the company<br />
were being made redundant, <strong>and</strong> he<br />
found it extremely difficult to find a job<br />
following his apprenticeship. However<br />
Jon persevered <strong>and</strong> over the next<br />
few years undertook a series of jobs<br />
which demonstrate not only his keen<br />
ability to acquire gainful employment<br />
but also his desire to succeed.<br />
At first Jon found employment with<br />
Cotswold L<strong>and</strong> Rover, completing<br />
service <strong>and</strong> repairs of L<strong>and</strong> Rovers,<br />
from vintage models to Discovery<br />
<strong>and</strong> Range Rovers. This job<br />
introduced him to a new avenue of<br />
experience – customer service!<br />
Jon commented: “We were exposed<br />
to customers – it was their vehicles.<br />
One minute you’re fixing dumpers the<br />
next you’re talking to a man who owns<br />
his vehicle <strong>and</strong> is organising a shoot<br />
– both experiences represented two<br />
very different types of service. The<br />
environment was spotlessly clean;<br />
personal appearance <strong>and</strong> meeting<br />
customer expectations were key in<br />
the business <strong>and</strong> I hadn’t worked to<br />
book times before - book times are<br />
the times that the manufacturer states<br />
that a certain job can be completed<br />
by. For example, a full service on<br />
a L<strong>and</strong> Rover might take six hours<br />
but you might have several jobs<br />
on the go at any one time - that’s<br />
how you made the money but it<br />
taught you time management.”<br />
Although Jon enjoyed his job at<br />
Cotswold L<strong>and</strong> Rover he missed the<br />
diversity of the plant <strong>and</strong> machinery<br />
industry, commenting that “It was<br />
the same job, same environment,<br />
day after day.” So, after applying<br />
for various jobs he took up a post at<br />
Ermin <strong>Plant</strong> Hire, Gloucestershire<br />
- a company still trading today.<br />
Jon was initially employed as a<br />
workshop mechanic based in the<br />
Gloucester Depot but was soon<br />
operating between depots over a<br />
wider area. He worked with anything<br />
from small h<strong>and</strong> tools <strong>and</strong> traffic light<br />
systems, to mobile machinery <strong>and</strong><br />
platforms, then later with scaffolding<br />
<strong>and</strong> the relatively newer equipment<br />
of that time, such as mini excavators<br />
<strong>and</strong> teleh<strong>and</strong>lers. Over a three year<br />
period, Jon exp<strong>and</strong>ed his knowledge<br />
<strong>and</strong> skills; although he worked<br />
predominantly as a mechanic he<br />
also served on the sales counter <strong>and</strong><br />
dealt directly with trades, including<br />
delivery <strong>and</strong> collection. He said: “It<br />
was a great experience – a small<br />
bunch of guys working in a tight knit<br />
environment with great opportunities<br />
for young people to learn the trade<br />
from a variety of perspectives.”<br />
In Jon’s next career jump he took up the<br />
position of assistant depot manager at<br />
a company called Just Dial Rentals who<br />
were involved with plant hire, dealing<br />
predominantly with Hitachi excavators<br />
up to 40 tonne, up to 22 tonne loading<br />
shovels in the mid-to-heavy range<br />
<strong>and</strong> construction equipment including<br />
500 KWA static generators. However,<br />
due to troubled economic times, the<br />
company closed down after about<br />
a year of Jon joining <strong>and</strong> he had to<br />
move on again, this time to Stickl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
PLC where he was employed<br />
as a sales engineer for crawler<br />
undercarriage/ground engagement<br />
gear for approximately two years.<br />
Jon’s path over these years clearly<br />
exhibits a keen will <strong>and</strong> ability to<br />
succeed despite the economic climate<br />
– his hard work <strong>and</strong> determination<br />
set an inspiring example for those<br />
searching for work today!
Introducing C&G Services<br />
Jon joined transport <strong>and</strong> industry<br />
training specialist C&G Services aged<br />
just 26, winning the position because of<br />
his diverse interpersonal <strong>and</strong> academic<br />
skills <strong>and</strong> importantly his plant<br />
experience <strong>and</strong> machinery operating<br />
certificates. Jon told of the great<br />
respect he has developed for Managing<br />
Director, Bob Oldmeadow, who has<br />
not only become his much respected<br />
mentor, but also his father-in-law as<br />
Jon had previously met his daughter<br />
Lisa, to who he is now married!<br />
At the time that Jon joined C & G<br />
Services, the company was<br />
predominantly logistics-based, working<br />
with forklifts <strong>and</strong> cranes, but Bob<br />
saw that Jon could add value to the<br />
company by giving it a new training<br />
dimension. Jon initially worked as<br />
a trainer <strong>and</strong> as contracts grew<br />
within the utilities sector he moved<br />
out to Cheshire where he dealt with<br />
training in the northern region <strong>and</strong><br />
across into Wales for Welsh Water.<br />
Jon Young with his wife Lisa<br />
Jon built up<br />
considerable<br />
experience <strong>and</strong><br />
knowledge as a<br />
construction plant<br />
trainer during this<br />
period, <strong>and</strong> when he<br />
moved back down to<br />
Gloucestershire to<br />
work with companies<br />
such as Thames<br />
Power stations, he<br />
started to manage<br />
bespoke <strong>and</strong><br />
specialised ‘tailor<br />
made’ courses for<br />
customers. The<br />
aim was to give the<br />
customers value<br />
added service<br />
which was focused<br />
on their particular<br />
work, environment<br />
<strong>and</strong> procedures.<br />
As a technical<br />
manager, Jon<br />
quickly built up an<br />
impressive portfolio<br />
of experience in<br />
building legitimate courses mapped<br />
against legislation <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
He also created an auditable trail to<br />
support course design <strong>and</strong> delivery<br />
which is now audited via ISO st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
He said: “Using training files, we build<br />
courses to fulfil customer needs,<br />
including many bespoke specifics such<br />
as working procedure <strong>and</strong> how this is<br />
implemented. As part of the process,<br />
we take various BSIs <strong>and</strong>/or the<br />
National Occupational St<strong>and</strong>ards (NOS)<br />
<strong>and</strong> build these into the course. Then<br />
the paperwork to support delivery is<br />
produced <strong>and</strong> a portfolio of knowledge<br />
is mapped against individual training<br />
provider skills <strong>and</strong> knowledge. Only at<br />
this stage do we offer a pilot course –<br />
having a desk top assessment is one<br />
thing, but you ideally need to run the<br />
course in front of individuals to see how<br />
it works, how it’s received <strong>and</strong> whether<br />
any further fine tuning is required in<br />
agreement with the customer. The<br />
aim is to achieve course consistency<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Mellor Loop contained in<br />
<strong>OPERC</strong>’s Best Practice Guide for<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> Instructors is of great use.”<br />
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
Jon has much to be proud of, but<br />
his flare <strong>and</strong> passion for business is<br />
best exhibited by the fact that during<br />
his four year tenure as a company<br />
director, C&G Services has grown from<br />
strength to strength, now achieving<br />
up to circa £1.5 million turnover.<br />
The importance of training<br />
Clearly training <strong>and</strong> competence<br />
development are at the heart of Jon’s<br />
professional interests <strong>and</strong> to underpin<br />
this, he told us: “From my own point<br />
of view, training is a way of portraying<br />
the right image of a company - highly<br />
trained, skilled <strong>and</strong> competent especially<br />
if the company is public facing. Through<br />
effective training you should see an<br />
increase in productivity (provided you’ve<br />
selected the right people), a reduction<br />
in accident rates <strong>and</strong> an increase in the<br />
levels of motivation. Well trained people<br />
are generally more motivated <strong>and</strong> the<br />
training gives people a greater ability to<br />
problem solve because they underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the mechanics of their job better <strong>and</strong><br />
this makes them more responsible.<br />
“C & G Services is a people business<br />
<strong>and</strong> we’re a very diverse little company.<br />
We’ve worked for all sorts of companies<br />
<strong>and</strong> industrialists, take for example<br />
AIRBUS, designing very specific<br />
courses, such as in this instrance<br />
moving composite wing skins for<br />
the A400M, which is the Hercules<br />
replacement. We’ve trained some very<br />
important <strong>and</strong> prestigious people over<br />
the years but the common denominator<br />
is that they all acknowledge that<br />
training is the key to success.”<br />
C & G Services headquarters<br />
June 2011<br />
29
SPECIAL REPoRT<br />
a Passion for training (continued...)<br />
