expert opinion: - OPERC - Off-highway Plant and Equipment ...

Plant & Equipment Professional ISSN: 2041-1154 (Online) £2.50
at the cutting edge of
diamond blade safety
Special report by Chris Adams, TASC Solutions
Simplifying mini
excavator stability with
track lock
expert opinion:
Hard hats and hot heads
ΛmmΛnn compaction
celebrates 100 years
Putting
the
PeoPle
into Plant
neW:
June 2011
Mud Muppet’s
Practical
tiPs
UK debut for ‘floating bulldozer’ ● £2.25 million traffic investment for A-Plant Lux ● New Liebherr 85 EC-B 5 FR.tronic city crane

2
June 2011
Industry professionals
training future generations
of plant operatives
For more details please contact:
Mr Chris Miller, National Registrar
Contractors Mechanical Plant Engineers,
Woodside House, Pedmore Road,
Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 ORL
Tel: 01384 352403 Fax: 01384 350269
Email: millplant@aol.com www.cmpe.co.uk

Editorial
Diamond blades are a widely used appendage throughout
industry and are often seen attached to fl oor saws or
hand held disc cutters, cutting through a huge variety
of materials from concrete to asphalt, bricks and
blocks. But how many professionals and tradesmen
out there understand the innovation and technology
that goes into to designing these products and more
importantly, of the hidden dangers of their misuse?
At face value, diamond blades look fairly unassuming
and bland but each blade is designed with very specifi c
specifi cations to meet equally specifi c applications. Failure
to select the right blade for the task being undertaken
may well mean that the productivity performance
of the blade is vastly reduced and more critically, a
serious health and safety incident could result.
In this issue, Mr Chris Adams, TASC Solutions, a
renowned international expert on diamond blades,
reports upon a part of the work being conducted with
Professor David Edwards, Birmingham City University
which will encompass blade manufacture, failure
modes and other guidance. It is a fascinating area
of study and presents an important opportunity for
practitioners to become more knowledgeable about
diamond blade procurement, selection and use.
Worryingly, many of the incidents involving diamond blade
use go unreported, but it is not unusual for workers or
members of the public to become seriously injured or even
killed as a result of misuse, abuse or omissions (such as
failing to adopt appropriate risk control measures). Take
one particular issue of segment detachment: it is terrifying
to think that such segments travel at a linear speed
approaching that of a bullet – no amount of PPE would ever
protect the worker or fellow workmate from such a hazard!
This report provides the fi rst stage of ongoing
research within OPERC to provide more defi nitive
guidance to practitioners and professionals within the
plant and equipment sector and the full results will
be published later this year, so watch this space…
one request for PEP readers, please pass this article
on to others who may benefi t from its reading.
Editorial Team
Philippa Spittle, Karen Jones
Published and Distributed by
On-track Multimedia
On Track Multimedia,
Email: enquiries@operc.com (general)
pep@operc.com (newsletter)
Copyright © 2011 On-track Multimedia
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of
information published in Plant and Equipment Professional,
the Editors cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies
or omissions. The views expressed in articles are of the
author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect those of the Editors.
NEwS
Major £2.25 million traffi c investment for A-Plant Lux 4
Chepstow Plant continue investing in Volvo CE products 5
UK debut for ‘fl oating bulldozer’ 6
Lafarge Cement prove that eight arms are better than one! 7
New sustainability action plan from Speedy 8
JCB steps up to the plate with new compaction equipment 8
wear And Spare Parts - a new worldwide supplier 9
New generation Eagle 2 MBI shears from Inmalo 9
CG Power Solutions UK chooses Hewden for major projects 10
Tata Steel reinforces commitment to construction equipment
industry with £8m investment
Rotary grinders for Bobcat loaders and excavators 12
New EZiCAT i600 and i650 receive Network Rail approval 12
Doosan announces changes in Scotland and Ireland 13
New Liebherr city crane gets a fl at-top 14
New Holland Construction expands dealer territory 14
SPECIAL REPoRTS
CoNTENTS
The most comfortable way to transport heavy loads 15
Simplifying mini excavator stability with Track Lock 16
At the cutting edge of diamond blade safety 18
Ammann compaction celebrates 100 years 24
A passion for training: an interview with Jonathan Young,
Technical Director, C & G Services
ExPERT oPINIoN
Hard hats and hot heads 32
IN ACTIoN
The Dustfi ghter fi ghts fi re 36
Bachy Soletanche powers up for wind turbine piling 37
overnight works by Costain installing a new rail works signal 37
wheeled loaders one, telehandlers nil! 38
Hewden’s marathon effort 39
AwARDS
Another industry award win for A-Plant innovation 40
Bachy Soletanche takes home gold at GE Awards 40
JCB Torquelock innovation honoured with Queen’s award 41
ICE award success for Birse Civils South’s western Region 41
EVENTS
CMPE AGM 2011 42
PEoPLE
Royal honour for Henk Groeneveld 44
CBE honour for JCB Deputy Chairman John Patterson 44
New head of health & safety at Breedon Aggregates 44
REGULARS
Mud Muppet’s practical tips 30
Competition 39
Classifi eds 45
News Megabytes 46
June 2011
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11
28

NEwS
Major £2.25 million
traffic investment for
a-Plant lux
To meet customer demand for traffic light sets with ultra low
noise levels and ease of use, A-Plant Lux Traffic Control &
Management has invested over £2.25 million in new two way and
multi phase battery powered traffic light systems manufactured by
the market leader Hollco Traffic Signals.
4
June 2011
The new sets are supplied with a purpose
built trailer and are approved to the latest
Highways Agency UK Specification TR
2502A. Environmentally friendly and ideal
for use in residential areas due to their
reduced noise properties, the traffic light
sets provide up to 20 days running time
operating on 24 hour days. Units can even
be recharged without taking them off the
trailer and if required, the batteries can
be interchanged while the lights are still
working.
Jim McLachlan, Business Development
Director for A-Plant Lux said: “Over recent
months, we have seen a strong demand
from the market place for battery powered
traffic lights with the inherent benefits of
vastly reduced noise, reliability, minimal
maintenance, eco-friendly properties
and prolonged running times. We have
made this significant investment in the
Hollco sets as they have been specifically
designed to overcome many of the
problems associated with traditional traffic
light sets. The new units will be delivered
to our service centres nationwide over the
next few months.”
A-Plant Lux Traffic Control & Management
offers a vast range of products for hire,
including traffic lights in 2,3 and 4-way
configurations, variable message signs,
traffic cones, sign and roadside lighting,
event signage and Chapter 8 signing,
lighting and guarding with Class 1 or Class
2 signs.
The company’s service extends from safe
installation of the appropriate traffic control
system to advanced site surveys, liaison
with local authorities, site maintenance
and de-installation of the chosen traffic
control system - plus a 24-hour call-out
service, 365 days a year.
A-Plant Lux Traffic Control &
Management. which has both National
Highways Sector Scheme 12 certification
and ISO 9001 certification, also has a
dedicated training centre and delivers
a range of training courses, including
Signing, Lighting and Guarding (Unit 02
and Unit 10), National Highways Sector
Scheme 12d and High Speed Traffic
Management Training and Assessment
(Sector Scheme 12a/12b), as well as
Safety and First Aid courses.

Having purchased significant
volumes of Volvo excavators,
articulated haulers and loading
shovels, numbering 50 in
all during 2010, Chepstow
Plant (International) Ltd (CPI),
continues its investment with
orders placed for a further 40
units in 2011.
The Blue Chip contractors who specialise
in high production projects in the U.K.
and abroad, are also the first to have
taken delivery of two Perlini DP405 rigid
dumptrucks since Volvo Construction
Equipment Division became official
dealers for the Perlini range of rigid
haulers last year. The majority of
machines for 2011 consist of Volvo A25F
and A40F articulated haulers with a
mix of shovels and excavators ranging
from EW160C (sixteen tonnes) to the
latest EC380D (thirty eight tonnes),
the package being both a replacement
programme as well as an increment to
the CPI fleet of equipment.
CPI have taken a mix of A25F & A40F articulated
haulers (right) as well as G series loading shovels (below)
with D series excavators on order for delivery in August
“Our business has become
synonymous in operating quality
products for the projects we undertake
where high production capacity and
high availability is called for,” said
Managing Director John Corcoran.
“In our opinion, continuing to opt for
models from the Volvo range supports
a sound business partnership between
us, our clients and our supplier.”
To provide added value to CPI’s
customer base, all Volvo supplied
products are equipped with
CareTrack telematics utilising the
latest technology in machine
management. CareTrack
provides operational data
remotely via the internet,
including fuel consumption
and idle time, all helping to
reduce cost of ownership
and maximise utilisation.
Furthermore all the Volvo
equipment supplied to CPI
during 2010 and for 2011 is
June 2011
NEwS
Chepstow Plant
continue investing in
Volvo ce products
covered under a Volvo Blue Customer
Support Agreement.
“Tapping into this resource has proved
to be a sound business decision,”
continued Mr Corcoran. “By investing
in support agreements for our fleet we
are able to pass on the full benefit of
Volvo’s integrated management system,
associated accreditations and core
values to our own customers whilst at
the same time, sensibly deploy our own
in-house resources for specific targeted
achievements, maximize our uptime and
ensure our sustainability and profitability.”
5

NEwS
Mastenbroek Environmental
has supplied the UK’s first
Conver silt-pusher, marking a
step-change in watercourse
management where organic
sediments need to be
removed efficiently within
increasingly demanding
environmental constraints.
Drainage Board representatives and
others were among those treated to
their first glimpse of the sedimentclearing
boat – dubbed the ‘floating
bulldozer’ – at Pode Hole pumping
station for Welland and Deepings IDB
as it worked on a stretch of waterway.
Built by Dutch firm Conver and supplied
by Mastenbroek of Boston, Lincolnshire,
the machine is the newest acquisition
of ADC (East Anglia) Limited, which
sees a big market for it on watercourses
managed by the Environment
Agency, IDBs and other operators.
The fully self-contained boat has a
bow-mounted, three-piece articulated
blade capable of collecting up to 10m 3
of material in a single push. Weighing
in at 2.8 tonnes, measuring 4m long
and with a beam of 1.55m, the siltpusher
has a draught of just 450mm,
making it capable of navigating
some of the shallowest and most
inaccessible inland waterways.
6
June 2011
The unit is ‘steered’ by a pair of fore
and aft-attached cables, anchored to
the bank, which are controlled using
auto-spooling winches. In this way the
machine may be accurately positioned
for maximum engagement with the silt,
an operation that is controlled directly
from the operator compartment.
The Conver is presently the only one
of its kind in the UK, but similar units
are a familiar sight in watercourse
maintenance in mainland Europe,
particularly in Conver’s native Holland,
Germany and France. It is the smaller
of two silt-pushers in the C86-series
currently being offered for sale in the
UK by Mastenbroek. In addition to the
three-piece dozer blade at the front,
each features an adjustable sternmounted
tailpiece and removable
scraper blade for more intricate work.
The C86xs silt-pusher’s 25kW watercooled
Yanmar industrial diesel
engine drives two hydraulic pumps
which deliver power for all of the
unit’s functions, ensuring efficient
operation even at low engine speeds
and contributing significantly to fuel
economy, reduced noise and exhaust
emissions, and overall durability.
Director of ADC (East Anglia) Ltd, Mike
uk Debut for
‘floating Bulldozer’
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Reeve, said the market for the unit is
potentially huge, and a great deal of
interest has already been shown. The
Conver complements his company’s
watercourse maintenance fleet and will
enhance the service that they already
offer to IDBs, the EA and other clients.
He said: “Together with our mobile
dewatering fleet it makes perfect
sense. We can offer clients a full
on-site service. The Conver positions
the silt for removal by pumping. The
sludge is dewatered on site, and
the recycled water returned to the
waterway allowing the dried material
to be taken to landfill, where it can be
used for capping material. There is no
transport of wet material involved.”
He continued: “Sometimes it’s difficult
to gain access to a watercourse
to extract the silt – particularly in
urban locations or where there are
road bridges. Excavators cannot get
anywhere near, or are unable to due to
safety issues. The only means of safe
access is from the watercourse itself.
What’s more, the boat can be applied
to different types of water location. For
example, there is work in the private
sector, in lagoons and balancing
ponds and elsewhere, allowing work
to be carried out all year round.”

lafarge cement prove...
Lafarge Cement and Silo Cleaning
Services have developed a new
cleaning system that improves the
safety of its employees and is already
being hailed as a ground-breaking piece
of technology across the industry.
The ‘Roof and Wall Master’ technology
was invented by Silo Cleaning Services
in response to a challenge Lafarge
Cement faced at its Hope Cement
Works in Derbyshire.
Ashley Bryan, Lafarge Cement’s Hope
Works manager explained: “We had a
large amount of cement build up in the
top of one of the cement silos, which
needed to be cleaned in a safe manner.
The usual cleaning systems require a
person to go into the silo, however, we
felt that this was unsafe in this instance.
In response to this problem we asked
Silo Cleaning Services to come up with
a solution.”
The ‘Roof and Wall Master’ works by
using a series of tentacles driven by
very high speed air. The tentacles are
attached to a sweeping arm which can
be lowered into the silo and operated
...that eight arms are better than one!
without the need for anyone being
inside.
Ian Dawson, deputy national health
and safety manager at Lafarge Cement
commented: “The product has been a
great success here at Hope Works. By
removing the need for anyone to work
in a confined space this technology has
provided a safe solution to a common
problem in the industry.
“Health and safety is a key priority for
Lafarge Cement and we continue to
look for ways to help improve safety
across the industry. Following the
introduction of the ‘Roof and Wall
Master’ at Hope Works we invited the
Mineral Products Association (MPA)
and the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) to the site to demonstrate the
safer technology to the industry first
hand.”
Ian Gibson, Health and Safety Manager
at MPA Cement said: “In common with
its member companies, MPA Cement’s
number one priority is safety. We
welcome Lafarge Cement UK’s initiative
in finding new ways to reduce the risk
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
to staff from high level silo cleaning
and we were very impressed with
what we saw at Hope Cement works.
Silo Cleaning Service’s new high air
pressure ‘whip’ marks a step change in
silo cleaning and clearly has industry
wide application. We fully support any
development that minimizes the risk of
injury to staff and contractors.”
Russell Thomas from Silo Cleaning
Services added: “We have had
excellent feedback from the Health
and Safety Executive, particularly as
the HSE has been prioritising finding
solutions to cleaning confined spaces
without man entry.
“We are delighted that it seems that
the safety improvements delivered
by this equipment can be applied to
many more applications than we first
thought, including cleaning cyclones
and concrete mixers. This technology
removes the need for anyone to enter
these confined spaces. It also saves
on expensive scaffolding and downtime,
helping site managers reduce their
costs.”
June 2011
NEwS
7

