Learning with Balfour Beatty
12 September 2022
From drones and battery powered plant, to site safety and security, Balfour Beatty’s series of Sustainability Showcase events held last week at its Plant & Fleet depot in Shotts, North Lanarkshire, gave the chance to see the latest developments in construction equipment and services offered by hire companies.
Visitors over the three days included groups of children from local schools who were invited to attend as part of Balfour Beatty’s ESG (environmental social and governance) initiatives.
Amongst various demonstrations, Balfour Beatty showed how site managers could remotely monitor energy consumption on a site via telematics data. Visitors saw real-time information from one of the contractor’s sites in Hull which is trialling the use of hydrogen fuel.
The operation of heating, lighting and other equipment can be programmed to only run as required, reducing usage and costs. Wind and solar power can also be harnessed at the site.
On adjacent stands Speedy Hire and Milwaukee Tool promoted a message of site safety (pictured above), focusing on cordless technology, dust and HAV. Speedy’s recently enhanced app enables users to choose equipment according to the particular task they undertaking.
Addressing HAV, for example, a product selector brings up details of different tools and accessories, including vibration levels and productivity data. This can show that the most appropriate choice might not be obvious: a combi-hammer, say, might have a lower HAV rating than a breaker, but if the latter can achieve more in a given time, the operator's overall exposure might be less while still remaining within accepted limits.
The app also encourages users to explore techniques that avoid vibration exposure completely, such as choosing trolley-mounted equipment, robotic machinery or remote controlled products.
Vp group companies Groundforce Shorco, trackway provider TPA and Stopper Specialists showed a number of low-level access and shoring products they are developing to reduce manual handling and enhance site safety.
Groundforce Shorco area manager John Cowie told me that business remains strong in his region north of the border in sectors such as petrochemicals and utilities. For example, much long-term work is taking place to improve electricity networks and substations.
Two other Vp group businesses, MEP Hire and ESS Safeforce, also participated at the Shotts event. MEP’s regional sales manager Scott Clarke demonstrated the StrutSlayr shear from Ridgid which can be used instead of a chop saw to cut metal strut channels without sparking and leaving no sharp edges (pictured below).
Attaching to a Ridgid 32kN press tool, the StrutSlayr quickly performs the cutting operation and the user only needs to spray the ends with a sealant and put a cap on them to prevent rust.
Steve Smith, regional sector sales manager with ESS Safeforce, promoted a range of meters and tools that can be used on sites to measure wind speed, temperature and noise. One product he displayed was the Flir E6 thermal imaging camera for detecting heat losses in pipework, bearings or electrical distribution boxes and checking the performance of solar panels. More unusually, the camera is being used by vets to check pets and racehorses, as raised temperatures in muscles can be a sign of injury.
Other hirers participating at Balfour Beatty’s Shotts event included GAP and Sunbelt Rentals, whose latest developments will be featured separately in future posts.
Products on display from suppliers included the Safer Pod S1 from a series of solar powered site security units from the Safer Security Group. Fitted with up to 200 motion detection sensors and video cameras, machines send data round-the-clock to a central control room. The system challenges intruders with warning messages and alarms, and units can be linked over considerable distances to protect larger sites.
Vac-Ex showed a number of mobile machines from its range of vacuum excavators (pictured below). These use suction to expose buried utilities and pipework, minimising the risk of strikes with traditional shovel and excavator techniques. Compact models are popular for work in confined locations and on highways, which can mean fewer road closures are required.
Buckhurst Plant showed a Takeuchi TB370 excavator (pictured below) which has been fitted with the X-Watch movement restriction system which shows operating data via a screen. It effectively creates a safety barrier around the machine within its operating reach, height and slew. Also displayed was a heavy-duty cable drum trailer made by Thaler, which has a double-locking spindle bar for security.
Photos: Alan Guthrie