30<br />
Looking to the Future<br />
Looking to the future, we asked Jon<br />
how he sees the industry moving<br />
forward <strong>and</strong> what advice <strong>and</strong><br />
guidance he would have to offer?<br />
He said: “It’s not new but my hope<br />
is that training <strong>and</strong> education will be<br />
rationalised so that there is a national<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>and</strong> greater co-operation <strong>and</strong><br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing between the various<br />
training bodies out there. It must cost<br />
industry <strong>and</strong> individuals a fortune at<br />
present <strong>and</strong> if one scheme is as good<br />
as another, then why insist on one<br />
scheme alone? This would be a very<br />
positive thing because there is so much<br />
wasted time <strong>and</strong> money due to the<br />
smoke <strong>and</strong> mirrors created by some<br />
of the schemes out there – there are<br />
unnecessary levels of administration<br />
<strong>and</strong> bureaucracy introduced into<br />
training without necessarily transmitting<br />
added value to the individual <strong>and</strong> that’s<br />
frustrating for the end user because<br />
there’s a constant cost. The whole<br />
change of government seems to be<br />
based upon the premise that processes<br />
should be streamlined <strong>and</strong> individuals<br />
made more responsible (an integral part<br />
of any training outcome) – if we could<br />
take out red tape, we would have a<br />
higher performing country as a whole.”<br />
Jon continued: “You have to have<br />
incentives to make employers meet the<br />
cost of training someone to become an<br />
effective member of that team. If there’s<br />
no incentive, many employers can’t<br />
afford the full costs of training - that<br />
incentive may be monetary, a grant or<br />
June 2011<br />
something similar. If this is measured<br />
against the outcome <strong>and</strong> the added<br />
value then you’re actually investing in<br />
our [the country’s] future. Part of the<br />
reason that we’re in this economic<br />
mess now is because investment in<br />
people at school has gone down the<br />
purely academic route; not to decry<br />
that, but that route is not suitable<br />
for everyone who comes out of<br />
school. So moving forward, schools<br />
should also be teaching woodwork,<br />
electronics <strong>and</strong> metalwork, <strong>and</strong><br />
streaming some people more<br />
into producing something rather<br />
than preparing them for work in a<br />
service sector. Policing is key to<br />
any funding released because we<br />
have all heard of companies who<br />
rubber stamp training when very<br />
little benefit has been gained – <strong>and</strong><br />
this doesn’t do anyone any good.<br />
“We need apprenticeships now<br />
<strong>and</strong> that would be a real benefit<br />
for the country, across industry,<br />
to go back to capturing younger<br />
people <strong>and</strong> giving them the tools<br />
for the future – take myself as an<br />
example, in <strong>and</strong> out of work over<br />
the recession but because of the<br />
training <strong>and</strong> experience acquired,<br />
I could always find a job <strong>and</strong> move<br />
up the ladder. My father, who had<br />
his own engineering business, said<br />
I was acquiring a skill <strong>and</strong> whatever<br />
happened thereafter, that skill<br />
would always be there to fall back<br />
on <strong>and</strong> he’s never been wrong.”<br />
When asked for just one piece of<br />
advice he<br />
could offer<br />
the younger<br />
generations,<br />
Jon said: “A<br />
life lesson for<br />
me was that<br />
you need the<br />
ability to adapt<br />
<strong>and</strong> overcome<br />
so you have<br />
to develop the<br />
ability to think<br />
on your feet.”<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Linch pin<br />
retaining<br />
clips on a<br />
quick hitch<br />
In addition to the pre-start checks for<br />
the quick-hitch, the operator must<br />
ensure that as the equipment runs<br />
the course of its works cycle he/she<br />
maintains a clear line of sight regarding<br />
hitch pin security.<br />
To aid this process, operators should<br />
ensure, wherever possible, that the<br />
linch pin retaining clips are inserted<br />
through the hitch pins on the operator/<br />
cab side of the equipment. This will<br />
allow the operator to quickly notice any<br />
damage or loss to these vital, hitch<br />
security components.<br />
Mud Muppet is very grateful to CPCS<br />
Monitor Kevin McDonagh, for the above<br />
tip. Kevin had previously worked<br />
extensively in the piling industry where<br />
vibration issues necessitated constant<br />
checks on piling rig mast retaining pins.
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June 2011<br />
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31
ExPERT oPINIoN<br />
32<br />
exPert oPinion: Hard Hats <strong>and</strong> Hot Heads<br />
In this article Matthew Judson looks at safety helmets, <strong>and</strong> the hard headed decisions which specifiers sometimes have to make.<br />
The Construction (Head<br />
Protection) Regulations<br />
of 1989 <strong>and</strong> the Personal<br />
Protective <strong>Equipment</strong><br />
at Work Regulations of<br />
1992 make it very clear<br />
that safety helmets are<br />
a good thing. However,<br />
they fail to explain<br />
which kind of helmet<br />
should be worn <strong>and</strong><br />
where, often leaving the<br />
site foreman, the safety<br />
manager <strong>and</strong> ultimately<br />
the employee himself<br />
with his head between a<br />
rock <strong>and</strong> a hard place.<br />
Test equipment ready to perform an impact test on the<br />
crown of the helmet<br />
June 2011<br />
meeting <strong>and</strong> exceeding the stanDarDs<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ards are vital in many respects,<br />
<strong>and</strong> if the rock was electrified we would<br />
be comforted to see on the helmet the<br />
electrical insulating st<strong>and</strong>ard EN50365.<br />
If the hard place was also a hot place, a<br />
nice ‘+1500 C’ symbol would reassure<br />
us that our head protection won’t<br />
melt into a colourful, gooey wig. But<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards can only go so far <strong>and</strong> some<br />
of them, such as the high performance<br />
industrial helmet st<strong>and</strong>ard EN14052,<br />
didn’t exist when the regulations were<br />
written two decades ago. Where<br />
the st<strong>and</strong>ard leaves off, a good risk<br />
assessment <strong>and</strong> a modicum of common<br />
sense will finish the task.<br />
The st<strong>and</strong>ard ‘st<strong>and</strong>ard’ for industrial<br />
safety helmets is EN 397 <strong>and</strong> sets a<br />
base level of protection against the<br />
impact of falling objects to the crown<br />
of the head. The st<strong>and</strong>ard is easily<br />
attained, <strong>and</strong> leaves a lot of flexibility<br />
for products that are stronger, lighter,<br />
more secure on the head<br />
or more comfortable to the<br />
wearer.<br />
There is for example one<br />
new helmet that is 20 per<br />
cent lighter than most<br />
similar PPE, while still well<br />
within the parameters of<br />
EN397. It is made of ABS,<br />
which is actually heavier<br />
than the more usual highdensity<br />
polyethylene, but<br />
has properties which allow<br />
it to be moulded with less<br />
material without sacrificing<br />
a significant amount of<br />
strength.<br />
This product might be the<br />
right choice for a moderate<br />
risk environment such as a<br />
low rise construction site,<br />
where the risk assessment<br />
would show little chance of<br />
The new JSP EVO Lite, made of high-strength<br />
ABS, weighs 20 per cent less than a st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
EN397 safety helmet<br />
workers being struck by objects falling<br />
from height. Other helmets with thicker<br />
shells would be more suitable on high<br />
rise sites, or where materials are being<br />
moved by crane <strong>and</strong> at risk of slipping.<br />
A safety bulletin issued some years ago<br />
by Dutco Balfour Beatty-LLC referred to<br />
one such accident when superior PPE<br />
saved a life when a lesser helmet which<br />
complied with the same st<strong>and</strong>ard would<br />
not have done.<br />
The bulletin stated: “Our workers were<br />
engaged in shifting a mobile scaffold<br />
tower approximately six metres high.<br />
They had placed some cable trays <strong>and</strong><br />
trunking on the suspended supports,<br />
which were to be fixed. As the scaffold<br />
tower was being shifted it accidentally<br />
hit the cable trays <strong>and</strong> the trunking<br />
fell down. A couple of workers were<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ing below. One worker looked up<br />
to see what was happening. The metal<br />
trunking was falling vertically above the<br />
peak of the helmet as he looked up.<br />
The corner penetrated through the shell<br />
causing a deep cut on his forehead,<br />
which was administered with three<br />
stitches later at the hospital. The victim<br />
basically escaped a fatal injury because<br />
of the good quality of the JSP industrial<br />
safety helmet that he was wearing.”