NEwS
new sustainability
action plan from
speedy
Speedy has launched
its new sustainability
strategy, One Plan,
and urged suppliers
to keep up or risk
losing out.
One Plan is a sustainability
action plan, which
combines new services,
supplier incentives and
internal initiatives. It will
enable contractors to
reduce carbon emissions,
improve health and safety
and increase efficiency.
Specific services provided
under One Plan include
the Green Options product
range, sustainability
consultancy, fuel
management, energy
and carbon reduction and
waste assurance services.
Speedy will also be
embedding its strategies
internally.
Speedy launched One
Plan to 100 suppliers at its
annual supplier conference
last month, where they
were invited to join the
Supplier Excellence
Programme. The
programme will assisted
suppliers in improving
their own sustainability
practices and is designed
to help them implement
change through a mixture
of workshops and on-site
reviews.
8
June 2011
Andy Connor, supply
chain director at Speedy,
said: “At Speedy,
sustainability isn’t just
a buzz word – we place
it at the heart of all we
do. That’s why we’re not
just going to help our
customers improve their
own sites; we’re also
going to encourage our
suppliers to do the same
by providing them with
the skills and knowledge
they need to improve
their own businesses and
make best practice in
these areas a condition
of working with us.
“This is a collaborative
approach that we hope
will implement best
practice at both ends of
our supply chain. For
our customers, One
Plan offers improved
efficiency, reduced
costs and competitive
advantage. For our
suppliers, One Plan
means we’re setting the
bar high, and will seek
to establish a long term
relationship with those
that take sustainability
equally seriously.”
For more information
about One Plan go to
www.speedyservices.
com/oneplan
JcB steps up to the plate with
new compaction equipment
JCB has launched a brand
new range of compaction
plates designed to reduce
hand arm vibration levels
while delivering powerful and
long lasting performance.
The three new models –
the FP1030, FP1540 and
FP1550 – feature 300mm,
400mm and 500mm wide
base plates respectively.
The smallest delivers a
compaction force of 10kN
while the larger two models
deliver 15kN.
Aimed at rental companies,
road gangs and driveway,
building or surface repair
contractors, they are
designed for the compaction
of hardcore and soil. They
are ideal for asphalt work
when fitted with an optional
water kit - which features
a sprinkler bar positioned
close to the base plate for
optimum coverage - while a
specialist paving kit tailors
them for non-cohesive
materials such as stone
paving.
Key features are the patentpending
handle design which
ensures HAV levels (tested
to EN500-4) are amongst
the lowest in the industry
– allowing up to 15 hours
operation on the largest
model. The handle also
incorporates a hand throttle
for comfortable operation and
its compact folding design
enables easy transportation,
with the plates fitting in vans
and most estate cars.
Boasting the hallmarks
of JCB construction they
are easy to service and
built to last in the rugged
rental environment. Each is
powered by a reliable and
easy to service Honda engine
and the large, simple to re-fill
water tank gives extended
operation time. Durability
is enhanced by a cast
base plate and robust solid
bar frame which provides
a strong lifting point and
increased engine protection
while a remote oil drain
makes routine servicing
quick and easy.

Wear and spare Parts -
a new worldwide supplier
Wear And Spare Parts is a
new company specifically
created for the crushing
plant aftermarket and is
setting out its stall as a
competitive and efficient
worldwide provider of
premium quality crusher
spares and wearparts.
The company has been
formed by the directors
of the Blue Group and
draws on the experience,
expertise and financial
stability of the organisation
in order to provide a
growing customer base
with an even greater
after-sales choice for
the complete spectrum
of crushing plant and
equipment available on the
market today.
Blue has stressed that this
new spares organisation
in no way conflicts with
its genuine OEM parts
operations for the marketleading
Powerscreen,
Pegson and Doppstadt
products supplied through
Blue Spares, but is a
separate entity and will be
focussed on all competitor
equipment consumables.
Head of Procurement,
Neil Marchi, said: “Our
new company gives us the
opportunity to enhance and
extend our coverage of the
crushing markets both at
home and abroad, where
we can now supply quality
spares and wearparts
for the plethora of varied
makes of machines
available to the industry.
With the expertise and
financial backing of the
Blue Group, we have
been able to invest in an
impressive stock of line
items which enables an offthe-shelf
availability”
Commenting on a set of
compatible jaw plates
recently purchased for
an Extec crushing plant,
David Beveridge, Recycling
General Manager of NWH,
Edinburgh said: “The jaw
plates we bought from
Wear And Spare Parts
have been fantastic! We
have had more than double
the wear life out of this set
than any previous jaws
we have ever used and
I thoroughly recommend
anyone to give them
a try. They won’t be
disappointed!”
June 2011
NEwS
new generation eagle 2
mBi shears from inmalo
Sole UK importer for MBI
excavator attachments,
Inmalo, has announced a
new and improved range
of shears for the demolition
and recycling industries.
MBI (Mantovanibenne)
has a continuing product
development programme
which constantly refines
and enhances their
comprehensive range;
these latest additions
offer improved power
and performance, and
a longer working life.
Superseding the Eagle
1 series and building
on the success of these
versatile shears, the new
generation Eagle 2 range
spans operating weights
from the 160kgs SH10
to the massive SH900,
which weighs in at 10.20
tonnes . Carrier machine
weights are from 2 - 250
tonnes. In development
for 2011 are the SH1500
and the SH2500, 15
and 25 tonne shears.
Significant product
developments on the Eagle
2 range include double
adjuster guide rams, a new
jaw design for increased
cutting capacity, power
valves for shorter cycle
times, fully butting blades
and front cutter, larger
cylinders with forged
piston heads and 360°
dampened hydraulic rotation
which prolongs motor life;
the range also includes
non-rotating models of
between 1,700 and 8,500
kgs. An optional bolt-on
piercing tip is available and
interchangeable spare parts
are also a feature of this new
generation of attachments.
Eagle 2 Shears are designed
and built for both demolition
and recycling applications
for the cost-efficient cutting
of structural, reinforcement
and sheet steel, as well
as reducing reclaimed
scrap metal elements into
manageable proportions
for onward processing.
9

NEwS
cg Power solutions uk chooses Tarmac secures...
hewden for major projects
In the latest phase of
a growing relationship,
CG Power Solutions UK
has selected Hewden
to provide plant and
equipment hire plus
site support for a
number of major power
installation contracts.
In Phase 1 of the London Gateway
port development by DP World, CG
Power Solutions will be responsible
for the Coryton Tee-off, taking power
from the nearby Coryton power
station, which primarily feeds Coryton
refinery, and delivering the power
to the groundworks site for the new
container port terminal. Construction is
now underway, with dredging and new
land creation taking place alongside
the development of key infrastructure.
Situated on the north bank of the River
Thames, London Gateway provides
unrivalled deep-sea shipping access
and will ensure ships load and unload
as fast as possible. The port will
be the most efficient in the country,
adding an additional 3.5million TEU
(standard twenty foot equivalent cargo
units (containers)) to the nation’s
port capacity. In addition to a major
deep-sea port, London Gateway will
10
June 2011
integrate with Europe’s largest logistics
park and will offer units up to and in
excess of one million square feet.
Already on site, CG Power
Solutions Sales Director, Mr
Charles Birchall commented:
“We will be making full use of our in
house design and assembly facilities,
as well as project managing critical sub
systems and other suppliers. This is one
of the largest power delivery projects
currently running in the South East and
we are delighted to have been selected.”
“To deliver on time, we will need the
full support of partnership suppliers
like Hewden who understand the
timescales and the vital importance of
health and safety on these projects.”
In addition to the London Gateway
project, CG Power Solutions has
appointed Hewden to provide
plant hire and crane hire support
for all wind farm projects.
These projects involve Hewden
carrying out a series of difficult
lifting operations for the associated
package sub stations. The lifting
involves the positioning of each of the
units at the base of each turbine.
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Commenting on these projects, a
Hewden spokesperson said: “CG
Power Solutions is a fast growing
and leading expert in transmission
and distribution installation projects.
There is a growing relationship with
Hewden and we are now supporting
CG on an increasing number of energy
installation projects around the UK.”
CG Power Solutions, formerly known
as Power Technology Solutions,
provides a comprehensive range of
engineering services to blue chip clients
in the UK high voltage electrical power
system industries. These include the
major utilities/Distribution Network
Operators (DNOs), heavy industrial
users, major switchgear manufacturers
and ESI approved contractors.

tata steel reinforces
commitment to construction
equipment industry with
£8m investment
Tata Steel has
announced it will
invest £8 million in
its specialist steels
Clydebridge plant
in Cambuslang,
Glasgow, increasing
the plant’s capacity to
produce the premium
quality high-strength
steel plate, essential
for construction
and earth moving
equipment (CEME),
by up to 50%.
The Clydebridge plant produces
the specialist high-strength steel for
applications where the strength-to-weight
ratio and contact abrasion are significant
factors, such as for CEME buckets and
dump truck bodies.
The difficult-to-make material, used
in some of the most challenging
environments around the world, is
produced by heating steel to 1,000°C
before quenching and/or tempering
to alter its microstructure to improve
strength. The investment at Tata Steel’s
Clydebridge plant – which includes
expanding the plant’s two furnaces,
installing two new gas-cutting machines,
and a new stamping and marking
machine – will increase output capacity
to 3,200 tonnes per week and lead to the
creation of about 26 new jobs.
The Clydebridge investment is the
latest operational enhancement by Tata
Steel to ensure it continues to meet
the needs of its customer base into the
future. A significant part of this has been
the introduction of a sector-focused
approach with specialist knowledge
of the industries they serve and the
different products required by them.
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
June 2011
NEwS
As such, CEME is part of the Lifting &
Excavating sector, which also serves
the related product requirements of the
mining equipment, crane and fork lift
truck markets.
“Tata Steel is committed to providing
the best possible quality, expertise and
service support across a uniquely broad
product range,” said Director Sales
and Marketing - Lifting and Excavating,
Gareth Beese. “While our structure
ensures we can offer industry-specific
expertise across any of the specialist
steel markets, our ‘One Company’
philosophy gives us an holistic approach
to our customers’ needs. That makes
Tata Steel uniquely placed as a steel
supplier in offering a ‘one-stop-shop’
solution.”
The steel processed at Clydebridge
is manufactured in Scunthorpe, North
Lincolnshire, before being rolled at one
of Tata Steel’s two UK plate mills –
Scunthorpe or Dalzell. The recruitment
at Clydebridge will start next spring prior
to the expanded capacity coming on line
in summer 2012. About 100 people are
currently employed in Clydebridge, with
a further 230 in Dalzell.
11

NEwS
rotary grinders for Bobcat
loaders and excavators
Bobcat has launched
a new range of rotary
grinder attachments for
the company’s compact
loaders and excavators
aimed at a wide range of
construction, demolition and
utility industry applications.
The new Bobcat rotary grinders
are powerful attachments that
consist of a double drum, driven
by a completely integrated hightorque
hydraulic motor. Quieter in
operation compared to equivalent
hydraulic or pneumatic demolition
tools, the new attachments still grind
powerfully in concrete, asphalt or
rock. They also transmit relatively
low vibration levels to surrounding
structures and produce small
diameter debris that can be reused.
12
June 2011
The design of the new grinding
attachments allows them to be
used for applications requiring
precise removal of material,
without damaging adjacent
structures. They can also be
used for less precise work such
as the demolition of walls and
other structures; for digging
trenches in hard and rocky ground
and for preparing asphalt or
concrete surfaces for repair.
The three models in the range,
the RG20, RG40 and RG60
grinders, provide a choice of
cuttings widths and are suitable
for use on the larger Bobcat
loaders and excavators:
The RG20 grinder has a
standard cutting width of
565 mm and is approved
for use on Bobcat E32,
E35, E45, E50, E55W and
E60 mini-excavators.
The RG40 grinder has a
standard cutting width of 625
mm and is approved for use on
the E80 excavator and on the
Bobcat S205H, S630, S630H,
S650, S650H, T190H, T650
and T650H compact loaders
The largest model, the RG60
grinder, cuts to a width of
850 mm and can be used
on the Bobcat S770H,
S850H, T770H, T870H and
A770H compact loaders.
The use of rotary grinders on
Bobcat compact loaders or
excavators requires the installation
of a special applications kit on the
machines, the same as that used
for mounting Bobcat hydraulic
breakers. The rotary grinder
attachments can be mounted on
Bobcat excavators with Pin-on,
Klac or Lehnhoff systems. For
Bobcat compact loaders, a
Bob-Tach bolt-on frame is used.
New EZiCAT i600
and i650 receive
Network Rail approval
Having recently obtained Network Rail
approval on the EZiCAT i500 and i550,
Cable Detection has announced that the
latest editions to its product range - the
EZiCAT i600 and i650 - have also secured
the nationally acclaimed approval.
This is the latest in a string of positive reports
the new products have received since their
launch in March this year. The EZiCAT i600 and
i650 build on the success of previous models
by providing a unique data capture and on
board memory function which allow logging of
the locators’ use. This is seen by management
as a huge positive step in the improvement
of onsite safety and training provisions.
The i600 and i650 make locating underground
cables and pipes a simple and efficient task,
ultimately saving time and money. With the
unique LOGiCAT Software, records can be
retrieved and collated helping to increase on
site safety, whilst identifying training needs.
i-Series LOGiCAT Software retrieves the
following information from the locator:
time & date information
usage duration
user identification
detection mode used
service detection
product fleet
management
diagnostic check
management reports
Simon Branson, Head
of Engineering for Cable
Detection, sees the products as an important
step in increasing safety during excavation
projects, “We are extremely excited about
the EZiCAT i600 and i650 launch. For the
first time ever, operators and management
have an insight into how their locators are
being used. Safety equipment can amount
to a large expense for companies and if
these products are not used or maintained
correctly, then safety is compromised. With the
EZiCAT i600, i650 and the LOGiCAT software,
management has the ability to recognise poor
usage, pinpoint the exact user and provide
training to ensure maximum efficiency”.