higher Performance stanDarD en14052<br />
That was the common EN 397, but in<br />
2005 a higher performance st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
was defined as EN14052, making<br />
available an industrial safety helmet<br />
with considerably enhanced crown<br />
penetration resistance <strong>and</strong> side<br />
impact protection.<br />
EN397<br />
EN14052 introduced an impact test<br />
in which the helmet is hit twice, once<br />
close to the crown by a 5kg weight<br />
dropped from 2 metres, <strong>and</strong> again by<br />
the same weight dropped from one<br />
metre <strong>and</strong> striking the shell at between<br />
15 <strong>and</strong> 60 degrees, to test side impact<br />
performance. The st<strong>and</strong>ard also<br />
includes a two strike penetration test<br />
with a 1kg flat bladed striker. This is<br />
first dropped onto the crown area of the<br />
helmet from 2.5 metres, <strong>and</strong> then again<br />
onto the shell from 2 metres at an angle<br />
between 15 <strong>and</strong> 60 degrees.<br />
High performance industrial helmets<br />
protect the wearer from falling objects<br />
<strong>and</strong> off crown impacts <strong>and</strong> the resulting<br />
brain, skull <strong>and</strong> neck injury. Although<br />
some emergency services use the<br />
higher specification helmets, there are<br />
no regulations m<strong>and</strong>ating this st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
Article by Mr Matthew Judson, Respiratory<br />
<strong>and</strong> Technical Support Director, JSP<br />
JSP testing procedures exceed requirements<br />
for both EN397 <strong>and</strong> EN10452<br />
EN10452<br />
in other working environments, <strong>and</strong><br />
only one manufacturer is producing a<br />
high performance industrial helmet for<br />
the high risk industries such as mining<br />
<strong>and</strong> tunnelling, demolition, construction,<br />
refineries, <strong>and</strong> offshore working.<br />
ExPERT oPINIoN<br />
BELOW LEFT: The JSP Mk 8 Evolution<br />
helmet (EVO8) is the only industrial safety<br />
helmet that meets <strong>and</strong> exceeds the new far<br />
tougher head protection st<strong>and</strong>ard EN14052.<br />
BELOW RIGHT: The inner side of the EVO8<br />
June 2011<br />
33
ExPERT oPINIoN<br />
34<br />
exPert oPinion: Hard Hats <strong>and</strong> Hot Heads<br />
Continued....<br />
selecting the right heaD Protection<br />
The Construction (Head Protection)<br />
Regulations 1989 require that suitable<br />
head protection be provided <strong>and</strong><br />
worn whenever there is a risk of head<br />
injury. The risk may be from falling<br />
materials or from walking into stationary<br />
hazards in awkward, cramped working<br />
situations; helmets must be worn in any<br />
designated ‘hard hat’ area <strong>and</strong> only<br />
turban wearing Sikhs are exempt.<br />
Construction sites are often blanket<br />
hard hat areas, <strong>and</strong> the debate<br />
continues over whether superior<br />
performance helmets, the usual EN397<br />
compliant helmets, bump caps or even<br />
no head protection at all is acceptable.<br />
Roofers might argue that helmets are<br />
designed to protect against falling<br />
objects, <strong>and</strong> those people working at the<br />
highest point on a site where there is no<br />
risk of falling objects, should be exempt.<br />
Workers such as electricians <strong>and</strong><br />
plumbers toiling in enclosed areas<br />
are also at low risk of falling objects,<br />
but higher risk of bumps <strong>and</strong> scrapes.<br />
Industrial bump caps meeting the<br />
requirements of EN 812 are intended<br />
to provide protection against the effects<br />
of striking the head against hard<br />
stationary objects, but are not intended<br />
to protect against falling or thrown<br />
objects, or moving or suspended loads.<br />
The JSP HardCap A1 - sleek <strong>and</strong> low profile -<br />
<strong>and</strong> it exceeds the most recent EN 812 st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
June 2011<br />
If you are in control of a site you need<br />
to assess the risks of every job in<br />
every location. The selection of head<br />
protection for any task hinges upon<br />
the effective risk assessment, <strong>and</strong> its<br />
recommendations are likely to begin<br />
with a hierarchy of control measures<br />
to ameliorate the hazard long before<br />
head protection is recommended<br />
to defend against residual risk.<br />
The regulations allow you to rule where<br />
<strong>and</strong> when helmets are m<strong>and</strong>atory,<br />
<strong>and</strong> these rules must apply to<br />
everyone on site, including short <strong>and</strong><br />
long term visitors; rules should be in<br />
writing <strong>and</strong> brought to the attention<br />
of all who may be affected. Enforcing<br />
the rules is another matter, <strong>and</strong><br />
although today’s safety headwear<br />
offers more protection <strong>and</strong> comfort<br />
than ever before, many workers still<br />
complain that it is uncomfortable,<br />
unnecessary or simply uncool!<br />
For the majority of industrial<br />
environments, the risk assessment<br />
recommendations can be satisfied by<br />
an industrial safety helmet meeting<br />
European St<strong>and</strong>ard EN 397 or a bump<br />
cap meeting EN 812. But other factors<br />
will influence the choice of helmet, such<br />
as extremes of temperature <strong>and</strong> the<br />
materials <strong>and</strong> chemicals being worked<br />
with. Some chemicals may cause<br />
rapid deterioration of certain helmet<br />
materials robbing them of energy<br />
absorbing properties <strong>and</strong> shortening<br />
their life. Heat is another factor, <strong>and</strong><br />
there are helmets that can withst<strong>and</strong><br />
radiated heat exceeding 150°C,<br />
while still conforming to the<br />
lateral deformation tests<br />
of st<strong>and</strong>ard EN397.<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Risk assessments may show up other<br />
hazards, <strong>and</strong> eye protectors, ear<br />
defenders <strong>and</strong> respirators may also be<br />
needed in conjunction with the helmet.<br />
It is essential that each item of PPE<br />
worn is compatible with the others.<br />
Compatibility is about wearer comfort<br />
<strong>and</strong> the continued performance of<br />
each item. In such cases the helmet<br />
manufacturer is the best source of<br />
advice, because helmets are made<br />
in a number of materials <strong>and</strong> come<br />
with a range of accessories.<br />
Head protection should not impede<br />
the task being carried out, <strong>and</strong> a<br />
peaked helmet for example may<br />
not be suitable for a surveyor taking<br />
measurements or a scaffolder<br />
who needs an unrestricted upward<br />
field of vision. Chin straps will be<br />
necessary if the job involves windy<br />
conditions, especially at height,<br />
or dem<strong>and</strong>s frequent bending<br />
over or looking upwards.<br />
The JSP Mk7 H-Temp 150 - EN 397 head<br />
protection with extra high temperature<br />
resistance of up to 150°C
ExPERT oPINIoN<br />
correct use anD maintenance more than comPlying<br />
With regulations<br />
Wearers should not overestimate how<br />
much protection they can expect from<br />
their helmet. Someone in an industrial<br />
safety helmet could assume reasonable<br />
protection from a falling object of<br />
5 kilogram mass with a velocity of<br />
approximately 5 metres per second.<br />
This could be a house brick falling from<br />
1 metre. If the mass is greater than 5<br />
kilogram or the drop more than 1 metre,<br />
the protection offered will be less.<br />
Staff should be encouraged to respect<br />
their helmet <strong>and</strong> always use it for the<br />
intended purpose. A helmet can only<br />
deliver its full protection if adjusted<br />
<strong>and</strong> worn correctly, <strong>and</strong> helmet size<br />
should be appropriate for the wearer,<br />
with harness tight but comfortable. The<br />
practice of reversing helmets on the<br />
head prevents the helmet functioning as<br />
designed <strong>and</strong> in an impact the helmet will<br />
not provide its maximum protection.<br />
Users should regularly inspect<br />
both the helmet shell <strong>and</strong> harness<br />
for signs of wear. Deep abrasions<br />
or scuffs will weaken the helmet<br />
<strong>and</strong> are a suitable reason for<br />
replacement, as are cracks or<br />
damage to the harness. Helmets<br />
are marked with their manufacture<br />
date, <strong>and</strong> if treated with care should<br />
provide adequate protection for<br />
up to five years. Products stored<br />
in boxes <strong>and</strong> not exposed to<br />
environmental extremes should<br />
have an unlimited shelf life, but the<br />
condition of a helmet is much more<br />
important than its age. Helmets<br />
are frequently dropped, thrown <strong>and</strong><br />
stored on the parcel shelf of cars,<br />
<strong>and</strong> all of these should be avoided<br />
if the integrity of the helmet is to be<br />
maintained.<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
Almost 2,000 people in the UK<br />
suffered major but non–fatal head<br />
injuries in 2007/08, <strong>and</strong> a further<br />
39 people died from head injuries<br />
sustained at work. Some of<br />
these tragedies could have been<br />
averted by safety helmets of a<br />
higher specification, but although<br />
the European St<strong>and</strong>ard for high<br />
performance industrial helmets has<br />
been available since 2005, they aren’t<br />
m<strong>and</strong>atory PPE in any situation.<br />
The materials <strong>and</strong> technology<br />
of today’s safety industry are far<br />
removed from the ‘hard boiled’<br />
canvass hats worn by US workers<br />
during WW1, or the aluminium<br />
helmets which epitomised US<br />
construction in the 1930’s. Safety has<br />
become as important in construction<br />
as the architects’ plans or the<br />
concrete <strong>and</strong> steel which bring them<br />
to life. Taking time to consider the<br />
equipment offered to workers is now<br />
more than ever to do with finding<br />
the right tools for the job, rather than<br />
merely complying with regulations.<br />
June 2011<br />
35
IN ACTIoN<br />
Dutch demolition rental specialist,<br />
Dehaco, was recently presented with a<br />
challenging enquiry from a contractor<br />
working at an industrial complex which<br />
had recently been devastated by a fire.<br />
Although the emergency services had<br />
successfully managed to bring the blaze<br />
under control, a number of hot spots<br />
were uncovered during the clearance<br />
process <strong>and</strong> a risk assessment showed<br />
that they may possibly reignite.<br />
The contractor needed equipment<br />
that would ensure that the hot spots<br />
were properly contained <strong>and</strong> they<br />
contacted Dehaco for advice. After<br />
some discussion with the manufacturer,<br />
Dehaco recommended the use of a<br />
Dustfighter dust suppression unit,<br />
which they believed would be ideally<br />
suited for this type of application.<br />
The Dustfighter is commonly used<br />
on demolition sites to control harmful<br />
36<br />
June 2011<br />
the Dustfighter<br />
fights fire<br />
residual dust by producing a fine<br />
mist of water through a series of<br />
high-pressure jets. The mist is<br />
propelled onto the site by a powerful<br />
fan, covering a wide area in just a<br />
few moments, rendering the area<br />
free from unhealthy <strong>and</strong> hazardous<br />
material. The Dust Fighter has<br />
a range of up to 60 metres, in<br />
windless conditions, <strong>and</strong> is powered<br />
by three-phase electricity whilst<br />
mounted on a 3–wheeled trolley.<br />
“We designed the Dustfighter to<br />
damp down dust on demolition<br />
<strong>and</strong> construction sites,” explained<br />
Paul Hay, DF Ecology’s<br />
international business manager,<br />
“however we had no hesitation<br />
in recommending it for this type<br />
of application. The Dustfighter’s<br />
fine spray <strong>and</strong> oscillation would<br />
ensure that water is evenly spread<br />
across the affected area”.<br />
The Dustfighter is manufactured<br />
by Milan based, DF Ecology. The<br />
company concentrates on the design<br />
<strong>and</strong> development of innovative<br />
construction site machinery which<br />
incorporate a range of environmental<br />
features, bringing together benefits<br />
for both the operator <strong>and</strong> the wider<br />
environment. In 2010, the Dustfighter<br />
scooped an award from European<br />
Rental Association, being described by<br />
the judges as a “fantastic niche product<br />
<strong>and</strong> an environmentally important one.”<br />
Dehaco is based in Lisserbroek, just<br />
south of Amsterdam, in the Netherl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
The company markets a wide range of<br />
demolition <strong>and</strong> remediation equipment,<br />
with a large rental fleet <strong>and</strong> a centre<br />
for testing equipment. Dehaco<br />
operates throughout the Benelux<br />
region <strong>and</strong> is one of the leaders in<br />
dust control, demolition material,<br />
asbestos <strong>and</strong> soil decontamination.
Specialist geotechnical<br />
contractor, Bachy Soletanche,<br />
has been working on a 10 week<br />
£500,000 piling contract for<br />
Hanson Contracting to build the<br />
foundations for the Hellrigg Wind<br />
Farm in a remote location near<br />
the Solway Firth between Cumbria<br />
<strong>and</strong> Dumfries <strong>and</strong> Galloway.<br />
Due to last 10 weeks in duration, the<br />
contract involves the piling for four large<br />
wind turbines where four massive piled<br />
overnight works by costain<br />
installing a new rail works signal<br />
Work on the new Harbour Way<br />
Peripheral Distributor Road<br />
(PDR), in Wales, has gathered<br />
speed with the installation<br />
of a new railway signal.<br />
IN ACTIoN<br />
Bachy soletanche powers<br />
up for wind turbine piling<br />
foundations<br />
are required.<br />
The piles will<br />
be constructed<br />
with segmental<br />
casing <strong>and</strong><br />
under a<br />
bentonite<br />
suspension due to the properties<br />
of the soil <strong>and</strong> the unstable<br />
ground. Each base will contain<br />
16 x 900mm diameter piles which<br />
vary in depth from 25.0m 38.0m.<br />
Heavy duty large diameter auger<br />
(LDA) rigs are being used to construct<br />
the deep piles on this remote site.<br />
Due to its location, <strong>and</strong> the worse<br />
than usual weather conditions,<br />
access <strong>and</strong> logistics had to be<br />
taken into consideration <strong>and</strong> health<br />
<strong>and</strong> safety on site is paramount.<br />
Heavy machinery, 26 hours <strong>and</strong> 60<br />
pairs of h<strong>and</strong>s went into removing the<br />
old train signal behind Byass Street <strong>and</strong><br />
installing a new one 100 yards in front.<br />
The works, carried out by Costain <strong>and</strong><br />
its sub-contractor Centregreat Rail,<br />
Steve Mallinson, Contracts Manager<br />
for Bachy Soletanche, said: “The<br />
Hellrigg Wind Farm will consist of four<br />
396-foot high wind turbines with a total<br />
generating capacity of 10MW <strong>and</strong> will<br />
considerably increase the amount of<br />
renewable energy in the North West<br />
when work is complete. The site is in<br />
a remote location <strong>and</strong> we are using<br />
large piling rigs <strong>and</strong> cranes <strong>and</strong> making<br />
sure that there’s as little disruption as<br />
possible to the surrounding area.”<br />
After six years in the planning, the wind<br />
farm was given the go ahead in 2009<br />
<strong>and</strong> Bachy Soletanche commenced<br />
its work on 16th February 2011. The<br />
wind farm at Hellrigg will make an<br />
important contribution to meeting the<br />
UK’s renewable energy targets of<br />
supplying 15 per cent of electricity<br />
from renewable sources by 2015.<br />
took place overnight to make sure<br />
disruptions to rail services were kept<br />
to a minimum.<br />
The signal has been moved to<br />
accommodate a new 150 yard tunnel<br />
which will be built as part of the<br />
£107million project, <strong>and</strong> will be the<br />
point where the new road crosses<br />
the railway.<br />
The new road, which is part of the<br />
largest transport project in Wales since<br />
the creation of the M4 <strong>and</strong> funded<br />
by European grants <strong>and</strong> the Welsh<br />
Assembly, is due to be completed in<br />
the autumn of 2013.<br />
John Skentelbery, Project Manager for<br />
Costain, said: “Months of preparation<br />
<strong>and</strong> close liaison with Network Rail<br />
has resulted in the safe <strong>and</strong> successful<br />
completion of this significant milestone<br />
in the Harbour Way Project.”<br />
Rhys Griffith, Project Manager for<br />
Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “<br />
The signal move was the culmination<br />
of months of planning <strong>and</strong> co-operation<br />
by several stakeholders involved in<br />
the project.”<br />
June 2011<br />
37
IN ACTIoN<br />
Wheeled loaders one, teleh<strong>and</strong>lers nil!<br />
A modified Case loading shovel has replaced a teleh<strong>and</strong>ler in a<br />
vital production capacity at a tile-manufacturing facility near Stoke.<br />
The Case 621 EXR machine has<br />
been introduced by Johnson Tiles of<br />
Tunstall - the largest UK manufacturer of<br />
ceramic wall <strong>and</strong> floor tiles - to work at<br />
the sharp end of its production process.<br />
The machine is being used to stockpile<br />
incoming raw material, such as clay<br />
<strong>and</strong> limestone delivered in bulk, <strong>and</strong> to<br />
feed the material into the tile-making<br />
procedure. It is also used to pull a<br />
trailer that collects reject tiles which are<br />
then also fed back into the production<br />
process.<br />
For the past ten years, since the plant<br />
was inaugurated, the company had<br />
used a teleh<strong>and</strong>ler for all these roles.<br />
However, the end of the previous<br />
ownership contract provided a catalyst<br />
for change. “It was normal to look at<br />
what we did <strong>and</strong> why we did it that way,<br />
<strong>and</strong> to ask the question ‘Is there a better<br />
option?’” explained Jason Bridges,<br />
engineering buyer for Johnson Tiles.<br />
That better option proved to be a CASE<br />
621 EXR loading shovel. The machine<br />
was modified with longer arms to allow it<br />
to reach into the production hoppers <strong>and</strong><br />
also ensure stockpiles could be kept as<br />
high as possible. It was also fitted with a<br />
heavy duty high-tip bucket, a hydraulic<br />
tow-hitch <strong>and</strong> monitoring camera as well<br />
as heavy-duty mine tyres for working in<br />
such a harsh environment.<br />
“We took a bit of a risk, a calculated<br />
risk, in changing the way we work,” said<br />
Bridges. “But the new loader does the<br />
job <strong>and</strong> it does it well. It was absolutely<br />
the right decision.”<br />
38<br />
June 2011<br />
an imaginative solution<br />
Stockport-based Arnold <strong>Plant</strong>, the<br />
supplier of the new Case machine,<br />
was the only company bold enough to<br />