June 2011
NEwS
Doosan announces changes in Scotland and Ireland
new Bobcat dealerships in scotland
Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment
has announced that Lloyd Ltd, Scotia Plant
Ltd and Balgownie Ltd, the existing dealers
for the popular Doosan-branded range of
excavators, wheel loaders and articulated
dump trucks in Scotland, have all been
awarded new Bobcat dealerships. All three
companies are now offering sales and
service for the Bobcat range of compact
equipment in their respective areas.
Inverurie-based Balgownie Ltd has
been appointed as the Bobcat dealer for
Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Angus (from
2012) and for much of the Highlands and
parts of Perthshire and Kinross-shire.
The remainder of Perthshire and
Kinross-shire is part of the area now
handled by Scotia Plant Ltd, based in
Coatbridge, which will now represent
both Bobcat and Doosan products in the
central belt of Scotland. Scotia Plant will
work alongside another Bobcat dealer,
George Colliar Ltd, based at Kinross.
new Doosan and Bobcat Dealer in ireland
Doosan Infracore Construction
Equipment has appointed Dublinbased
Montana Plant Sales, part of
Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd, as a new
authorised dealer for Doosan and Bobcat
products in the provinces of Leinster,
Munster and Connacht in Ireland.
Under the new agreement, Montana Plant
Sales is now providing sales and service
in these areas for Doosan excavators
from 14 to 70 tonne, the Doosan range of
Lloyd Ltd has won the Bobcat
dealership for the southern part of
Scotland, covering East and South
Ayrshire, the Border counties,
South Lanarkshire and Dumfries
and Galloway. Lloyd Ltd is also the
new Bobcat dealer for Cumbria in
England. In both areas, Lloyd Ltd is
responsible for all Bobcat products
except the telescopic handler range.
wheel loader models and the Doosan
range of high capacity telescopic
handlers. The company is also an
authorised dealer for the complete
range of Bobcat compact equipment
in the three provinces, including
skid-steer, compact tracked and all
wheel steer loaders, mini-excavators,
telehandlers, utility vehicles and
attachments. Montana Plant Sales
will work alongside the other Bobcat
dealer, Pat O’Donnell & Co.
Lee Roberton, General Manager
at Scotia Plant Ltd, based at
Coatbridge, said: “This is a very
exciting development for Scotia
Plant. Like our fellow Doosan
dealers, the availability and support
for the Bobcat range from Scotia
will be of great interest to our
many customers in construction,
demolition, plant hire and quarrying.”
Dermot Cunnie, General Manager
of the Construction Division of
Ballyvesey Holdings Ltd, said:
“We are very familiar with Doosan
and Bobcat products through our
subsidiary, Scotia Plant Limited,
which has been very successful with
both dealerships in the central belt of
Scotland. So when Doosan offered
us the new dealerships…we were
delighted to accept the appointment.”
Montana Plant Sales is offering
service and warranty work on
all existing Doosan and Bobcat
machines in the three provinces,
backed by a full selection of genuine
accessories and parts. The company
will also hold a stock of new and
used Doosan and Bobcat branded
machines, to respond quickly to
customers’ needs. Customers will
also benefit from the company’s wellestablished
on-site service network,
covering everything from emergency
repairs to routine maintenance.
13

NEwS
new liebherr city crane gets a flat-top
At the 2011 Smopyc trade fair in
Zaragoza, Liebherr presented a new
design to the
public for the
first time, the 85
EC-B 5 FR.tronic
Flat-Top Crane. It has
a maximum load capacity of
5000 kg and can lift 1300 kg at the
jib end, up to a maximum working
radius of 50 m. All loads are lifted
in the double-reeved mode.
When the new 85 EC-B 5 FR.tronic
‘City Crane’ was being developed,
the emphasis was not just on the
superstructure but also on the lowwidth
85 LC tower system, which has
been optimally matched to the new
crane and has new pin connectors
among the many features that qualify
it ideally for inner-city operation.
A decisive advantage of the new 85
EC-B 5 FR.tronic City Crane is that
the dimensions of all the assemblies
are so compact. With a cross-section
of only 1.2 x 1.2 m, transportation and
erecting work is simplified if the inner-
14
June 2011
city site is small or access is difficult.
And a cruciform base measuring just
3.0 x 3.0 m, together with slim tower
sections, means that the crane can
be erected quickly and
safely in just
about
every gap
in the building line.
The complete slewing section of the
new 85 EC B 5 FR.tronic can travel
on just two semi-trailer trucks – a
guarantee of lower transport costs
and more rapid availability on the
working site. Since each crated unit
weighs less, smaller mobile cranes
are sufficient for the erecting work
- the heaviest individual element
weighs less than 3 t and can be
lifted by a 60-t truck crane.
The new 85 LC tower system consists
of 11.7 m, 5.85 m or 3.9 m tower
sections, with a tower base element
12.0 m long. The 3.9 m long climbing
tower section is highly versatile, and
can be used inside or outside the
new holland construction
expands dealer territory
New Holland Construction is
expanding the territory of their
dealer European Plant Services
(EPS), part of the K Rouse group of
companies based in Leeds, to cover
the whole of central England.
Scott Freeman, Business Director of
New Holland Construction said, “The
team at EPS are
highly professional
and extremely
experienced with
all aspects of the
business. We
recognise the results
EPS have achieved
so far with the brand
and also the future
potential of this
strong partner. It is
also our intention to
“everyone’s talking about it!”
building. The 85 KC tower can climb
to extreme heights when used outside
the building. If other structures prevent
this, the new climbing tower can be
installed in an elevator shaft. The 24kW
frequency-converter hoist gear,
which is standard equipment, permits
lifting heights up to 260 metres.
focus dealers with similar strengths and
ambitions across the entire network.”
EPS consistently stock an average of
60 units across the New Holland range
of products with a substantial forward
order portfolio to maintain this machine
park. With an impressive workshop with
individual repair and preparation bays,
EPS pride themselves on preparing
the majority of stock machines for
sale within 24 hrs notice, meeting the
industry’s requirement for fast delivery.
EPS also offers its customers full
fabrication, spray shop and sign
writing facilities from its 5 acre site in
Leeds. They have recently purchased
an adjoining 18000sq ft facility
dedicated to workshops and offices to
accommodate the increased volume of
machine sales in the new territories.

the most comfortable way
to transport heavy loads
German seat manufacturer,
Grammer AG, has introduced
its new premium aftermarket
seat for heavy-duty forklifts - the
innovative new Primo Evolution
- which boasts fully automated
weight adjustment and active
seat climate control.
When standard forklifts are no longer
enough to handle heavy weights or
large transport volumes, heavy–duty
and container forklifts are put on the
job. These robust bundles of strength
use modern technology to ensure that
heavy loads in numerous industries
can be precisely, safely and effectively
transported.
Just as important as the technical
details, however, are the working
conditions for operators of such heavyduty
machines. The cab must be
designed for this challenging job with
the best-possible ergonomic features.
All controls should be located at an
optimum distance – and protection of
the driver against damaging vibrations
is of paramount importance.
In light of this, Grammer AG is now
offering a new dimension of seating
and operating comfort for heavy-duty
and container forklifts, with the Primo
Evolution. The main unique feature of
this new, premium aftermarket seat is
its remarkably low-profile suspension
combined with fully automated
adjustment to the weight of the driver.
Improper adjustment a thing of
the past
Over the course of a single day, a
forklift is often used by several drivers.
With a conventional seat, each time a
new driver enters the cab, they must
make a number of adjustments to
match the individual settings that are
right for them. This is the challenge
that innovation and technology leader
Grammer has taken on with the
Primo Evolution: using electronics
and sensor technology, the seat
automatically adjusts to the optimal
suspension settings whenever there
is even a minimal change in weight
– guaranteeing the right amount of
suspension travel at all times. Thus,
improper adjustments, which can lead
to health problems over time, are a
thing of the past. The seat effectively
protects the spine and vertebrae of
the operators, without the need for a
manual weight adjustment.
Comfort and support for the
operator
Grammer offers more than just this
innovative feature to demonstrate
how comfortable work on heavy
equipment can be in today’s world.
The comfortable seat itself features
an active climate control system that
keeps the seat dry both in the heat
and cold, as well as keeping the
driver warm when temperatures drop.
The seat cushion depth and incline
settings, pneumatic lumbar support and
seatback height adjustment combine to
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
SPECIAL REPoRT
enhance ergonomics and sustain driver
performance.
20 percent reduction in shocks
and vibrations
The low frequency pneumatic
suspension with 110 mm of travel
provides for a smoother ride, reducing
shocks and vibrations by 20 percent
over conventional air suspension seats,
making the Primo Evolution the ideal
seat when it comes to driver health
concerns and the Physical Agents
(Vibration) Directive 2002/44/EC, which
has been implemented across the
EU to protect workers from damaging
whole-body vibrations.
The Primo Evolution is just the latest
example of Grammer’s technical
leadership in the market. The seat
easily meets all structural requirements
of Europe’s ISO 24135 norm for
industrial trucks, as well as complying
with DIN EN 13490 mechanical
vibration standards and spectral
classes IT 1, 2 and 3 for forklifts.
June 2011
15

SPECIAL REPoRT
simplifying mini excavator stability with
transporting issues
How many times have you seen a mini
excavator bouncing around as it’s being
loaded or unloaded from a trailer or
worse still, witnessed one toppling over
the edge of the trailer? These incidents
are surprisingly common and yet very
rarely reported, possibly because being
a smaller machine, mini excavators are
often viewed more as equipment than
mobile and potentially fatal machines.
There are several typical issues which
may be involved in the poor securing of
a mini excavator to a trailer, including
inadequate edge protection, a lack
of (or inappropriate) load secure,
poor operator training / competence
and ramps onto trailers that are far
too steep. However, a new system -
entitled the Track Lock System - has
been developed by Worcester based
hire company WHC Hire Services
which claims to have the answer to this
persistent problem.
16
June 2011
how the system works
The Track Lock system consists of a
set of guide bars which are fixed to the
trailer bed for correct positioning of the
excavator on the trailer. The excavator
is loaded with blade facing forwards
and the Track Lock system bars are
then placed across the tracks and
clipped into place using a lynch pin.
The tracks cannot move and the
excavator is not only completely
locked down, but also positioned
correctly and balanced on the trailer
to allow for safe transportation.
Furthermore, the ditching bucket is
retained in a front cradle which stops
any movement from the boom.
The bars are easily put in place
and easily removed making this an
efficient, operator friendly and time
saving system. It can be altered to fit
any make of mini excavator.
track lock
how the system came about
The original idea for the innovative
new trailer came about following a fatal
accident during the 1990s involving a
contractor in the North Midlands. A 1.5
tonne mini excavator that had not been
strapped down correctly by the operator
onto its trailer toppled over
and killed an elderly lady. However,
rather than simply blaming the operator,
the original designer and inventor, Mr
James Clutterbuck decided to look to
engineer out the risk of loading and
unloading a machine incorrectly.
He said: “When we looked into it and
considered what we had seen over the
years regards strapping of machines,
we realised that pretty much the
majority of straps were being incorrectly
fitted. So we took it upon ourselves to
design and make a better system and
hence, the Track Lock system was
conceived.”

“Several prototypes were designed
until the final system was developed,
then the trailer was load tested by
leading academics at Loughborough
University with excellent results. We
completed the design rights on UK
and European Patents ‘design and
principal’ so no one can take a bar
across the trailer or have a frame
around the bucket. The system actually
cuts down the loading time a great
deal and you’re guaranteed to have
that machine in the correct place and
more important safe! You cannot get it
wrong.”
simple and safe
James said: “It’s a very simple system
that allows you each and every time
to ensure that the machine is in the
right place and its weights uniformly
distributed on the trailer. We can also
adjust nose (on the drawbar) weights
to suit individual client’s preferences
within the limited allowed (from
circa 60 to 120Kgs). This depends
upon the towing vehicles, heights
of those vehicles and stability of the
trailer – if you have negative nose
weight, the trailer can
move uncontrollably so
adjustment is essential.
“We have also updated
the system to go
tubular to cut down on
weight without losing
strength – there is 45
kg additional weight for
a complete Track Lock
system on a 1.5 tonne
machine and 54 kg for
a 2.5 tonne machine.
When combined with
the Ivor Williams GH
range trailer, the load
angles are improved
again so safety is
enhanced because most
of the time up to 90%
of the track maintains
contact with the bed.”
Mr James Clutterbuck,
Managing Director, WHC
Hire Service
This simple, straightforward and
uncomplicated design could provide
more than just the answer to the problem
of mini excavator topple during loading
and unloading - it could also help to
ensure safer machines in transit. As
one industry observer commented, “the
utility company’s mini excavator probably
spends more time being towed up and
down motorways than it actual does on
site and so stability and load secure is
essential to public safety. This invention
SPECIAL REPoRT
could well be the key to providing
a safer system of work and we will
be looking at it in far more detail”.
The Track Lock system is exclusive
to WHC Hire Services and cannot be
obtained from any other company
within the UK. If you would like to
obtain further information about the
system, or arrange a demo, please
call James on 01905 356075 or
email: hire@whchireservices.com.
June 2011
17

SPECIAL REPoRT
At the cutting edge…
Article by Mr Chris Adams, TASC Solutions and Professor David J. Edwards, Birmingham City University
Over recent years, there has been a
series of incidents where workers have
been seriously injured or permanently
maimed as a result of the misuse or
abuse of diamond blades in hand
guided floor saws, hand held angle
grinders and petrol driven cut off saws.
A common and persistent issue
appears to be the lack of operator or
manager/supervisor education, skill
and competence. It can be contended
that although ‘abrasive wheels’ courses
form part of site induction, they are far
too generic (covering a disparate range
of products including grinding wheels)
to be of real use to the operator or
manager.
In this report, Mr Chris Adams, TASC
Solutions, a leading authority on
diamond blades and operator training,
joins Professor David J. Edwards,
Birmingham City University to provide
an overview of the diamond blade
manufacturing process and appropriate
manufacturing standards before
proceeding to examine some examples
of failure modes and the wider issues
related to their occurrence. It is an
informative and fascinating insight into
diamond blade safety.
18
June 2011
of diamond blade safety
DiamonD BlaDe manufacture
A diamond blade consists of a circular steel disc, or centre, with typically a ring of
segments attached to its outer edge - refer to figure 1 for the key elements of blade
anatomy.
Figure 1 - Blade anatomy:
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Segment
Landings
Gullets (keyhole)
Steel centre
Bore
Locating pin hole