offer an alternative to the teleh<strong>and</strong>ler<br />
arrangement. However, the acid test<br />
was being able to prove it could work<br />
in practice. A visit to a similar working<br />
environment to see a loading shovel in<br />
action <strong>and</strong> a direct, on-site comparison<br />
between the two machines did the job.<br />
“The biggest thing for us was the<br />
promise of reliability. In a side-by-side<br />
comparison with the teleh<strong>and</strong>ler we<br />
could see the difference in the strain<br />
being placed on the two vehicles.<br />
On the teleh<strong>and</strong>ler we were forever<br />
breaking half-shafts. With the shovel<br />
you could load the bucket on tickover,”<br />
Bridges pointed out. This was all the<br />
more important with the company’s<br />
plans to increase production by a<br />
further 30% imminent.<br />
crucial backup<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Even with such a reliable machine, it<br />
was still essential for Johnson Tiles that<br />
the supplier could provide support with<br />
effective backup as part of the three<br />
year/10,000 hour lease arrangement.<br />
“The loader works at the front end of<br />
the operation,” Bridges explained. “As<br />
a result, the strategic importance of the<br />
shovel cannot be underestimated. If it<br />
breaks down we might have no more<br />
than two days grace to get it running<br />
again.”<br />
Fortunately, Arnold <strong>Plant</strong>’s combined<br />
experience of having already maintained<br />
Johnson Tiles’ existing machines <strong>and</strong><br />
of having supplied loading shovels<br />
into a variety of equally pressurised<br />
production roles stood them in good<br />
stead. “We understood the machine <strong>and</strong><br />
the potential pressures of the job it had<br />
to do, <strong>and</strong> we had the experience to<br />
be able to back it up,” explained Stuart<br />
Hunter, business development director<br />
at Arnold <strong>Plant</strong>.<br />
The company also had the ability to<br />
modify the machine to meet the specific<br />
requirements of the job. “We knew<br />
what was required <strong>and</strong> we had good<br />
support from Case dealer Warwick<br />
Ward to make it meet the necessary<br />
specifications.”<br />
So far, the machine has been a<br />
resounding success. “When we had the<br />
teleh<strong>and</strong>lers we’d have a breakdown at<br />
least once a week. So far with the CASE<br />
621EXR there have been a few niggles<br />
but no major issues at all. It’s simply<br />
more fit for purpose,” Bridges concluded.
’s<br />
marathon effort<br />
In the run up to this year’s London<br />
marathon, The Mall in Westminster<br />
was a hive of activity, with national,<br />
multi-product hire specialist Hewden<br />
providing a range of machines to<br />
ensure that the stage was set for one<br />
of the world’s biggest running events.<br />
With over 35,000 participants tackling<br />
the 26.2 mile course, it was essential<br />
that the finishing line <strong>and</strong> surrounding<br />
facilities were in place <strong>and</strong> that the<br />
route was prepared, safe <strong>and</strong> secure.<br />
London Marathon plc was able to<br />
hire all of the necessary plant <strong>and</strong><br />
equipment from just one local Hewden<br />
depot, in Wokingham, reducing<br />
transport costs <strong>and</strong> emissions. A<br />
combination of rough terrain forklift<br />
trucks, five teleh<strong>and</strong>lers <strong>and</strong> two<br />
cherry pickers were supplied.<br />
The equipment was used for a<br />
variety of activities, including the<br />
positioning of barriers, moving <strong>and</strong><br />
placement of the portable toilet<br />
facilities as well as helping with<br />
the erection of the finish line.<br />
Andrew Smith, deputy operations<br />
manager for London Marathon plc<br />
said: “Timing is the key element<br />
to this job <strong>and</strong> Hewden didn’t fail.<br />
The delivery times <strong>and</strong> collection<br />
were first class, ensuring the<br />
smooth running of the site.”<br />
No 13<br />
construct-a-gram<br />
construct-a-gram<br />
D<br />
PriZe comPetition<br />
I<br />
A Y C<br />
L<br />
D<br />
U<br />
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<br />
Clue: Machine part<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
CoMPETITIoN<br />
U<br />
S<br />
R H<br />
Can you solve this anagram?<br />
Then email your answer to<br />
pep@operc.com, quoting<br />
“Construct-A-Gram No 13”, <strong>and</strong><br />
you could win a copy of Dr <strong>Plant</strong>’s<br />
Construct-A-Grams (RRP £5.99).<br />
The book contains another 50 of these<br />
brain-teasing anagrams, each with a<br />
humorous illustration by Geoff Tristram.<br />
Closing date for entries is August 31 st<br />
2011 <strong>and</strong> four winners will be drawn at<br />
r<strong>and</strong>om from correct entries received.<br />
June 2011<br />
39
AwARDS<br />
another industry award<br />
win for a-<strong>Plant</strong> innovation<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong> is celebrating after<br />
receiving a further award<br />
for the Auto Tool Hire Unit<br />
at the inaugural Institute<br />
of Water (IOW) National<br />
Innovation Awards, hosted<br />
at the President’s Dinner<br />
Dance, Brangwyn Hall,<br />
Swansea. Competing<br />
against leading industry<br />
names, including Morgan<br />
Sindall <strong>and</strong> Yorkshire<br />
Water, the Auto Tool Hire<br />
Unit emerged victorious<br />
above the other eight<br />
shortlisted contenders.<br />
The Institute of Water has<br />
been running the Annual<br />
Innovation Awards in Wales,<br />
at which the Auto Tool Hire<br />
Unit won ‘Product of the<br />
Year’ in 2010, for the last 5<br />
years. Although extremely<br />
successful these were<br />
available only to companies<br />
working with Dwr Cymru<br />
Welsh Water. The first<br />
National Innovation Awards<br />
were open to organisations<br />
across the UK <strong>and</strong> were<br />
inspired <strong>and</strong> presented by<br />
Martin Cave, Professor<br />
<strong>and</strong> Director of the Centre<br />
for Management under<br />
Regulation<br />
at Warwick<br />
Business<br />
School.<br />
Speaking<br />
about the<br />
awards<br />
Professor<br />
Cave said:<br />
“Innovation<br />
is always<br />
important,<br />
but given the<br />
challenges of<br />
climate change<br />
<strong>and</strong> rising<br />
energy costs, it<br />
has never been<br />
as important<br />
for the water<br />
40<br />
June 2011<br />
sector as it will be over<br />
the next decade….I have<br />
been very impressed by the<br />
innovations I have seen in<br />
the sector from firms large<br />
<strong>and</strong> small.”<br />
The Auto Tool Hire Unit won<br />
the Iow National Innovation<br />
Award due to its potential to<br />
radically change the way in<br />
which plant <strong>and</strong> equipment<br />
is ordered <strong>and</strong> managed on<br />
site <strong>and</strong> for offering both the<br />
customer <strong>and</strong> supplier an<br />
opportunity to dramatically<br />
reduce their costs, as well as<br />
their carbon footprint.<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong>’s Business<br />
Development Director,<br />
Neil Beglin, commented:<br />
“The Auto Tool Hire Unit<br />
is a true representation of<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong>’s commitment to<br />
both providing <strong>and</strong> designing<br />
the most innovative <strong>and</strong><br />
technologically advanced<br />
products to our customers.<br />
We are extremely proud<br />
that the Auto Tool Hire Unit<br />
has been embraced into<br />
the industry <strong>and</strong> that our<br />
customers <strong>and</strong> suppliers alike<br />
are supporting the product.”<br />
Bachy soletanche takes<br />
home gold at ge awards<br />
Specialist geotechnical<br />
contractors, Bachy<br />
Soletanche, alongside<br />
MWH <strong>and</strong> United<br />
Utilities, has been<br />
awarded the accolade<br />
of ‘Geotechnical/<br />
geoenvironmental<br />
UK project up to £1m’<br />
at this year’s Ground<br />
Engineering Awards for<br />
the slope stabilisation of<br />
the Thirlmere aqueduct<br />
at Nab Scar in Cumbria.<br />
The £1.2m contract,<br />
which saw the Bachy<br />
Soletanche team conduct<br />
a two phase permeation<br />
grouting, mini-piling<br />
<strong>and</strong> tension pile project<br />
alongside a fast track<br />
four week outage, posed<br />
obstacles including<br />
getting machinery up a<br />
440m fell <strong>and</strong> creating<br />
a platform off a 40<br />
degree cliff face.<br />
Bachy used its<br />
permeation grouting<br />
technique to stabilise<br />
areas of rock which had<br />
been disturbed over<br />
the years <strong>and</strong> went on<br />
to successfully install<br />
34, 220mm diameter<br />
mini piles, drilled up to<br />
a depth of 16m into the<br />
hard rock hillside where<br />
the aqueduct crossed<br />
Nab Scar. Tension piles<br />
were also constructed in<br />
conjunction with the mini<br />
piles. This combination<br />
of techniques was the<br />
best viable solution to<br />
successfully carry out the<br />
remedial work due to the<br />
restricted access of the<br />
aqueduct <strong>and</strong> getting the<br />
equipment up the fell.<br />
Bachy Soletanche’s<br />
Business Development<br />
Manager, Paul<br />
Hodgson, said:<br />
“It’s a great honour to win<br />
at the Ground Engineering<br />
awards <strong>and</strong> have our<br />
work on a particularly<br />
tricky project recognised.<br />
These occasions are great<br />
for bringing the industry<br />
together <strong>and</strong> I’d like to<br />
congratulate all other<br />
winners <strong>and</strong> wish everyone<br />
a successful 2011.”