the steel centre
The steel centre of the blade is
produced under high volume robotic
production conditions and hardly
ever touched by human hand. It is
essential that the right grade of steel is
selected (and used) with regards to its
toughness and strength because the
blade has to withstand two key types of
stress: ‘radial’ stress, which acts upon
the tip of the centre and segments, and
‘side’ stress, a lateral force acting upon
the side of the centre and segments.
the segments
The segments themselves are
made from a metallic powder which
incorporates diamond grit, but the
bottom part of the segments that
will be joined to the steel centre (the
‘freeback’) has to be diamond free,
because during laser welding the
diamonds would cause spitting and lead
to a poor and unstable join.
The freeback area on blades of
up to about 300mm diameter will
account for approximately 0.5mm. It
is important not to confuse the depth
of freeback with the depth of diamond
cutting. It has been known for some
manufacturers to include 2, 3, 4 or
even 5 mm of free-back, then publish
and sell the segment on the blade as
a 15mm segment, but this is not the
usable cutting depth - in the case of
a 5mm freeback, the usable cutting
depth would be 10mm not 15mm.
There are two common methods
of joining the segments to the
steel centre, namely laser welding
and sintering, with laser welding
perhaps being the most common,
and also the strongest, of the two.
Laser welding
Prior to the welding process, the
metallic powder mixture, known as the
bond, is put into a stamping machine
to form the shape of the segments
– at this stage the segments are still
‘green’ which means that they can be
broken with finger tip strength, almost
like a biscuit. The mixture is next
compressed, before being heated under
pressure to a temperature of almost
1000ºC, which causes the compressed
powder to become molten and form
the completed segments ready for
attachment to the steel core. Finally, the
centre and the segments are placed in
a jig and welded by a laser beam under
intense heat to fuse them together
Prior to welding, the segments are
categorised within one of seven
dimensional tolerance bandings
(height and width) – where segments
of a similar tolerance (either high
(plus) or low (minus) and within these
bandings) are used to ensure that the
blade is balanced correctly, rotates
smoothly and can be operated safely.
Failure to do this would cause erratic
operaton until the segments are worn
and rotating smoothly, a situation
which would increase the risk of an
accident occurring considerably and
unnecessarily.
Sintering
In the sintering process, the steel centre
has castellations on the landings (i.e.
the steel rim between the gullets) that
will hold the segments. The centre is
placed in a former and then the metallic
powder is poured into a mould around
it. The whole centre and segments are
baked under heat and pressure in an
automated, robotic process.
Diamonds
There are currently four major suppliers
of manufactured ‘grown’ diamonds in
the world with De Beers being perhaps
one of the most prominent world-wide.
These synthetic ‘industrial’ diamonds
allow abrasive manufacturers to check
and discard any that contain a fault.
For natural diamonds, the dust from the
jewellery industry would largely be used
and there is currently limited means
of quality control and testing for the
presence of faults, whereas synthetic
diamonds can be manufactured to
exact specifications in terms of size and
shape. Synthetic diamonds have similar
properties to natural ones, but they are
more consistent in how they behave
and are generally stronger although
natural diamonds are more resistant to
heat.
The shape and size of diamond
used in the blade is critical, as is the
concentration of diamonds within
the segment bond, because both the
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
SPECIAL REPoRT
diamond and the bond will affect the
cut. As a general rule, larger diamonds
are used for more abrasive materials
such as asphalt or breeze blocks as
they last longer and also act to clear the
spoil away from the cut as quickly as
possible. Smaller diamonds are used
for very hard materials such as granite
or very high specification concrete
as used on airport runways or major
civil engineering projects. Using small
diamonds on asphalt would increase the
blade’s wear rates.
The mixture of metallic compounds used
in the segment bond is also critical.
A hard bond specification would be
used in a segment for cutting abrasive
materials such as asphalt, whereas
a softer bond specification would be
used in a segment for cutting very hard
materials such as high strength concrete
and hard natural stone, like granite. The
correct diamond, size and concentration,
and bond specification should produce
a blade that will allow free cutting right
through the depth of the segment.
tensioning
Once formed, the blade is tensioned at
the recommended rpm to prevent it from
distorting at high speeds. Overspeeding
and side load can deform and wobble
the blade (in a figure of 8) and make
it unsafe to use. The tensioning is
done by putting the steel centre of the
completed blade through pinch side
rollers which leave a visible ring on the
steel centre (particularly on some of the
larger diameter blades). Tensioning is
particularly important for larger diameter
blades (300mm plus) such as those
used for applications like floor sawing
which is both aggressive and arduous in
terms of cutting.
testing
Each segment is also tested using a
non-destructive bending stress test
(within the elastic limits of the materials
being tested), where the blade is held
in an operational position whilst metal
fingers exert a force upon the segments
to put torque upon them. Blades should
also be batch tested using destructive
bending testing to determine the elastic
and plastic limits of the blades and
ensure that standards are met if not
exceeded.
June 2011
19

SPECIAL REPoRT
Dressing
Dressing is the final process in
producing a diamond blade that is ready
for use in industry. Historically, blades
had to be worn in prior to use, but
today they are dressed on a grinding
machine which sharpens the blade (by
exposing the diamonds) and provides
a directional arrow to indicate the
direction of blade spin, which in turn
indicates the way that the diamonds
Figure 2 - Comet tails on the edge
and side of a magnified segment
The arrow illustrates the directions of cut
on the side edge of the segment
a
The arrow illustrates the direction of cut
on the top edge
B
stanDarD of safety
The European standard BS EN
13236:2010 ‘Safety requirements for
superabrasive products’ establishes a
Figure 5 - Design of blade marking
20
Maximum speed
of rotation (RPM)
June 2011
Manufacturer/Supplier
Importer/Trade mark
Order N°, Serial N°
Maximum Operating Speed
m/s
min -1 /rpm
Other inscriptions e.g. restrictions of use
EN 13236
Note: Figure 5 has been modified from EN 13236
have been dressed. Under the naked
eye, comet tails streaming from the
back of the diamond illustrate the
direction of dressing (see figure 2).
customisation
After dressing the blade is finally
complete and can then be painted,
printed or stamped with manufacturer
make, livery and specification details.
The manufacturer normally states
the application of the blade within the
product’s literature, often consisting
of a cardboard sleeve displaying
the manufacturers’ branding and
product specification. For example,
in the Clipper Norton range a black
strip on the packing denotes its use
for asphalt cutting, blue for general
purpose concrete and bricks cutting
and green for natural stone (see
figure 3).
Colour coding schemes also appear
on the blade itself to demonstrate
its use and application - figure 4
illustrates a blue general purpose
blade. Safety symbols included
provide instructions for the operator,
for example with regards to the
use of suitable personal protective
equipment (PPE).
set of guidelines that have to be met
to ensure compliancy of the product
with that standard. The standard
relates to the build quality of
superabrasives and is aimed
at designers, manufacturers
and suppliers. It details
requirements for the design,
manufacture and inspection
of a diamond blade, including
the various tests that must be
carried out, such as bursting
speed, overspeed, bending
and so forth.
In order to conform to BS EN
13236 the blade must also
display permanently marked,
key information about its
specifications as shown in
figure 5 and as previously
illustrated in figure 4.
Figure 3 - Example of colour coding
on packaging
Figure 4 - Colour coding on the blade
The serial number is particularly
important, as each blade must have
its own unique serial number. Should
any incident occur with a particular
blade, the unique serial number
means the blade can be traced back
to the manufacturer. Traceability is a
very important part of the EN 13236
safety standard. It is essential that
this information is permanently on the
blade through its life.
Policing the standard
Unfortunately, EN 13236 is largely self
policed by manufacturers and there
are various means of non-compliance,
such as including painting, or affixing
stickers, onto blades that contain the
specification details for that blade -
these methods are non-permanent
and removed easily during use.

A group of reputable manufacturers
formed the Organisation for the Safety
of Abrasives (OSA), which although
financed and run by the world’s leading
manufacturers, does have some
independence. Inspectors can arrive at
a blade factory unannounced, at any
time, and must be given access and
entry to the plant for the inspection
and auditing of the manufacturing
processes including materials used,
test specifications, etc.
However, the buck seems to end
here, so if you spot an unsafe product,
where do you go? Trading standards
can now enforce a law that came out
iDentifying failures
Despite strict manufacturing procedures
and the safety requirements provided
within EN 13236, incidents involving
the failure of diamond blades still all
too frequently occur. Although it is
possible that the blade itself might
be at fault, a closer look at some
typical failures illustrates that the
more likely causes involve human/
behavioural factors, such as selecting
the wrong blade for the job, improper
use and/or storage, and insufficient
maintenance and inspection.
glazing
Glazing is where the blade becomes
shiny and smooth (see figure 6)
and can be caused by a number of
factors, for example, using the wrong
specification of blade for the given
application, or operating such that the
diamonds are not allowed to freecut,
a failure mode that often occurs
when excessive feedforce is applied.
Essentially, the blade is being used
Figure 6 - Glazing
in 2005 called the ‘General Products
Safety Regulations’ which implement
directive 2001/95/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 3
December 2001 on general product
safety (OJ No. L11, 15/1/2002 p.4).
Regulation 2 of the standard clearly
defines coverage and states that:
“These Regulations impose
requirements concerning the safety
of products intended for consumers
or which are likely to be used by
consumers. The products covered are
defined in regulation 2 and extend to
second-hand products, ones intended
for professional use which it can be
outside the scope of applications
that it was originally designed for.
If blades do become glazed, then
they can be redressed using a
bespoke machine as recommended
by the manufacturer, or alternatively
and perhaps more pragmatically,
the blade can be run through a
sharpening stone. Arguably the best
type of stone for this application is
sandstone but dried mortar provides
a useful and often handy alternative.
stress fractures
These often occur when the blade is
operated at speeds in excess of the
specified design speed, where there is
excessive pressure from too high a feed
force or where the blade is too hard for
the type of material being cut. The result
is that undue stress is placed on the
blade and the metal becomes fatigued.
Stress cracks can be particularly
dangerous as they will become
progressively worse in prolonged use,
until the point where a fragment of the
Figure 7 - Stress fractures
SPECIAL REPoRT
foreseen may be used by consumers,
and products supplied in the course of a
service.”
It goes onto state that producers and
distributors must place or supply only
products that are safe in normal or
reasonable foreseeable use (implied here
is that blades supplied conform to relevant
European Standards – in this case BS
EN13236). The principal responsibility for
day-to-day enforcement of the Regulations
lies with local authorities. So if you feel
that you have procured a blade that is
non-conformant with the regulations, then
Trading Standards and your local authority
should be contacted immediately.
blade flies off at high speed. A 300mm
blade operating on a petrol saw is
rotating at 5,000 rotations per minute
(RPM) and in linear speed, at 100m per
second, this equates to about 220m
per hour which is faster than many high
powered sports cars and approaching
the speed of a bullet. At such speeds,
the damage caused to human flesh is
huge which underlies the importance
of using blades and tools correctly.
undercutting
Undercutting occurs when cutting
abrasive materials such as asphalt,
where the relatively softer steel centre
wears at a faster rate than the relatively
harder segment (refer to figure 8).
This is caused by the spoils from the
cut, which form a highly abrasive
grinding paste within the groove of the
cut and act to wear the steel centre.
If the blade is used continually in
such circumstances, the segment will
become detached from the blade and
the raised landing steel will become
razor sharp and potentially lethal.
Figure 8 - Undercutting
June 2011
21

SPECIAL REPoRT
22
Figure 9 - Damaged blade due to inappropriate handling
segment loss
Segment loss can occur as a result
of a faulty weld or a failure of the
segment attachment to the steel centre.
Segment loss, or partial segment
loss, can also occur during use. If the
blade is slowed down below its optimal
speed, or stopped in the cut due to
heavy down pressure, force feeding or
twisting in the cut, then the segment
and rim of the blade will rapidly
overheat. This could cause the segment
to disintegrate or detach. Visible
symptoms of this are overheating
burn discolouration to the blade.
mistreatment
One example of this is where a hand
held mechanical disk saw is exposed to
excessive feed force which slows the
blade below its optimum cutting speed.
Under such circumstances, the operator
is operating the equipment outside of
the specified safety parameter and after
a prolonged period of misuse, the blade
will become unsafe to operate further.
Another example is the unloading and
loading of floor saws (refer to figure 9);
this task should only be undertaken with
anteceDents of failure
The three constituent parts of
workplace safety are: safe machine,
safe operator and safe site; failure in
any one or all of these factors can result
in an incident occurring. However, when
a health and safety incident involving
a diamond blade occurs on site, the
manufacturer (or supplier/importer of
the diamond blade) is often the first
to be sought for their help, advice and
expert guidance.
Product safety is both a critical and
integral part of managing safety in the
workplace because the product has to
June 2011
the blade removed from the machine
otherwise there is a higher risk of blade
or machine damage.
Poor selection and inspection
Inappropriate selection and
procurement of a blade for a specific
task, when combined with misuse, can
lead to arguably the most dangerous
failure modes which are stress cracks,
which emanate from the bottom of the
gullet and head progressively towards
the centre hole, and segment loss (or
part thereof), which will throw the blade
Table 1 - Causes of hazard situations
HAZARD DESIGNATIoN HAZARD SITUATIoN (Examples)
Ejection of parts
Vibration
be fit for purpose. Provided the blade
has been manufactured to the correct
minimum standard of conformance
(as detailed in EN 13236), then all too
often it is the operator, site manager(s)
or the company’s management
processes and procedures that are
found to be at fault; this message can
be extremely difficult to convey to the
customer of a manufacturer’s products,
especially when it is the manufacturer
who has to deliver the bad news.
Whilst the safe machine - operator
- site triangle provides a generic
1. Failure of the blade caused by:
• improper design, manufacturing defect.
• insufficient strength.
• incorrect selection.
• improper handling and storage.
• improper use (mounting and grinding process).
2. Loosening of grinding particles.
Unbalancing caused by:
• manufacturing defects.
• improper use, mounting.
“everyone’s talking about it!”
out balance so that it does not cut
safely and effectively.
These particular failures highlight the
need for regular shift checks to be
conducted by competent operators,
in this instance to check for hairline
cracks extending from the gullet and
heading towards the centre bore, and
segment loss or any part thereof. All
blades must be visually inspected
before and after each operation of the
blade - not at the start or end of each
day’s operation as some industrialists
would contend. At the first sign of any
damage, the blade should be safely
and securely disposed of to ensure
that no other persons are able to
acquire and use the blade.
A more definitive list of hazards is
provided within table 1 which has
been modified from EN 13236.
overview and reference for
managing site safety, it is possible
to elaborate further to identify the
antecedents of blade failure which
will include: poor site supervision,
inadequate procurement, lowest
cost mentality, operator training
and competence, and management
qualifications (see figure 10).
Whilst this list is not exhaustive
it illustrates that effective safety
management is reliant upon a
range of interrelated factors where
the breakdown of any could result
in an incident occurring.

Figure 10 - Antecedents of failure
Management
qualifications
Training vs
competence
Poor workplace supervision
Preparing a correct and safe
method of working is just the start
of a comprehensive and complete
safe system of working and whilst
the supporting paperwork may be
comprehensively produced in the office,
this has to be effectively communicated
to the workforce and physically
implemented on site.
supervision
Inadequate
procurement
ANTECEDENTS
OF FAILURE
Poor workplace
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mentality
Lowest cost
inadequate procurement
A procurement department’s
purchasing procedures must
resonate, and be in line, with the
safety department’s requirements
in terms of selecting and procuring
the right specification of diamond
blade for use on the specific
works being undertaken by that
organisation. It must be understood
that conformance to a standard per
se merely ensures that a minimum
standard of conformance has been
achieved – it does not necessarily
demonstrate best practice
lowest cost mentality
Procuring the cheapest product
does not always ensure that the
cheapest job is achieved. Cheaper
products may be less safe, they
may wear at a far faster rate, cost
more per unit of work completed
and be slower in terms of production
rates. A cheap product is cheap for
a reason and often this is because
the specification and quality of the
blade is less than more expensive
counterparts.
SPECIAL REPoRT
operator training
and competence
Ensuring operators are trained and
competent is an essential part of
managing safety, not least because
such an operator is often a safe and
productive one. However, many
instances of training identified were
found to provide not much more than
a generic overview of diamond blades,
with a general lack of knowledge
amongst trainers themselves.
Ideally, a comprehensive course of
diamond blade usage should cover
at least: i) manufacturer and design
of blades, ii) relevant legislation
requirements, iii) specifications and
applications, iv) faults and how these
occur, v) safe operation and use,
vi) maintenance and inspection, vi)
safety systems and procedures for use
(specific to that company/organisation
assuming that a transient workforce is
employed) and vii) personal protective
equipment (PPE) requirements.*
management qualifications
At present there is limited availability for
managers and supervisors to acquire
an appropriate level of knowledge
regards the safe use, operation and
maintenance of diamond blades. Many
universities and colleges simply do
not include such knowledge as part
of taught provisions in courses such
as Quarry Management, Construction
Management or Civil Engineering,
simply because the materials are
considered to be far too specialist
in nature. Whilst this assumption
should be contended it is often left to
the organisation/company to adopt
bespoke training run by external
training providers. The content of such
should cover the fundamentals of safe
operation previously referred to but in
addition, should also cover aspects
relating to safe systems of work, risk
assessment, method statements and
employee training and competence
development.
* For more detailed guidance on
the subject of operator training and
competence development see OPERC’s
‘Voluntary Code of Practice for Plant and
Equipment: Operator Training’.
June 2011
23

SPECIAL REPoRT
DTV 213, 1985
the Birth of ammΛnn comPaction
At the beginning of the 20th century,
the Ammann Engineering factory was
already a renowned provider of mixing
plants for road surfacing. Proprietary
patents were registered in 1908, when
the first mobile mixing drums left the
factory in Switzerland. The drive with
which the company was continuously
improving its products brought with it
a necessary extension to the product
range for road builders and in 1911 the
first road rollers were built, equipped
with sophisticated technology right from
the start.
The road rollers worked by employing
the traditional technique of ‘static‘
compaction which is based on the
heavy weight of the roller. The
machines became increasingly heavier
and rolled majestically along whilst
surrounded by impressive clouds of
steam due to a lack of diesel engines.
They were known as compaction
trains, which consisted of the roller, the
coal tender, the water wagon and the
24
June 2011
compaction celebrates 100 years
caravan for the operator. The operator
never went home at the weekend but
rather stayed with his train throughout
the entire road-building season.
To this day, the concept of the static
three-wheeled roller is held in high
esteem by road-builders around the
world. Equipped with pneumatic tyres
as an alternative, these static models
have a balanced weight distribution
that achieves
an unsurpassed
compacted
surface
smoothness.
In 1914, just
three years later,
the patented
Ammann Rugel
roller, a manually
controlled roller
weighing 1.6
tonnes and driven
by a combustion
Ammann “Rugel” motor roller, 1914
Ammann built its first road
rollers in 1911. Even 100
years ago, the machines were
equipped with sophisticated
technology, but since then,
numerous further developments
have followed at a high pace
whilst fascinating technologies
are still taking the markets
by storm to this day. In this
article we take a look back at
Ammann’s 100 successful years
of constructing compaction
rollers, vibratory plates, trench
rollers and rammers, more
than 80 models of which work
continuously for road builders
around the globe today.
engine, was launched on the market.
Its major advantage was that it enabled
the professional compaction of smaller
roadworks, pavements and industrial areas.
From 1918 onwards, tar-based Macadam
surfaces were replaced by bitumen mixtures
and Ammann’s engineers used this groundbreaking
development to gain experience
for the design of the next generation of
asphalt mixing plants.

early DeVeloPments
The tireless developers at Ammann
soon produced a number of new models
of compaction rollers, characterised
by several technical advantages. The
new compact range was controlled by
an operator sitting on top of the roller;
its responsive steering - even though
mechanical in nature - left hardly any
offset tracks, whilst its drive was virtually
jolt-free and guaranteed a presentable,
smooth surface.
However, in America at the end of the
1920s, the occurrence of two dam bursts
(with grave consequences) triggered a
development in compaction technology
that marked an epochal turning point.
California’s water authorities defined
the measurement method developed
by American engineer Ralph Proctor -
named the ‘Proctor test’ in his memory
- as the minimum target requirement
for adequate substrate compaction.
Proctor’s work demonstrated in particular
that the moisture content of a substrate
is of crucial importance to the maximum
possible degree of compaction.
Pertinent to the development of
compaction equipment is that the
degree of compaction defined by the
Proctor Value could not be achieved
with the conventional method of static
compaction. This therefore led to the first
attempts to equip rollers with eccentrics,
causing the roller to vibrate, with models
being developed at Ammann during the
second half of the 1930s.
the neW era: ViBratory rollers
Following the Second World War
this new ‘vibratory’ method of
compaction gave rise to fascinating
technologies that in turn led to
seminal improvements in the
possibilities and quality of road
construction. From this point the
subsidence process of fresh earth
in the substructure of the road was
reduced to a minimum.
The first towed vibratory rollers
achieved compaction results that
were previously unknown. The
weight of the vibratory rollers no
longer played such a significant
role as it did in the preceding static
models; three to four times the level
of compaction was now achievable
with the same weight.
Once again, Ammann’s
development engineers saw an
opportunity to achieve more efficient
compaction results on earth and
asphalt substrates with compact
machines of a two tonne weight
category, a development welcomed
by site engineers.
The successful DTV (double tandem
vibration) range was developed at
the end of the 1960s, first in the
form of a vibrating drum followed
just a few years later by double
vibration, offering the operator
a broad spectrum of possible
uses. Offset drums prevented the
SPECIAL REPoRT
creation of tracks during asphalt
compaction, whilst an articulated
joint capable of oscillating by up
to 8° – the object of an Ammann
patent – followed twists in the
surface without causing cracks
and the side clearance enabled
compaction right up against
the wall. These ‘self-driving’
machines enabled the operator
to concentrate fully on the job in
hand without tiring.
Walk-behind vibratory rollers were
developed in Hennef during the
mid-1960s and found a market
niche in the 500 to 800 kg range;
the rapid development of urban
road networks and a variety of
uses soon made any building
site virtually unthinkable without
them. Nonetheless, there was
still room for further development
in the category of light-weight
mini-compactors. Unidirectional
and reversible vibratory plates
equipped with powerful petrol or
diesel engines met a demand that
is still growing today.
A trading partnership for
walk-behind rollers founded
in the 1970s culminated in
the acquisition of the German
company and, as a result, an
expedient addition to the model
range that secured a number of
valuable patents for Ammann.
Ammann three-wheeled motor roller with steering device, circa 1935 Ammann vibratory tandem roller with steering drum, 1967
June 2011
25

SPECIAL REPoRT
Milestones...
1911 Acquisition of the Swiss
patent for a small walk-behind roller.
Ulrich Ammann and his team can
already look back on 42 eventful years
of company history.
26
Articulated DTV 822
at work on the asphalt surface of the Gotthard tunnel in 1978
Ammann’s development engineers
spontaneously embraced a welcome
development in drive technology for
compaction rollers and put it to many
different uses – much to the benefit of
the company’s customers. Mechanical
drives were successively replaced by
hydrostats that were soon available to
the manufacturer in every performance
category. This epochal development
enabled the engineers to achieve
goals that had previously seemed
unattainable. Steplessly controllable
drives and smooth-driving, reversible
machines were soon an everyday
occurrence on construction sites.
Furthermore, these advantages soon
become prerequisites for installing
increasingly subtle bitumen recipes
with the necessary fine control.
Ammann was once again a step ahead
of the demands raised by road-building
engineers. The self regulating measuring
June 2011
and control system for compaction
rollers patented as Ammann ACE
and introduced during the mid-
1990s transformed the machines
into intelligent, thinking partners.
This ingenious technology became
available for Ammann machines of
1914 Launch of the Rugel roller
with a combustion engine.
Complete DTV product range: 12, 152, 222, 472 and 822
soPhisticateD DriVe technology: oil-hyDraulics
1935 First mounted roller
in the medium weight class enters
the market.
“everyone’s talking about it!”
every type and class in the years that
followed. Today, even hydrostatic
vibratory plates from Ammann
are able to increase or decrease
their compaction force depending
on the level of compaction and to
inform the operator continuously
of the compaction result.
Heavyweight asphalt compactors AV 95-2 and AV 130X with ACE, 2010
1967 The first Double
Tandem Vibratory roller DTV 22
leaves the factory in Langenthal.

ammΛnn –
a ValuaBle PartnershiP
Ammann Compaction has experienced
above-average growth over the past
20 years. Globalisation has resulted in
subsidiaries and trade partnerships on every
continent that support the main claim of the
Swiss company to provide the appropriate
service for every machine delivered
In response to the demand for greater
production capacity, the company’s
shareholders decided to make appropriate
investments to implement the growth phases
and secure its outstanding know-how. The
specialist for walk-behind double vibratory
rollers and vibratory plates in Hennef,
the globally established market leader for
vibratory trench rollers Rammax in Metzingen
(both in Germany), and finally, in 2005, the
specialist for single drum rollers in Nove
Mesto, Czech Republic, were the acquisitions
that, in addition to rapid organic growth,
have made Ammann one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of a complete range of
compaction machines.
In 2011, Ammann can look back on 100
successful years of building compaction
rollers, vibratory plates and rammers that are
in use around the world and represent the
foundation of many valuable partnerships
with road-building companies and retail
dealerships. Revolutionary development
is a continuous challenge to Ammann’s
engineers in their search for more economical
drive solutions and more effective vibration
technology. Respect for the environment is
the driving force behind Ammann’s research
into conservative and safe alternatives, and
every employee contributes towards tackling
these demanding challenges.
1984 Acquisition of
Duomat GmbH Hennef in
Germany. The factory produces
rammers and vibratory plates,
among other machinery
1995 Acquisition of
Rammax GmbH in Metzingen,
Germany. This is where the famous
trench rollers are manufactured.
2005 Acquisition of Stavostroj in
Nové Mesto nad Metuji, Czech Republic.
Heavyweight rollers and single drum rollers
complement Ammann’s product range.
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
SPECIAL REPoRT
AVH plate, 2010
Rammax trench roller, 2011
2011 Ammann Compaction is 100 years
old and consists of a product range of more
than 80 machine types. Close to 50 patents
protect the company’s innovative know-how.
June 2011
27

SPECIAL REPoRT
a Passion for training
An interview with Jonathan Young,
Technical Director, C&G Services
In this issue of PEP we continue to provide a focus upon the people within
industry, as we meet Mr Jonathan Young, the 40 year old Technical Director
at C&G Services, a widely recognised and respected training provider based
in Gloucestershire. Given the recent turmoil surrounding operator training and
competence development within the UK, it is a pleasure to report upon the
success of one of the next wave of professionals within our industry and also
allow Jonathan (or Jon as he’s known to his friends and family) to share his
insightful experiences and views about the industry.
Early beginnings
Jonathan left school at the age of 16
and akin to many senior managers
of today, moved directly into an
apprenticeship working for a local
plant hire company (Stroud Plant
Hire). During the apprenticeship Jon
acquired a real thirst for plant and
machinery and spent much of these
early formative years working on
items ranging from traffic lights and
concrete pokers right up to 360 degree
excavators, crushers and screeners,
wheeled backhoe loaders and mixers.
At the end of his apprenticeship he
achieved an Advanced Contractors
Plant Mechanics certificate (City
and Guilds) after studying part-time
at Stroud Technical College.
28
June 2011
Unfortunately for Jon, during the early
1990s many staff at the company
were being made redundant, and he
found it extremely difficult to find a job
following his apprenticeship. However
Jon persevered and over the next
few years undertook a series of jobs
which demonstrate not only his keen
ability to acquire gainful employment
but also his desire to succeed.
At first Jon found employment with
Cotswold Land Rover, completing
service and repairs of Land Rovers,
from vintage models to Discovery
and Range Rovers. This job
introduced him to a new avenue of
experience – customer service!
Jon commented: “We were exposed
to customers – it was their vehicles.
One minute you’re fixing dumpers the
next you’re talking to a man who owns
his vehicle and is organising a shoot
– both experiences represented two
very different types of service. The
environment was spotlessly clean;
personal appearance and meeting
customer expectations were key in
the business and I hadn’t worked to
book times before - book times are
the times that the manufacturer states
that a certain job can be completed
by. For example, a full service on
a Land Rover might take six hours
but you might have several jobs
on the go at any one time - that’s
how you made the money but it
taught you time management.”
Although Jon enjoyed his job at
Cotswold Land Rover he missed the
diversity of the plant and machinery
industry, commenting that “It was
the same job, same environment,
day after day.” So, after applying
for various jobs he took up a post at
Ermin Plant Hire, Gloucestershire
- a company still trading today.
Jon was initially employed as a
workshop mechanic based in the
Gloucester Depot but was soon
operating between depots over a
wider area. He worked with anything
from small hand tools and traffic light
systems, to mobile machinery and
platforms, then later with scaffolding
and the relatively newer equipment
of that time, such as mini excavators
and telehandlers. Over a three year
period, Jon expanded his knowledge
and skills; although he worked
predominantly as a mechanic he
also served on the sales counter and
dealt directly with trades, including
delivery and collection. He said: “It
was a great experience – a small
bunch of guys working in a tight knit
environment with great opportunities
for young people to learn the trade
from a variety of perspectives.”
In Jon’s next career jump he took up the
position of assistant depot manager at
a company called Just Dial Rentals who
were involved with plant hire, dealing
predominantly with Hitachi excavators
up to 40 tonne, up to 22 tonne loading
shovels in the mid-to-heavy range
and construction equipment including
500 KWA static generators. However,
due to troubled economic times, the
company closed down after about
a year of Jon joining and he had to
move on again, this time to Sticklands
PLC where he was employed
as a sales engineer for crawler
undercarriage/ground engagement
gear for approximately two years.
Jon’s path over these years clearly
exhibits a keen will and ability to
succeed despite the economic climate
– his hard work and determination
set an inspiring example for those
searching for work today!