JcB torquelock<br />
innovation<br />
honoured with<br />
Queen’s award<br />
A product innovation that reduces fuel<br />
usage on JCB diggers, <strong>and</strong> allows<br />
operators to get to site more quickly, has<br />
been recognised with one of the highest<br />
honours in the UK – a Queen’s Award.<br />
The Queen’s Award for Innovation<br />
has been h<strong>and</strong>ed to JCB for developing<br />
a product called TorqueLock which<br />
is fitted to the company’s biggest<br />
selling product, the backhoe loader.<br />
The patented TorqueLock system<br />
eliminates torque convertor slippage<br />
on JCB backhoes <strong>and</strong> significantly<br />
increases the on-road efficiency of the<br />
digger by reducing fuel consumption<br />
<strong>and</strong> exhaust emissions by up to<br />
25%. It also enables JCB backhoes<br />
to be driven at higher speeds uphill,<br />
eliminating the need for transporters.<br />
The Queen’s Award is the 26th to<br />
be won by the JCB Group since<br />
the first one was granted in 1969<br />
– a record for a UK company.<br />
JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford<br />
said: “JCB’s success over the past 65<br />
years has been built on developing<br />
machines that are innovative <strong>and</strong><br />
which enable our customers all<br />
over the world to do their job more<br />
productively <strong>and</strong> at less cost.<br />
“JCB TorqueLock is just one innovation<br />
among many that we’ve produced<br />
with our customers’ needs in mind<br />
<strong>and</strong> I’m delighted for the whole team<br />
at JCB that its development has been<br />
recognised with a Queen’s Award.”<br />
June 2011<br />
AwARDS<br />
ice award success for Birse<br />
civils south’s Western region<br />
More than 350 engineering<br />
professionals attended the ICE West<br />
Midl<strong>and</strong>s Awards in Birmingham<br />
on 19 May 2011 <strong>and</strong> were treated<br />
to a master class in design,<br />
project management, construction<br />
<strong>and</strong> delivery to exacting safety,<br />
programme <strong>and</strong> quality st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
The awards, which were this year<br />
hosted by Professor Carl Chinn <strong>and</strong><br />
presented by Peter Hansford, ICE<br />
President 2010-11, celebrate the<br />
best in civil engineering projects<br />
across the West Midl<strong>and</strong>s. In 2011<br />
they were dominated by the Birse<br />
South’s Western Region <strong>and</strong> Birse<br />
Rail led team who are delivering the<br />
£16m Selly Oak New Road Phase 2<br />
scheme for Birmingham City Council.<br />
The team behind the design of<br />
phase two of the road won the<br />
Innovation Award <strong>and</strong> the Overall<br />
Award for the imaginative way in<br />
which they developed alternative<br />
proposals to enable the road to<br />
pass the embankment which carries<br />
the Birmingham to Gloucester<br />
Railway <strong>and</strong> Birmingham Canal.<br />
The team that delivered the construction<br />
of the underbridges as part of the same<br />
project won the Construction Award <strong>and</strong><br />
the project was also highly commended<br />
for the Sustainability Award.<br />
The Selly Oak New Road is part of the<br />
<strong>highway</strong> works undertaken to enable<br />
access to the £500m Queen Elizabeth<br />
Hospital. Birmingham City Council<br />
awarded Birse Civils <strong>and</strong> its partners the<br />
contract to construct Phase 2 in 2009.<br />
The professionalism <strong>and</strong><br />
teamwork demonstrated by<br />
the project team has taken<br />
a project from a proposed<br />
tender alternative to the<br />
complete <strong>and</strong> successful<br />
delivery. The successful<br />
bridge lift over Christmas<br />
<strong>and</strong> New Year 2010/2011<br />
saw the heaviest concrete<br />
structure moved in Europe<br />
last year. The 4,026 tonne<br />
Railway Underbridge 18a,<br />
was tracked into place to carry<br />
the Birmingham to Gloucester<br />
railway with hours to spare of the<br />
designated 101 hour closure period.<br />
Damian McGettrick, Chairman<br />
of ICE West Midl<strong>and</strong>s said:<br />
“Birmingham has seen some major<br />
civil engineering projects coming to<br />
fruition this year which is reflected<br />
in the winners at the awards.The<br />
Selly Oak New Road Phase 2 has<br />
required a huge amount of planning<br />
<strong>and</strong> design <strong>and</strong> delivery in order<br />
to deliver a vital scheme without<br />
significant disruption to commuters<br />
<strong>and</strong> local communities. Such<br />
challenges are faced every day by<br />
civil engineers <strong>and</strong> the awards have<br />
been an opportunity to recognise<br />
the contribution they make to<br />
society. I want to congratulate all of<br />
the winners <strong>and</strong> highly commended<br />
projects for the manner in which,<br />
in a number of ways, they showed<br />
excellence in civil engineering.”<br />
41
EVENTS<br />
This year’s Annual General<br />
Meeting of the Contractors<br />
Mechanical <strong>Plant</strong> Engineers<br />
(CMPE) was held at the Marriot<br />
Hotel in Northampton <strong>and</strong> very<br />
professionally organised by Mr<br />
Gerry Hill, National Treasurer <strong>and</strong><br />
Northampton Branch member.<br />
In idyllic surroundings, CMPE<br />
members converged for a day<br />
of lively debate, formal business<br />
matters <strong>and</strong> networking.<br />
Top of the agenda items were marketing<br />
<strong>and</strong> promotion of the association (led by<br />
Mr Gerald Bingham, Preston <strong>and</strong> Fylde<br />
Branch) <strong>and</strong> a comprehensive update<br />
on the Certificate of Competence<br />
(CoC) card scheme. Mr Bingham<br />
emphasised the need for CMPE to<br />
continue in its commitment to market<br />
itself far more vigorously <strong>and</strong> provided<br />
examples of major national events,<br />
including Scotplant <strong>and</strong> Hillhead, where<br />
CMPE exhibition st<strong>and</strong>s had been<br />
extremely well received, attracting new<br />
members <strong>and</strong> generating considerable<br />
attention for the new CoC Gold card.<br />
Outgoing Chairman, Mr Malcolm Webb,<br />
Sussex Branch<br />
42<br />
June 2011<br />
cmPe agm 2011<br />
Welcoming in the new<br />
national chairman<br />
Each year, the CMPE rotates the post<br />
of National Chairman, with the outgoing<br />
Chairman retiring to make way for the<br />
previous year’s National Vice Chairman<br />
to step up to the post. This year the<br />
association extended its thanks to<br />
retiring National Chairman, Mr Malcolm<br />
Webb (Sussex Branch) <strong>and</strong> issued a<br />
warm welcome to the incoming one,<br />
Mr Bob Nugent (Northampton Branch).<br />
In his closing speech, Mr Webb<br />
thanked CMPE members for their<br />
help <strong>and</strong> support during his tenure<br />
as National Chairman, <strong>and</strong> extended<br />
particular appreciation to the branches<br />
he had visited for their hospitality <strong>and</strong><br />
encouragement. Although he was sad<br />
to step down, Mr Webb said he was<br />
confident that the incoming Chairman<br />
would do equally well in his tenure.<br />
The incoming National Chairman,<br />
Mr Nugent, was unfortunately unable<br />
to attend the AGM due to a hip<br />
fracture he had incurred in a recent<br />
incident, a real tragedy for a man who<br />
has always been passionate about<br />
the CMPE <strong>and</strong> industry affairs.<br />
One fellow branch member paid tribute<br />
to Mr Nugent <strong>and</strong> said: “Bob has been a<br />
long term member <strong>and</strong> stalwart support<br />
of CMPE over many years <strong>and</strong> has an<br />
industry insight <strong>and</strong> professionalism<br />
that is second to none. He has made<br />
some superb contributions to the<br />