Introducing C&G Services
Jon joined transport and industry
training specialist C&G Services aged
just 26, winning the position because of
his diverse interpersonal and academic
skills and importantly his plant
experience and machinery operating
certificates. Jon told of the great
respect he has developed for Managing
Director, Bob Oldmeadow, who has
not only become his much respected
mentor, but also his father-in-law as
Jon had previously met his daughter
Lisa, to who he is now married!
At the time that Jon joined C & G
Services, the company was
predominantly logistics-based, working
with forklifts and cranes, but Bob
saw that Jon could add value to the
company by giving it a new training
dimension. Jon initially worked as
a trainer and as contracts grew
within the utilities sector he moved
out to Cheshire where he dealt with
training in the northern region and
across into Wales for Welsh Water.
Jon Young with his wife Lisa
Jon built up
considerable
experience and
knowledge as a
construction plant
trainer during this
period, and when he
moved back down to
Gloucestershire to
work with companies
such as Thames
Power stations, he
started to manage
bespoke and
specialised ‘tailor
made’ courses for
customers. The
aim was to give the
customers value
added service
which was focused
on their particular
work, environment
and procedures.
As a technical
manager, Jon
quickly built up an
impressive portfolio
of experience in
building legitimate courses mapped
against legislation and standards.
He also created an auditable trail to
support course design and delivery
which is now audited via ISO standards.
He said: “Using training files, we build
courses to fulfil customer needs,
including many bespoke specifics such
as working procedure and how this is
implemented. As part of the process,
we take various BSIs and/or the
National Occupational Standards (NOS)
and build these into the course. Then
the paperwork to support delivery is
produced and a portfolio of knowledge
is mapped against individual training
provider skills and knowledge. Only at
this stage do we offer a pilot course –
having a desk top assessment is one
thing, but you ideally need to run the
course in front of individuals to see how
it works, how it’s received and whether
any further fine tuning is required in
agreement with the customer. The
aim is to achieve course consistency
and the Mellor Loop contained in
OPERC’s Best Practice Guide for
Plant Instructors is of great use.”
SPECIAL REPoRT
Jon has much to be proud of, but
his flare and passion for business is
best exhibited by the fact that during
his four year tenure as a company
director, C&G Services has grown from
strength to strength, now achieving
up to circa £1.5 million turnover.
The importance of training
Clearly training and competence
development are at the heart of Jon’s
professional interests and to underpin
this, he told us: “From my own point
of view, training is a way of portraying
the right image of a company - highly
trained, skilled and competent especially
if the company is public facing. Through
effective training you should see an
increase in productivity (provided you’ve
selected the right people), a reduction
in accident rates and an increase in the
levels of motivation. Well trained people
are generally more motivated and the
training gives people a greater ability to
problem solve because they understand
the mechanics of their job better and
this makes them more responsible.
“C & G Services is a people business
and we’re a very diverse little company.
We’ve worked for all sorts of companies
and industrialists, take for example
AIRBUS, designing very specific
courses, such as in this instrance
moving composite wing skins for
the A400M, which is the Hercules
replacement. We’ve trained some very
important and prestigious people over
the years but the common denominator
is that they all acknowledge that
training is the key to success.”
C & G Services headquarters
June 2011
29

SPECIAL REPoRT
a Passion for training (continued...)
30
Looking to the Future
Looking to the future, we asked Jon
how he sees the industry moving
forward and what advice and
guidance he would have to offer?
He said: “It’s not new but my hope
is that training and education will be
rationalised so that there is a national
standard and greater co-operation and
understanding between the various
training bodies out there. It must cost
industry and individuals a fortune at
present and if one scheme is as good
as another, then why insist on one
scheme alone? This would be a very
positive thing because there is so much
wasted time and money due to the
smoke and mirrors created by some
of the schemes out there – there are
unnecessary levels of administration
and bureaucracy introduced into
training without necessarily transmitting
added value to the individual and that’s
frustrating for the end user because
there’s a constant cost. The whole
change of government seems to be
based upon the premise that processes
should be streamlined and individuals
made more responsible (an integral part
of any training outcome) – if we could
take out red tape, we would have a
higher performing country as a whole.”
Jon continued: “You have to have
incentives to make employers meet the
cost of training someone to become an
effective member of that team. If there’s
no incentive, many employers can’t
afford the full costs of training - that
incentive may be monetary, a grant or
June 2011
something similar. If this is measured
against the outcome and the added
value then you’re actually investing in
our [the country’s] future. Part of the
reason that we’re in this economic
mess now is because investment in
people at school has gone down the
purely academic route; not to decry
that, but that route is not suitable
for everyone who comes out of
school. So moving forward, schools
should also be teaching woodwork,
electronics and metalwork, and
streaming some people more
into producing something rather
than preparing them for work in a
service sector. Policing is key to
any funding released because we
have all heard of companies who
rubber stamp training when very
little benefit has been gained – and
this doesn’t do anyone any good.
“We need apprenticeships now
and that would be a real benefit
for the country, across industry,
to go back to capturing younger
people and giving them the tools
for the future – take myself as an
example, in and out of work over
the recession but because of the
training and experience acquired,
I could always find a job and move
up the ladder. My father, who had
his own engineering business, said
I was acquiring a skill and whatever
happened thereafter, that skill
would always be there to fall back
on and he’s never been wrong.”
When asked for just one piece of
advice he
could offer
the younger
generations,
Jon said: “A
life lesson for
me was that
you need the
ability to adapt
and overcome
so you have
to develop the
ability to think
on your feet.”
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Linch pin
retaining
clips on a
quick hitch
In addition to the pre-start checks for
the quick-hitch, the operator must
ensure that as the equipment runs
the course of its works cycle he/she
maintains a clear line of sight regarding
hitch pin security.
To aid this process, operators should
ensure, wherever possible, that the
linch pin retaining clips are inserted
through the hitch pins on the operator/
cab side of the equipment. This will
allow the operator to quickly notice any
damage or loss to these vital, hitch
security components.
Mud Muppet is very grateful to CPCS
Monitor Kevin McDonagh, for the above
tip. Kevin had previously worked
extensively in the piling industry where
vibration issues necessitated constant
checks on piling rig mast retaining pins.

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Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
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June 2011
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31

ExPERT oPINIoN
32
exPert oPinion: Hard Hats and Hot Heads
In this article Matthew Judson looks at safety helmets, and the hard headed decisions which specifiers sometimes have to make.
The Construction (Head
Protection) Regulations
of 1989 and the Personal
Protective Equipment
at Work Regulations of
1992 make it very clear
that safety helmets are
a good thing. However,
they fail to explain
which kind of helmet
should be worn and
where, often leaving the
site foreman, the safety
manager and ultimately
the employee himself
with his head between a
rock and a hard place.
Test equipment ready to perform an impact test on the
crown of the helmet
June 2011
meeting and exceeding the stanDarDs
Standards are vital in many respects,
and if the rock was electrified we would
be comforted to see on the helmet the
electrical insulating standard EN50365.
If the hard place was also a hot place, a
nice ‘+1500 C’ symbol would reassure
us that our head protection won’t
melt into a colourful, gooey wig. But
standards can only go so far and some
of them, such as the high performance
industrial helmet standard EN14052,
didn’t exist when the regulations were
written two decades ago. Where
the standard leaves off, a good risk
assessment and a modicum of common
sense will finish the task.
The standard ‘standard’ for industrial
safety helmets is EN 397 and sets a
base level of protection against the
impact of falling objects to the crown
of the head. The standard is easily
attained, and leaves a lot of flexibility
for products that are stronger, lighter,
more secure on the head
or more comfortable to the
wearer.
There is for example one
new helmet that is 20 per
cent lighter than most
similar PPE, while still well
within the parameters of
EN397. It is made of ABS,
which is actually heavier
than the more usual highdensity
polyethylene, but
has properties which allow
it to be moulded with less
material without sacrificing
a significant amount of
strength.
This product might be the
right choice for a moderate
risk environment such as a
low rise construction site,
where the risk assessment
would show little chance of
The new JSP EVO Lite, made of high-strength
ABS, weighs 20 per cent less than a standard
EN397 safety helmet
workers being struck by objects falling
from height. Other helmets with thicker
shells would be more suitable on high
rise sites, or where materials are being
moved by crane and at risk of slipping.
A safety bulletin issued some years ago
by Dutco Balfour Beatty-LLC referred to
one such accident when superior PPE
saved a life when a lesser helmet which
complied with the same standard would
not have done.
The bulletin stated: “Our workers were
engaged in shifting a mobile scaffold
tower approximately six metres high.
They had placed some cable trays and
trunking on the suspended supports,
which were to be fixed. As the scaffold
tower was being shifted it accidentally
hit the cable trays and the trunking
fell down. A couple of workers were
standing below. One worker looked up
to see what was happening. The metal
trunking was falling vertically above the
peak of the helmet as he looked up.
The corner penetrated through the shell
causing a deep cut on his forehead,
which was administered with three
stitches later at the hospital. The victim
basically escaped a fatal injury because
of the good quality of the JSP industrial
safety helmet that he was wearing.”

higher Performance stanDarD en14052
That was the common EN 397, but in
2005 a higher performance standard
was defined as EN14052, making
available an industrial safety helmet
with considerably enhanced crown
penetration resistance and side
impact protection.
EN397
EN14052 introduced an impact test
in which the helmet is hit twice, once
close to the crown by a 5kg weight
dropped from 2 metres, and again by
the same weight dropped from one
metre and striking the shell at between
15 and 60 degrees, to test side impact
performance. The standard also
includes a two strike penetration test
with a 1kg flat bladed striker. This is
first dropped onto the crown area of the
helmet from 2.5 metres, and then again
onto the shell from 2 metres at an angle
between 15 and 60 degrees.
High performance industrial helmets
protect the wearer from falling objects
and off crown impacts and the resulting
brain, skull and neck injury. Although
some emergency services use the
higher specification helmets, there are
no regulations mandating this standard
Article by Mr Matthew Judson, Respiratory
and Technical Support Director, JSP
JSP testing procedures exceed requirements
for both EN397 and EN10452
EN10452
in other working environments, and
only one manufacturer is producing a
high performance industrial helmet for
the high risk industries such as mining
and tunnelling, demolition, construction,
refineries, and offshore working.
ExPERT oPINIoN
BELOW LEFT: The JSP Mk 8 Evolution
helmet (EVO8) is the only industrial safety
helmet that meets and exceeds the new far
tougher head protection standard EN14052.
BELOW RIGHT: The inner side of the EVO8
June 2011
33

ExPERT oPINIoN
34
exPert oPinion: Hard Hats and Hot Heads
Continued....
selecting the right heaD Protection
The Construction (Head Protection)
Regulations 1989 require that suitable
head protection be provided and
worn whenever there is a risk of head
injury. The risk may be from falling
materials or from walking into stationary
hazards in awkward, cramped working
situations; helmets must be worn in any
designated ‘hard hat’ area and only
turban wearing Sikhs are exempt.
Construction sites are often blanket
hard hat areas, and the debate
continues over whether superior
performance helmets, the usual EN397
compliant helmets, bump caps or even
no head protection at all is acceptable.
Roofers might argue that helmets are
designed to protect against falling
objects, and those people working at the
highest point on a site where there is no
risk of falling objects, should be exempt.
Workers such as electricians and
plumbers toiling in enclosed areas
are also at low risk of falling objects,
but higher risk of bumps and scrapes.
Industrial bump caps meeting the
requirements of EN 812 are intended
to provide protection against the effects
of striking the head against hard
stationary objects, but are not intended
to protect against falling or thrown
objects, or moving or suspended loads.
The JSP HardCap A1 - sleek and low profile -
and it exceeds the most recent EN 812 standards
June 2011
If you are in control of a site you need
to assess the risks of every job in
every location. The selection of head
protection for any task hinges upon
the effective risk assessment, and its
recommendations are likely to begin
with a hierarchy of control measures
to ameliorate the hazard long before
head protection is recommended
to defend against residual risk.
The regulations allow you to rule where
and when helmets are mandatory,
and these rules must apply to
everyone on site, including short and
long term visitors; rules should be in
writing and brought to the attention
of all who may be affected. Enforcing
the rules is another matter, and
although today’s safety headwear
offers more protection and comfort
than ever before, many workers still
complain that it is uncomfortable,
unnecessary or simply uncool!
For the majority of industrial
environments, the risk assessment
recommendations can be satisfied by
an industrial safety helmet meeting
European Standard EN 397 or a bump
cap meeting EN 812. But other factors
will influence the choice of helmet, such
as extremes of temperature and the
materials and chemicals being worked
with. Some chemicals may cause
rapid deterioration of certain helmet
materials robbing them of energy
absorbing properties and shortening
their life. Heat is another factor, and
there are helmets that can withstand
radiated heat exceeding 150°C,
while still conforming to the
lateral deformation tests
of standard EN397.
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Risk assessments may show up other
hazards, and eye protectors, ear
defenders and respirators may also be
needed in conjunction with the helmet.
It is essential that each item of PPE
worn is compatible with the others.
Compatibility is about wearer comfort
and the continued performance of
each item. In such cases the helmet
manufacturer is the best source of
advice, because helmets are made
in a number of materials and come
with a range of accessories.
Head protection should not impede
the task being carried out, and a
peaked helmet for example may
not be suitable for a surveyor taking
measurements or a scaffolder
who needs an unrestricted upward
field of vision. Chin straps will be
necessary if the job involves windy
conditions, especially at height,
or demands frequent bending
over or looking upwards.
The JSP Mk7 H-Temp 150 - EN 397 head
protection with extra high temperature
resistance of up to 150°C

ExPERT oPINIoN
correct use anD maintenance more than comPlying
With regulations
Wearers should not overestimate how
much protection they can expect from
their helmet. Someone in an industrial
safety helmet could assume reasonable
protection from a falling object of
5 kilogram mass with a velocity of
approximately 5 metres per second.
This could be a house brick falling from
1 metre. If the mass is greater than 5
kilogram or the drop more than 1 metre,
the protection offered will be less.
Staff should be encouraged to respect
their helmet and always use it for the
intended purpose. A helmet can only
deliver its full protection if adjusted
and worn correctly, and helmet size
should be appropriate for the wearer,
with harness tight but comfortable. The
practice of reversing helmets on the
head prevents the helmet functioning as
designed and in an impact the helmet will
not provide its maximum protection.
Users should regularly inspect
both the helmet shell and harness
for signs of wear. Deep abrasions
or scuffs will weaken the helmet
and are a suitable reason for
replacement, as are cracks or
damage to the harness. Helmets
are marked with their manufacture
date, and if treated with care should
provide adequate protection for
up to five years. Products stored
in boxes and not exposed to
environmental extremes should
have an unlimited shelf life, but the
condition of a helmet is much more
important than its age. Helmets
are frequently dropped, thrown and
stored on the parcel shelf of cars,
and all of these should be avoided
if the integrity of the helmet is to be
maintained.
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
Almost 2,000 people in the UK
suffered major but non–fatal head
injuries in 2007/08, and a further
39 people died from head injuries
sustained at work. Some of
these tragedies could have been
averted by safety helmets of a
higher specification, but although
the European Standard for high
performance industrial helmets has
been available since 2005, they aren’t
mandatory PPE in any situation.
The materials and technology
of today’s safety industry are far
removed from the ‘hard boiled’
canvass hats worn by US workers
during WW1, or the aluminium
helmets which epitomised US
construction in the 1930’s. Safety has
become as important in construction
as the architects’ plans or the
concrete and steel which bring them
to life. Taking time to consider the
equipment offered to workers is now
more than ever to do with finding
the right tools for the job, rather than
merely complying with regulations.
June 2011
35

IN ACTIoN
Dutch demolition rental specialist,
Dehaco, was recently presented with a
challenging enquiry from a contractor
working at an industrial complex which
had recently been devastated by a fire.
Although the emergency services had
successfully managed to bring the blaze
under control, a number of hot spots
were uncovered during the clearance
process and a risk assessment showed
that they may possibly reignite.
The contractor needed equipment
that would ensure that the hot spots
were properly contained and they
contacted Dehaco for advice. After
some discussion with the manufacturer,
Dehaco recommended the use of a
Dustfighter dust suppression unit,
which they believed would be ideally
suited for this type of application.
The Dustfighter is commonly used
on demolition sites to control harmful
36
June 2011
the Dustfighter
fights fire
residual dust by producing a fine
mist of water through a series of
high-pressure jets. The mist is
propelled onto the site by a powerful
fan, covering a wide area in just a
few moments, rendering the area
free from unhealthy and hazardous
material. The Dust Fighter has
a range of up to 60 metres, in
windless conditions, and is powered
by three-phase electricity whilst
mounted on a 3–wheeled trolley.
“We designed the Dustfighter to
damp down dust on demolition
and construction sites,” explained
Paul Hay, DF Ecology’s
international business manager,
“however we had no hesitation
in recommending it for this type
of application. The Dustfighter’s
fine spray and oscillation would
ensure that water is evenly spread
across the affected area”.
The Dustfighter is manufactured
by Milan based, DF Ecology. The
company concentrates on the design
and development of innovative
construction site machinery which
incorporate a range of environmental
features, bringing together benefits
for both the operator and the wider
environment. In 2010, the Dustfighter
scooped an award from European
Rental Association, being described by
the judges as a “fantastic niche product
and an environmentally important one.”
Dehaco is based in Lisserbroek, just
south of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
The company markets a wide range of
demolition and remediation equipment,
with a large rental fleet and a centre
for testing equipment. Dehaco
operates throughout the Benelux
region and is one of the leaders in
dust control, demolition material,
asbestos and soil decontamination.

Specialist geotechnical
contractor, Bachy Soletanche,
has been working on a 10 week
£500,000 piling contract for
Hanson Contracting to build the
foundations for the Hellrigg Wind
Farm in a remote location near
the Solway Firth between Cumbria
and Dumfries and Galloway.
Due to last 10 weeks in duration, the
contract involves the piling for four large
wind turbines where four massive piled
overnight works by costain
installing a new rail works signal
Work on the new Harbour Way
Peripheral Distributor Road
(PDR), in Wales, has gathered
speed with the installation
of a new railway signal.
IN ACTIoN
Bachy soletanche powers
up for wind turbine piling
foundations
are required.
The piles will
be constructed
with segmental
casing and
under a
bentonite
suspension due to the properties
of the soil and the unstable
ground. Each base will contain
16 x 900mm diameter piles which
vary in depth from 25.0m 38.0m.
Heavy duty large diameter auger
(LDA) rigs are being used to construct
the deep piles on this remote site.
Due to its location, and the worse
than usual weather conditions,
access and logistics had to be
taken into consideration and health
and safety on site is paramount.
Heavy machinery, 26 hours and 60
pairs of hands went into removing the
old train signal behind Byass Street and
installing a new one 100 yards in front.
The works, carried out by Costain and
its sub-contractor Centregreat Rail,
Steve Mallinson, Contracts Manager
for Bachy Soletanche, said: “The
Hellrigg Wind Farm will consist of four
396-foot high wind turbines with a total
generating capacity of 10MW and will
considerably increase the amount of
renewable energy in the North West
when work is complete. The site is in
a remote location and we are using
large piling rigs and cranes and making
sure that there’s as little disruption as
possible to the surrounding area.”
After six years in the planning, the wind
farm was given the go ahead in 2009
and Bachy Soletanche commenced
its work on 16th February 2011. The
wind farm at Hellrigg will make an
important contribution to meeting the
UK’s renewable energy targets of
supplying 15 per cent of electricity
from renewable sources by 2015.
took place overnight to make sure
disruptions to rail services were kept
to a minimum.
The signal has been moved to
accommodate a new 150 yard tunnel
which will be built as part of the
£107million project, and will be the
point where the new road crosses
the railway.
The new road, which is part of the
largest transport project in Wales since
the creation of the M4 and funded
by European grants and the Welsh
Assembly, is due to be completed in
the autumn of 2013.
John Skentelbery, Project Manager for
Costain, said: “Months of preparation
and close liaison with Network Rail
has resulted in the safe and successful
completion of this significant milestone
in the Harbour Way Project.”
Rhys Griffith, Project Manager for
Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “
The signal move was the culmination
of months of planning and co-operation
by several stakeholders involved in
the project.”
June 2011
37

IN ACTIoN
Wheeled loaders one, telehandlers nil!
A modified Case loading shovel has replaced a telehandler in a
vital production capacity at a tile-manufacturing facility near Stoke.
The Case 621 EXR machine has
been introduced by Johnson Tiles of
Tunstall - the largest UK manufacturer of
ceramic wall and floor tiles - to work at
the sharp end of its production process.
The machine is being used to stockpile
incoming raw material, such as clay
and limestone delivered in bulk, and to
feed the material into the tile-making
procedure. It is also used to pull a
trailer that collects reject tiles which are
then also fed back into the production
process.
For the past ten years, since the plant
was inaugurated, the company had
used a telehandler for all these roles.
However, the end of the previous
ownership contract provided a catalyst
for change. “It was normal to look at
what we did and why we did it that way,
and to ask the question ‘Is there a better
option?’” explained Jason Bridges,
engineering buyer for Johnson Tiles.
That better option proved to be a CASE
621 EXR loading shovel. The machine
was modified with longer arms to allow it
to reach into the production hoppers and
also ensure stockpiles could be kept as
high as possible. It was also fitted with a
heavy duty high-tip bucket, a hydraulic
tow-hitch and monitoring camera as well
as heavy-duty mine tyres for working in
such a harsh environment.
“We took a bit of a risk, a calculated
risk, in changing the way we work,” said
Bridges. “But the new loader does the
job and it does it well. It was absolutely
the right decision.”
38
June 2011
an imaginative solution
Stockport-based Arnold Plant, the
supplier of the new Case machine,
was the only company bold enough to
offer an alternative to the telehandler
arrangement. However, the acid test
was being able to prove it could work
in practice. A visit to a similar working
environment to see a loading shovel in
action and a direct, on-site comparison
between the two machines did the job.
“The biggest thing for us was the
promise of reliability. In a side-by-side
comparison with the telehandler we
could see the difference in the strain
being placed on the two vehicles.
On the telehandler we were forever
breaking half-shafts. With the shovel
you could load the bucket on tickover,”
Bridges pointed out. This was all the
more important with the company’s
plans to increase production by a
further 30% imminent.
crucial backup
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Even with such a reliable machine, it
was still essential for Johnson Tiles that
the supplier could provide support with
effective backup as part of the three
year/10,000 hour lease arrangement.
“The loader works at the front end of
the operation,” Bridges explained. “As
a result, the strategic importance of the
shovel cannot be underestimated. If it
breaks down we might have no more
than two days grace to get it running
again.”
Fortunately, Arnold Plant’s combined
experience of having already maintained
Johnson Tiles’ existing machines and
of having supplied loading shovels
into a variety of equally pressurised
production roles stood them in good
stead. “We understood the machine and
the potential pressures of the job it had
to do, and we had the experience to
be able to back it up,” explained Stuart
Hunter, business development director
at Arnold Plant.
The company also had the ability to
modify the machine to meet the specific
requirements of the job. “We knew
what was required and we had good
support from Case dealer Warwick
Ward to make it meet the necessary
specifications.”
So far, the machine has been a
resounding success. “When we had the
telehandlers we’d have a breakdown at
least once a week. So far with the CASE
621EXR there have been a few niggles
but no major issues at all. It’s simply
more fit for purpose,” Bridges concluded.

’s
marathon effort
In the run up to this year’s London
marathon, The Mall in Westminster
was a hive of activity, with national,
multi-product hire specialist Hewden
providing a range of machines to
ensure that the stage was set for one
of the world’s biggest running events.
With over 35,000 participants tackling
the 26.2 mile course, it was essential
that the finishing line and surrounding
facilities were in place and that the
route was prepared, safe and secure.
London Marathon plc was able to
hire all of the necessary plant and
equipment from just one local Hewden
depot, in Wokingham, reducing
transport costs and emissions. A
combination of rough terrain forklift
trucks, five telehandlers and two
cherry pickers were supplied.
The equipment was used for a
variety of activities, including the
positioning of barriers, moving and
placement of the portable toilet
facilities as well as helping with
the erection of the finish line.
Andrew Smith, deputy operations
manager for London Marathon plc
said: “Timing is the key element
to this job and Hewden didn’t fail.
The delivery times and collection
were first class, ensuring the
smooth running of the site.”
No 13
construct-a-gram
construct-a-gram
D
PriZe comPetition
I
A Y C
L
D
U
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Clue: Machine part
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
CoMPETITIoN
U
S
R H
Can you solve this anagram?
Then email your answer to
pep@operc.com, quoting
“Construct-A-Gram No 13”, and
you could win a copy of Dr Plant’s
Construct-A-Grams (RRP £5.99).
The book contains another 50 of these
brain-teasing anagrams, each with a
humorous illustration by Geoff Tristram.
Closing date for entries is August 31 st
2011 and four winners will be drawn at
random from correct entries received.
June 2011
39

AwARDS
another industry award
win for a-Plant innovation
A-Plant is celebrating after
receiving a further award
for the Auto Tool Hire Unit
at the inaugural Institute
of Water (IOW) National
Innovation Awards, hosted
at the President’s Dinner
Dance, Brangwyn Hall,
Swansea. Competing
against leading industry
names, including Morgan
Sindall and Yorkshire
Water, the Auto Tool Hire
Unit emerged victorious
above the other eight
shortlisted contenders.
The Institute of Water has
been running the Annual
Innovation Awards in Wales,
at which the Auto Tool Hire
Unit won ‘Product of the
Year’ in 2010, for the last 5
years. Although extremely
successful these were
available only to companies
working with Dwr Cymru
Welsh Water. The first
National Innovation Awards
were open to organisations
across the UK and were
inspired and presented by
Martin Cave, Professor
and Director of the Centre
for Management under
Regulation
at Warwick
Business
School.
Speaking
about the
awards
Professor
Cave said:
“Innovation
is always
important,
but given the
challenges of
climate change
and rising
energy costs, it
has never been
as important
for the water
40
June 2011
sector as it will be over
the next decade….I have
been very impressed by the
innovations I have seen in
the sector from firms large
and small.”
The Auto Tool Hire Unit won
the Iow National Innovation
Award due to its potential to
radically change the way in
which plant and equipment
is ordered and managed on
site and for offering both the
customer and supplier an
opportunity to dramatically
reduce their costs, as well as
their carbon footprint.
A-Plant’s Business
Development Director,
Neil Beglin, commented:
“The Auto Tool Hire Unit
is a true representation of
A-Plant’s commitment to
both providing and designing
the most innovative and
technologically advanced
products to our customers.
We are extremely proud
that the Auto Tool Hire Unit
has been embraced into
the industry and that our
customers and suppliers alike
are supporting the product.”
Bachy soletanche takes
home gold at ge awards
Specialist geotechnical
contractors, Bachy
Soletanche, alongside
MWH and United
Utilities, has been
awarded the accolade
of ‘Geotechnical/
geoenvironmental
UK project up to £1m’
at this year’s Ground
Engineering Awards for
the slope stabilisation of
the Thirlmere aqueduct
at Nab Scar in Cumbria.
The £1.2m contract,
which saw the Bachy
Soletanche team conduct
a two phase permeation
grouting, mini-piling
and tension pile project
alongside a fast track
four week outage, posed
obstacles including
getting machinery up a
440m fell and creating
a platform off a 40
degree cliff face.
Bachy used its
permeation grouting
technique to stabilise
areas of rock which had
been disturbed over
the years and went on
to successfully install
34, 220mm diameter
mini piles, drilled up to
a depth of 16m into the
hard rock hillside where
the aqueduct crossed
Nab Scar. Tension piles
were also constructed in
conjunction with the mini
piles. This combination
of techniques was the
best viable solution to
successfully carry out the
remedial work due to the
restricted access of the
aqueduct and getting the
equipment up the fell.
Bachy Soletanche’s
Business Development
Manager, Paul
Hodgson, said:
“It’s a great honour to win
at the Ground Engineering
awards and have our
work on a particularly
tricky project recognised.
These occasions are great
for bringing the industry
together and I’d like to
congratulate all other
winners and wish everyone
a successful 2011.”

JcB torquelock
innovation
honoured with
Queen’s award
A product innovation that reduces fuel
usage on JCB diggers, and allows
operators to get to site more quickly, has
been recognised with one of the highest
honours in the UK – a Queen’s Award.
The Queen’s Award for Innovation
has been handed to JCB for developing
a product called TorqueLock which
is fitted to the company’s biggest
selling product, the backhoe loader.
The patented TorqueLock system
eliminates torque convertor slippage
on JCB backhoes and significantly
increases the on-road efficiency of the
digger by reducing fuel consumption
and exhaust emissions by up to
25%. It also enables JCB backhoes
to be driven at higher speeds uphill,
eliminating the need for transporters.
The Queen’s Award is the 26th to
be won by the JCB Group since
the first one was granted in 1969
– a record for a UK company.
JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford
said: “JCB’s success over the past 65
years has been built on developing
machines that are innovative and
which enable our customers all
over the world to do their job more
productively and at less cost.
“JCB TorqueLock is just one innovation
among many that we’ve produced
with our customers’ needs in mind
and I’m delighted for the whole team
at JCB that its development has been
recognised with a Queen’s Award.”
June 2011
AwARDS
ice award success for Birse
civils south’s Western region
More than 350 engineering
professionals attended the ICE West
Midlands Awards in Birmingham
on 19 May 2011 and were treated
to a master class in design,
project management, construction
and delivery to exacting safety,
programme and quality standards.
The awards, which were this year
hosted by Professor Carl Chinn and
presented by Peter Hansford, ICE
President 2010-11, celebrate the
best in civil engineering projects
across the West Midlands. In 2011
they were dominated by the Birse
South’s Western Region and Birse
Rail led team who are delivering the
£16m Selly Oak New Road Phase 2
scheme for Birmingham City Council.
The team behind the design of
phase two of the road won the
Innovation Award and the Overall
Award for the imaginative way in
which they developed alternative
proposals to enable the road to
pass the embankment which carries
the Birmingham to Gloucester
Railway and Birmingham Canal.
The team that delivered the construction
of the underbridges as part of the same
project won the Construction Award and
the project was also highly commended
for the Sustainability Award.
The Selly Oak New Road is part of the
highway works undertaken to enable
access to the £500m Queen Elizabeth
Hospital. Birmingham City Council
awarded Birse Civils and its partners the
contract to construct Phase 2 in 2009.
The professionalism and
teamwork demonstrated by
the project team has taken
a project from a proposed
tender alternative to the
complete and successful
delivery. The successful
bridge lift over Christmas
and New Year 2010/2011
saw the heaviest concrete
structure moved in Europe
last year. The 4,026 tonne
Railway Underbridge 18a,
was tracked into place to carry
the Birmingham to Gloucester
railway with hours to spare of the
designated 101 hour closure period.
Damian McGettrick, Chairman
of ICE West Midlands said:
“Birmingham has seen some major
civil engineering projects coming to
fruition this year which is reflected
in the winners at the awards.The
Selly Oak New Road Phase 2 has
required a huge amount of planning
and design and delivery in order
to deliver a vital scheme without
significant disruption to commuters
and local communities. Such
challenges are faced every day by
civil engineers and the awards have
been an opportunity to recognise
the contribution they make to
society. I want to congratulate all of
the winners and highly commended
projects for the manner in which,
in a number of ways, they showed
excellence in civil engineering.”
41