management <strong>and</strong> promotion of the<br />
Northampton branch <strong>and</strong> the members<br />
have every confidence that Bob will<br />
be an invaluable asset to National<br />
Council as our Chairman. These are<br />
difficult times given the economic<br />
crisis that we still face as an industry<br />
<strong>and</strong> so members in the association<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
will appreciate <strong>and</strong> value his strong<br />
leadership at the helm over the next<br />
12 months.”<br />
Mr Frank Fiveash (Sussex branch)<br />
added: “Bob joined the CMPE<br />
Northampton Branch in 1986, serving<br />
the branch well since that time, <strong>and</strong> in<br />
1996 he became National Chairman<br />
for the first time. Joining John Laing<br />
<strong>and</strong> Son as an apprentice at 15, he<br />
worked his way through all the vast<br />
range of mechanical plant owned by<br />
that company, repairing everything<br />
mechanical from a BSA Bantam<br />
motor bike to walking draglines <strong>and</strong><br />
Euclid dump trucks. He has spent<br />
the last 10 years involved with crane<br />
hire <strong>and</strong> its operations. We wish him<br />
a speedy recovery <strong>and</strong> look forward<br />
to seeing him in action again.”<br />
frank hooper Prize<br />
In Mr Nugent’s absence, Mr Pat<br />
Bowring (Wessex Branch) adopted<br />
the role of acting National Chairman<br />
<strong>and</strong> had the pleasure of presenting<br />
the annual Frank Hooper prize for<br />
an outst<strong>and</strong>ing contribution to the<br />
Mr Pete Attwood, Wessex Branch (left), receiving the<br />
Frank Hooper prize shield from Mr Pat Bowring, acting<br />
National Chairman (right).
CMPE <strong>and</strong> industry. This year’s<br />
deserving winner was Mr Pete<br />
Attwood who has made a tremendous<br />
contribution to enhancing the<br />
professionalism of the industry.<br />
Mr Bowring said: “Pete has made an<br />
outst<strong>and</strong>ing contribution to improving<br />
industry st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> has tirelessly<br />
worked to ensure that both his branch<br />
<strong>and</strong> CMPE National are promoted<br />
within the heart of industry. No<br />
one deserves this award more.”<br />
incoming national<br />
Vice chairman<br />
A surprise announcement was that<br />
Professor David Edwards (Staffs<br />
<strong>and</strong> Midl<strong>and</strong>s Branch), Founder<br />
of <strong>OPERC</strong> <strong>and</strong> Director of the<br />
Centre for Business Innovation<br />
<strong>and</strong> Enterprise at Birmingham City<br />
University, had been approached<br />
to apply for the position as National<br />
Vice Chairman. Professor Edwards<br />
accepted the position upon the<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing that he wished to work<br />
in partnership with National <strong>Off</strong>icers<br />
to bring about changes to CMPE.<br />
He said: “I have been a member of the<br />
CMPE for many years <strong>and</strong> it provides<br />
a conduit through which I can maintain<br />
healthy links with industrialists <strong>and</strong><br />
also share my ideas <strong>and</strong> research<br />
work. CMPE has always been proud<br />
supporters of my research work<br />
<strong>and</strong> the time is now right to make a<br />
contribution in return. My intention is<br />
to evoke change <strong>and</strong> to promote <strong>and</strong><br />
grow the association for the greater<br />
good <strong>and</strong> benefit of members. We<br />
have to invest in products, services<br />
<strong>and</strong> support for members to give<br />
value to that membership fee paid.<br />
However, before any plan is made, a<br />
wider consultation is required to ensure<br />
that work undertaken fully meets the<br />
majority of member expectations. I look<br />
forward to working with colleagues<br />
at National Council <strong>and</strong> I anticipate<br />
exciting times ahead – there is great<br />
latent potential within the CMPE <strong>and</strong><br />
we must now cease that opportunity.”<br />
Speaking on behalf of the Staffs <strong>and</strong><br />
Midl<strong>and</strong>s branch, Mr Nev Rowell,<br />
Branch Secretary said: “After meeting<br />
David, I found that his lifestyle was very<br />
energetic, enthusiastic <strong>and</strong> full of the<br />
joys of plant <strong>and</strong> machinery - things<br />
that I enjoy myself. Consequently, we<br />
have a lot in common <strong>and</strong> I believe that<br />
the people he has met in CMPE, whilst<br />
he has been part of the association,<br />
hold similar views on the industry <strong>and</strong><br />
look to do the very best they can do.<br />
Over the years David has achieved a<br />
lot more success than many people<br />
first anticipated <strong>and</strong> he is today one<br />
of the most respected professionals<br />
<strong>and</strong> academics across industry. I<br />
New National Vice-Chairman, Professor<br />
David Edwards, Staffs <strong>and</strong> Midl<strong>and</strong>s Branch<br />
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s<br />
June 2011<br />
EVENTS<br />
Mr Nev Rowell, Branch Secretary, Staffs<br />
<strong>and</strong> Midl<strong>and</strong>s Branch<br />
genuinely wish David every success<br />
with this new position over the next 12<br />
months as National Vice Chair <strong>and</strong> as<br />
National Chairman 12 months after.”<br />
Another colleague, Mr Chris Miller,<br />
National Registrar said: “I am very<br />
pleased that David has taken up the<br />
challenge; it needs someone like him,<br />
who is widely respected, to push the<br />
CMPE forwards with a new approach.<br />
He is someone who sees all sides of<br />
the industry - manufacturers, hirers,<br />
contractors, quarrying companies etc.<br />
David has a great knack of taking<br />
a disparate range of <strong>opinion</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
views on board <strong>and</strong> producing some<br />
first class publications <strong>and</strong> guidance<br />
for industry. Bringing these skills to<br />
the CMPE will be a great thing in<br />
terms of making membership more<br />
exciting <strong>and</strong> attractive to younger<br />
generations of new members.”<br />
43
PEoPLE<br />
royal honour for<br />
henk groeneveld<br />
Henk J. Groeneveld, CEO of the<br />
Groeneveld Group in Gorinchem, has<br />
been awarded the title of Knight of the<br />
Order of Orange-Nassau by Her Majesty.<br />
Chris Buijink, permanent secretary of the<br />
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture<br />
<strong>and</strong> Innovation, presented him with this<br />
Royal honour during the celebration of<br />
the 40th anniversary of the company.<br />
Buijink referred to Henk Groeneveld<br />
as being “an innovative entrepreneur<br />
with a clear vision, the driving spirit of<br />
the world-wide growth of his company<br />
<strong>and</strong> the initiator of product <strong>and</strong> other<br />
innovations.”<br />
Henk joined the company, established<br />
by his oldest brother two years earlier,<br />
in 1973, <strong>and</strong> under his passionate<br />
management, the Groeneveld Group<br />
has developed itself from a local Dutch<br />
company into a globally operating<br />
company with over 30 affiliates in more<br />
than twenty countries, stretching from<br />
Europe to Australia <strong>and</strong> New-Zeal<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> from Russia <strong>and</strong> China to North-<br />
<strong>and</strong> South-America.<br />
With over 500 employees throughout the<br />
world, the Groeneveld Group is active<br />
in the development, production <strong>and</strong><br />
marketing & sales of advanced products<br />
<strong>and</strong> systems for automatic maintenance<br />
of road transport equipment, buses,<br />