EVENTS
This year’s Annual General
Meeting of the Contractors
Mechanical Plant Engineers
(CMPE) was held at the Marriot
Hotel in Northampton and very
professionally organised by Mr
Gerry Hill, National Treasurer and
Northampton Branch member.
In idyllic surroundings, CMPE
members converged for a day
of lively debate, formal business
matters and networking.
Top of the agenda items were marketing
and promotion of the association (led by
Mr Gerald Bingham, Preston and Fylde
Branch) and a comprehensive update
on the Certificate of Competence
(CoC) card scheme. Mr Bingham
emphasised the need for CMPE to
continue in its commitment to market
itself far more vigorously and provided
examples of major national events,
including Scotplant and Hillhead, where
CMPE exhibition stands had been
extremely well received, attracting new
members and generating considerable
attention for the new CoC Gold card.
Outgoing Chairman, Mr Malcolm Webb,
Sussex Branch
42
June 2011
cmPe agm 2011
Welcoming in the new
national chairman
Each year, the CMPE rotates the post
of National Chairman, with the outgoing
Chairman retiring to make way for the
previous year’s National Vice Chairman
to step up to the post. This year the
association extended its thanks to
retiring National Chairman, Mr Malcolm
Webb (Sussex Branch) and issued a
warm welcome to the incoming one,
Mr Bob Nugent (Northampton Branch).
In his closing speech, Mr Webb
thanked CMPE members for their
help and support during his tenure
as National Chairman, and extended
particular appreciation to the branches
he had visited for their hospitality and
encouragement. Although he was sad
to step down, Mr Webb said he was
confident that the incoming Chairman
would do equally well in his tenure.
The incoming National Chairman,
Mr Nugent, was unfortunately unable
to attend the AGM due to a hip
fracture he had incurred in a recent
incident, a real tragedy for a man who
has always been passionate about
the CMPE and industry affairs.
One fellow branch member paid tribute
to Mr Nugent and said: “Bob has been a
long term member and stalwart support
of CMPE over many years and has an
industry insight and professionalism
that is second to none. He has made
some superb contributions to the
management and promotion of the
Northampton branch and the members
have every confidence that Bob will
be an invaluable asset to National
Council as our Chairman. These are
difficult times given the economic
crisis that we still face as an industry
and so members in the association
“everyone’s talking about it!”
will appreciate and value his strong
leadership at the helm over the next
12 months.”
Mr Frank Fiveash (Sussex branch)
added: “Bob joined the CMPE
Northampton Branch in 1986, serving
the branch well since that time, and in
1996 he became National Chairman
for the first time. Joining John Laing
and Son as an apprentice at 15, he
worked his way through all the vast
range of mechanical plant owned by
that company, repairing everything
mechanical from a BSA Bantam
motor bike to walking draglines and
Euclid dump trucks. He has spent
the last 10 years involved with crane
hire and its operations. We wish him
a speedy recovery and look forward
to seeing him in action again.”
frank hooper Prize
In Mr Nugent’s absence, Mr Pat
Bowring (Wessex Branch) adopted
the role of acting National Chairman
and had the pleasure of presenting
the annual Frank Hooper prize for
an outstanding contribution to the
Mr Pete Attwood, Wessex Branch (left), receiving the
Frank Hooper prize shield from Mr Pat Bowring, acting
National Chairman (right).

CMPE and industry. This year’s
deserving winner was Mr Pete
Attwood who has made a tremendous
contribution to enhancing the
professionalism of the industry.
Mr Bowring said: “Pete has made an
outstanding contribution to improving
industry standards and has tirelessly
worked to ensure that both his branch
and CMPE National are promoted
within the heart of industry. No
one deserves this award more.”
incoming national
Vice chairman
A surprise announcement was that
Professor David Edwards (Staffs
and Midlands Branch), Founder
of OPERC and Director of the
Centre for Business Innovation
and Enterprise at Birmingham City
University, had been approached
to apply for the position as National
Vice Chairman. Professor Edwards
accepted the position upon the
understanding that he wished to work
in partnership with National Officers
to bring about changes to CMPE.
He said: “I have been a member of the
CMPE for many years and it provides
a conduit through which I can maintain
healthy links with industrialists and
also share my ideas and research
work. CMPE has always been proud
supporters of my research work
and the time is now right to make a
contribution in return. My intention is
to evoke change and to promote and
grow the association for the greater
good and benefit of members. We
have to invest in products, services
and support for members to give
value to that membership fee paid.
However, before any plan is made, a
wider consultation is required to ensure
that work undertaken fully meets the
majority of member expectations. I look
forward to working with colleagues
at National Council and I anticipate
exciting times ahead – there is great
latent potential within the CMPE and
we must now cease that opportunity.”
Speaking on behalf of the Staffs and
Midlands branch, Mr Nev Rowell,
Branch Secretary said: “After meeting
David, I found that his lifestyle was very
energetic, enthusiastic and full of the
joys of plant and machinery - things
that I enjoy myself. Consequently, we
have a lot in common and I believe that
the people he has met in CMPE, whilst
he has been part of the association,
hold similar views on the industry and
look to do the very best they can do.
Over the years David has achieved a
lot more success than many people
first anticipated and he is today one
of the most respected professionals
and academics across industry. I
New National Vice-Chairman, Professor
David Edwards, Staffs and Midlands Branch
Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions
June 2011
EVENTS
Mr Nev Rowell, Branch Secretary, Staffs
and Midlands Branch
genuinely wish David every success
with this new position over the next 12
months as National Vice Chair and as
National Chairman 12 months after.”
Another colleague, Mr Chris Miller,
National Registrar said: “I am very
pleased that David has taken up the
challenge; it needs someone like him,
who is widely respected, to push the
CMPE forwards with a new approach.
He is someone who sees all sides of
the industry - manufacturers, hirers,
contractors, quarrying companies etc.
David has a great knack of taking
a disparate range of opinions and
views on board and producing some
first class publications and guidance
for industry. Bringing these skills to
the CMPE will be a great thing in
terms of making membership more
exciting and attractive to younger
generations of new members.”
43

PEoPLE
royal honour for
henk groeneveld
Henk J. Groeneveld, CEO of the
Groeneveld Group in Gorinchem, has
been awarded the title of Knight of the
Order of Orange-Nassau by Her Majesty.
Chris Buijink, permanent secretary of the
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation, presented him with this
Royal honour during the celebration of
the 40th anniversary of the company.
Buijink referred to Henk Groeneveld
as being “an innovative entrepreneur
with a clear vision, the driving spirit of
the world-wide growth of his company
and the initiator of product and other
innovations.”
Henk joined the company, established
by his oldest brother two years earlier,
in 1973, and under his passionate
management, the Groeneveld Group
has developed itself from a local Dutch
company into a globally operating
company with over 30 affiliates in more
than twenty countries, stretching from
Europe to Australia and New-Zealand
and from Russia and China to North-
and South-America.
With over 500 employees throughout the
world, the Groeneveld Group is active
in the development, production and
marketing & sales of advanced products
and systems for automatic maintenance
of road transport equipment, buses,
earth moving and construction
machines, trains, agricultural and
industrial machines, as well as advanced
IT solutions for the logistics sector.
Henk Groeneveld (right) being presented
with his Royal honour
44
June 2011
cBe honour for JcB Deputy
chairman John Patterson
JCB Deputy Chairman John
Patterson has been made a
Commander of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire (CBE) in
the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The honour has been awarded
to Mr Patterson in recognition of
his services to British business
development worldwide.
JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford
said: “John’s contribution to both JCB
and British business over the past 40
years has been immense and I am
delighted that he has received this
well-deserved recognition.”
John Patterson joined JCB as a Field
Service Engineer in 1971 and rose
to Worldwide CEO overseeing the
company’s global operations. Now
based at JCB’s North American HQ
in Savannah, Georgia where he is
Chairman and CEO, John Patterson also
became Deputy Chairman of the JCB
Group in 2009.
John Patterson said: “I am very proud
to receive the honour and all that it
represents. This is a tribute to the many
people within the JCB organisation who I
have worked with over the last 40 years.”
new head of health & safety at
Breedon aggregates
Breedon Aggregates, the UK’s
largest independent aggregates
company, has appointed Neil
Donegan as senior health, safety
and environmental manager. Neil
will be based at the company’s
head office at Breedon-on-the-Hill
and will report to Tim Hall,
chief executive of Breedon
Aggregates England.
A chartered health and
safety practitioner, Neil
was previously senior
health and safety
auditor at Sita UK, one
of the country’s largest
waste management
companies. Prior to this
he spent many years in
senior health and safety
roles in a variety of
industries, including coal,
construction and building
materials.
Commenting on Neil’s appointment, Tim
Hall said: “We’re fortunate to have found
such an experienced professional to fill
this key role in our senior team. Health
and safety is at the very top of our board
agenda and Neil will help us ensure that
Breedon Aggregates remains a safe,
secure place to work for all our employees.”

Training and Testing
Specialist in construction plant and
equipment operative training and
assessment.
Courses tailored to suit client’s
specific site requirements.
Anywhere in the UK.
Contact:
Mr Mick Norton BEM,
10 Pinders Grove, Wakefield, West
Yorkshire, WF1 4AH
Mob: 07880 743288
Tel: 01924 210817
Email: micknorton@spindoctor.co.uk
www.cpcs-plant-training.co.uk
aPPle
safety
PLANT & SAFETY TRAINING;
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CLASSIFIEDS
miller
Plant
Specialists in the supply of new and
quality used construction equipment
for the UK and abroad; full service
backup and training provided.
Miller Plant, Woodside House,
Pedmore Road, Dudley,
West Midlands, DY2 0RL
Tel: 01384 262400
Fax: 01384 350269
Email: millplant@aol.com
carl Palmer
Master engraver and craftsman.
Hand engraving for trophy prizes and
crystal wear.
Contact: 07751 978731
Geoff Tristram Ltd
Artist, cartoonist and
comedy novelist.
Fine art and
illustration, cartoons
and caricatures.
‘Live’ caricatures at
corporate events.
Humorous talks - ‘Confessions of an
Artist’ - amusing anecdotes from 30
plus years as a professional artist.
Tel: 01384 442881
Email: gt@geofftristram.co.uk
www.geofftristram.co.uk
Tel: 0845 505 2020
Fax: 0845 505 2021
Contact: Adam Scorcese
sharP Practice
adam@safety.im
web: www.safety.im
Management Consultancy with a deep
understanding of the Capital Equipment
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e&P construction
skills limiteD
ritchies
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3 Hartwell Grove, Creswell Manor,
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Mob: 07932 693 184
Tel: 01785 606 677
Professional trainers offering a wide
range of courses to the construction
industry. NPORS Accredited Training
Provider.
Contact: 55 Oldfield Drive, Vicars
Cross, Chester, CH3 5LT
Construction plant training courses,
LGV/PCV training, crane training,
forklift training. NPORS, CPCS,
LANTRA, OCR, FTA, RHA and
Department for Transport.
Email: info@sharppractice.eu
www.sharppractice.eu
Tel: 0845 619 0910
Steve: 07531 725 598
Bobby: 07531 725 650.
Hobden Street, Glasgow, G21 4AQ
Tel: 0141 557 2212
Fax: 0141 558 8252
Email: sales@ritchiestraining.co.uk
www.ritchiestraining.co.uk
tasc solutions
Providing educational resources and
consultancy on specialist plant and
equipment, and services on diamond
drilling rigs, diamond cutting, masonry
saw benches, fl oor saws and
abrasive wheels.
5 Tavistock Close,
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Tel: 01795 436435
Mob: 07515 994986
info@adamsconsultancy.org.uk
fielD sales
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Field sales training workshops
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roBinson Plant
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For a free quote
contact Field Sales
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Tel: 07788 480220
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your virtual office assistant
Providing a 24/7 confidential,
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Email: typingmatters@ntlworld.com
June 2011
45

NEwS MEGABYTES
46
mB
neWs megaBytes
gaP is preferred supplier for kier
GAP has been awarded preferred supplier
status to supply non operated plant, from 2 tool
compressors and above, for all the Kier Group
businesses in the UK. Under the agreement,
GAP will provide Kier with equipment for an
initial two years, working closely with Kier Plant,
Kier’s specialist in-house plant provider.
construction employment
falls again
Data provided by the Office of National Statistics
shows that the number of people employed in the
construction industry has dropped again in the first
quarter of 2011 to 2,105,000 - a fall of 24,000 from
the last quarter of 2010. Employment in construction
is now at its lowest level since mid-2003.
costain supports the
Prince’s trust
In line with Costain’s recently announced
Costain Cares initiative, the company has
become a Patron of the Prince’s Trust and its
Construction and Business Services Leadership
Group (CBSLG). As such, Costain will support
the Trust in achieving its goals of helping over
50,000 young people get their lives working
again this year, as well as shape training
opportunities around the skills shortages and job
opportunities across the construction industry.
mPa launches 2011 stay
safe campaign
Mineral Products Association has launched its
annual Stay Safe campaign with a warning on
the dangers of teenage trespass. Over the last
two years six teenage boys have lost their lives
in the UK in active or disused quarries, and
the current campaign uses hard-hitting videos
about the effect these accidents have had on the
boys’ family and friends. Stay Safe messages
will be reinforced at a wide variety of community
events run by industry operators as part of their
ongoing community-engagement programme.
June 2011
“If you can dream it,
you can do it. Always
remember that this
whole thing was
started with a dream
and a mouse. ”
Walt E. Disney
Have you thought about
advertising in Plant and
Equipment Professional?
Email us at pep@operc.com
for more details.
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Ensure equipment is
suitable for the job!

Special reports, Latest news, Worldwide distribution & Expert opinions

We will be
48
June 2011
NEwS
the best
in our industry in
everything
that we do
A-Plant offers an extensive range of plant, tools and specialist equipment, which is
unparalleled in the hire industry. Our vision for our company is simple but hugely powerful:
We will be the best in our industry in everything that we do.
We will achieve this through our SAFE ways of working.
Service Added Value
Flexibility & Choice Expertise
For further details visit www.aplant.com, e-mail: enquiries@aplant.com
or call & 0370 050 0797 quoting MO2146
Control Code: 05/11/2146