earth moving <strong>and</strong> construction<br />
machines, trains, agricultural <strong>and</strong><br />
industrial machines, as well as advanced<br />
IT solutions for the logistics sector.<br />
Henk Groeneveld (right) being presented<br />
with his Royal honour<br />
44<br />
June 2011<br />
cBe honour for JcB Deputy<br />
chairman John Patterson<br />
JCB Deputy Chairman John<br />
Patterson has been made a<br />
Comm<strong>and</strong>er of the Most Excellent<br />
Order of the British Empire (CBE) in<br />
the Queen’s Birthday Honours.<br />
The honour has been awarded<br />
to Mr Patterson in recognition of<br />
his services to British business<br />
development worldwide.<br />
JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford<br />
said: “John’s contribution to both JCB<br />
<strong>and</strong> British business over the past 40<br />
years has been immense <strong>and</strong> I am<br />
delighted that he has received this<br />
well-deserved recognition.”<br />
John Patterson joined JCB as a Field<br />
Service Engineer in 1971 <strong>and</strong> rose<br />
to Worldwide CEO overseeing the<br />
company’s global operations. Now<br />
based at JCB’s North American HQ<br />
in Savannah, Georgia where he is<br />
Chairman <strong>and</strong> CEO, John Patterson also<br />
became Deputy Chairman of the JCB<br />
Group in 2009.<br />
John Patterson said: “I am very proud<br />
to receive the honour <strong>and</strong> all that it<br />
represents. This is a tribute to the many<br />
people within the JCB organisation who I<br />
have worked with over the last 40 years.”<br />
new head of health & safety at<br />
Breedon aggregates<br />
Breedon Aggregates, the UK’s<br />
largest independent aggregates<br />
company, has appointed Neil<br />
Donegan as senior health, safety<br />
<strong>and</strong> environmental manager. Neil<br />
will be based at the company’s<br />
head office at Breedon-on-the-Hill<br />
<strong>and</strong> will report to Tim Hall,<br />
chief executive of Breedon<br />
Aggregates Engl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
A chartered health <strong>and</strong><br />
safety practitioner, Neil<br />
was previously senior<br />
health <strong>and</strong> safety<br />
auditor at Sita UK, one<br />
of the country’s largest<br />
waste management<br />
companies. Prior to this<br />
he spent many years in<br />
senior health <strong>and</strong> safety<br />
roles in a variety of<br />
industries, including coal,<br />
construction <strong>and</strong> building<br />
materials.<br />
Commenting on Neil’s appointment, Tim<br />
Hall said: “We’re fortunate to have found<br />
such an experienced professional to fill<br />
this key role in our senior team. Health<br />
<strong>and</strong> safety is at the very top of our board<br />
agenda <strong>and</strong> Neil will help us ensure that<br />
Breedon Aggregates remains a safe,<br />
secure place to work for all our employees.”
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www.sharppractice.eu<br />
Tel: 0845 619 0910<br />
Steve: 07531 725 598<br />
Bobby: 07531 725 650.<br />
Hobden Street, Glasgow, G21 4AQ<br />
Tel: 0141 557 2212<br />
Fax: 0141 558 8252<br />
Email: sales@ritchiestraining.co.uk<br />
www.ritchiestraining.co.uk<br />
tasc solutions<br />
Providing educational resources <strong>and</strong><br />
consultancy on specialist plant <strong>and</strong><br />
equipment, <strong>and</strong> services on diamond<br />
drilling rigs, diamond cutting, masonry<br />
saw benches, fl oor saws <strong>and</strong><br />
abrasive wheels.<br />
5 Tavistock Close,<br />
Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1JY<br />
Tel: 01795 436435<br />
Mob: 07515 994986<br />
info@adamsconsultancy.org.uk<br />
fielD sales<br />
training grouP<br />
Field sales training workshops<br />
individually tailored to the precise<br />
requirements <strong>and</strong><br />
aims of your<br />
company.<br />
roBinson <strong>Plant</strong><br />
serVices<br />
“G���n� y�� ���� ����i��,<br />
�u��i�� �n� v����”<br />
7 Carsic Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfi eld,<br />
Nottinghamshire, NG17 2AS<br />
Tel: 07812 148711<br />
For a free quote<br />
contact Field Sales<br />
Training Group<br />
info@fi eldsalestraininggroup.co.uk<br />
Tel: 07788 480220<br />
richard@robinsonplantservices.co.uk<br />
tyPing matters<br />
your virtual office assistant<br />
Providing a 24/7 confidential,<br />
reliable <strong>and</strong> cost-effective on-line<br />
transcription service for<br />
all your typing requirements.<br />
Tel: 01785 606677<br />
Email: typingmatters@ntlworld.com<br />
June 2011<br />
45
NEwS MEGABYTES<br />
46<br />
mB<br />
neWs megaBytes<br />
gaP is preferred supplier for kier<br />
GAP has been awarded preferred supplier<br />
status to supply non operated plant, from 2 tool<br />
compressors <strong>and</strong> above, for all the Kier Group<br />
businesses in the UK. Under the agreement,<br />
GAP will provide Kier with equipment for an<br />
initial two years, working closely with Kier <strong>Plant</strong>,<br />
Kier’s specialist in-house plant provider.<br />
construction employment<br />
falls again<br />
Data provided by the <strong>Off</strong>ice of National Statistics<br />
shows that the number of people employed in the<br />
construction industry has dropped again in the first<br />
quarter of 2011 to 2,105,000 - a fall of 24,000 from<br />
the last quarter of 2010. Employment in construction<br />
is now at its lowest level since mid-2003.<br />
costain supports the<br />
Prince’s trust<br />
In line with Costain’s recently announced<br />
Costain Cares initiative, the company has<br />
become a Patron of the Prince’s Trust <strong>and</strong> its<br />
Construction <strong>and</strong> Business Services Leadership<br />
Group (CBSLG). As such, Costain will support<br />
the Trust in achieving its goals of helping over<br />
50,000 young people get their lives working<br />
again this year, as well as shape training<br />
opportunities around the skills shortages <strong>and</strong> job<br />
opportunities across the construction industry.<br />
mPa launches 2011 stay<br />
safe campaign<br />
Mineral Products Association has launched its<br />
annual Stay Safe campaign with a warning on<br />
the dangers of teenage trespass. Over the last<br />
two years six teenage boys have lost their lives<br />
in the UK in active or disused quarries, <strong>and</strong><br />
the current campaign uses hard-hitting videos<br />
about the effect these accidents have had on the<br />
boys’ family <strong>and</strong> friends. Stay Safe messages<br />
will be reinforced at a wide variety of community<br />
events run by industry operators as part of their<br />
ongoing community-engagement programme.<br />
June 2011<br />
“If you can dream it,<br />
you can do it. Always<br />
remember that this<br />
whole thing was<br />
started with a dream<br />
<strong>and</strong> a mouse. ”<br />
Walt E. Disney<br />
Have you thought about<br />
advertising in <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Equipment</strong> Professional?<br />
Email us at pep@operc.com<br />
for more details.<br />
“everyone’s talking about it!”<br />
Ensure equipment is<br />
suitable for the job!
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert <strong>opinion</strong>s
We will be<br />
48<br />
June 2011<br />
NEwS<br />
the best<br />
in our industry in<br />
everything<br />
that we do<br />
A-<strong>Plant</strong> offers an extensive range of plant, tools <strong>and</strong> specialist equipment, which is<br />
unparalleled in the hire industry. Our vision for our company is simple but hugely powerful:<br />
We will be the best in our industry in everything that we do.<br />
We will achieve this through our SAFE ways of working.<br />
Service Added Value<br />
Flexibility & Choice Expertise<br />
For further details visit www.aplant.com, e-mail: enquiries@aplant.com<br />
or call & 0370 050 0797 quoting MO2146<br />
Control Code: 05/11/2146