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HIGHWAYS CONTRACT SPECIFIES CRANES FOR SAFER
LOAD HANDLING
PRESS INFORMATION
Issue Date: 24 September 2009 Ref: PEN09/28
The MGWSP partnership formed by May Gurney and WSP to deliver
integrated highways services to Northamptonshire County Council
has specified Swing Lift cranes from Penny Hydraulics to provide
employees with a safe and effective way of handling tools, equipment
and supplies on and off commercial vehicles. Swing Lift cranes
with 250kg and 500kg capacity have been installed on all of
the maintenance vehicles operated by MGWSP across the contract.
“We look to cranes to reduce manual handling and decided
on day one to fit the Swing Lift to all of our vehicles because
it was the right thing to do to cover the basic manual handling
tasks,” says Ian McGivney, Operations Manager at MGWSP.
MGWSP’s contract with Northamptonshire County Council
commenced in 2008 for an initial eight years with an option
for a four year extension. The partnership aims to deliver all
aspects of highways maintenance and design to the county, which
has one of the longest major road networks in the country, using
a complete range of in-house resources to maintain service availability,
quality and delivery. The business currently employs more than
250 people at three depots, including its main site in Brixworth,
and an office at the council headquarters and will add resources
as the contract evolves.
This was the first contract secured by MGWSP and this meant
it had to recruit additional employees and procure a complete
range of equipment before the starting date. The initial batch
of 46 vehicles used by operatives to carry out a range of maintenance
tasks included units in the 3.5 to 18t range. These carry supplies
such as kerbstones and surfacing materials as well as a range
of equipment including hand tools, compactors and generators
that all need to be handled on and off the vehicle before and
after each job. Northamptonshire was very conscious of health
and safety and keen to ensure everything was done within the
current legislation.
“Health and safety is more stringent but rightly so,”
says Ian McGivney. “We need to get everything in place
to make sure every aspect of manual handling is as safe as possible
and provide our workforce with the best possible products.”
The MGWSP partners had experience of using vehicle mounted cranes
for load handling and recognised that this was the ideal solution
for its new vehicles. After assessing a number of options the
business selected Penny Hydraulics as its preferred crane supplier.
All of the 3.5t vehicles and two 18t lorries have been equipped
with a 250kg capacity Swing Lift crane while the larger 500kg
version has been fitted to all of the 7.5t vehicles.
“As part of our wider operations we aim to reduce and
eliminate the potential hazards associated with manual handling,”
says Ian McGivney.
The procurement of the vehicles was managed by MGWSP’s
leasing partner which co-ordinated delivery with the various
suppliers, including Penny Hydraulics, which then supplied the
cranes with detailed fitting instructions to the chosen bodybuilder.
Once the vehicles had been delivered Penny Hydraulics provided
certified training to all MGWSP staff who use the cranes as
part of an overall induction programme. This covered areas such
as a crane’s capabilities, the way it should be used and
how to carry out regular weekly checks. The training course
was repeated around eight months later as a refresher for the
original operatives and to provide an induction to staff recruited
as the contract has grown. Around 50 operatives were trained
during the first year.
“With the Swing Lift it has been about changing the mindset
of the operatives and showing them what the crane is for, how
to set it up and how to use it,” says Craig Tattersall,
Plant Controller at MGWSP.
The cranes are used every day of the contract for a variety
of tasks such as loading and unloading plant such as compactor
plates and compressors. The lightweight and compact design of
the crane means it can be set up very easily by hand whenever
required but folded away when not in use to leave a clear and
unobstructed access to the vehicle and load space. The versatility
of the cranes means that they are also used for lifting items
such as gully covers and kerb stones to provide operatives with
clearer access to the working area. Cranes fitted with a winch
can also handle items below ground level.
Penny Hydraulics supports MGWSP with a range of services. The
cranes have been very reliable since they have been in use and
only a few minor issues have arisen. For example, on one occasion
a Swing Lift 250 stopped working and when the MGWSP service
engineer called the Penny Hydraulics factory they were taken
through three simple checks to identify the problem. The replacement
part was in stock and delivered overnight so the problem was
solved within a day which meant MGWSP had virtually no downtime.
The cranes are inspected and serviced regularly in line with
the LOLER regulations. MGWSP’s own in-house fitter is competent
to carry out day-to-day maintenance tasks but has direct access
to Penny Hydraulics if he needs to check anything with the support
team at the factory. Penny Hydraulics can also provide on-site
support from one of its nationwide team of engineers if required.
“Backup service and technical support has been first class,”
says Craig Tattersall. “We’ve had very little trouble
with the cranes and at the most recent LOLER check we only needed
to replace the locking pins used to secure the boom when it’s
in transit on one crane and the wire rope on another.”
All of the vehicles currently used by MGWSP have been equipped
with a crane and the organisation expects to fit them to its
new vehicles in the future. So far there have been no handling
related reportable accidents.
“This is the way our industry is going,” says Ian
McGivney. “From our point of view cranes are a must.”
Notes to editors: Penny Hydraulics designs and manufactures
lifting and load handling equipment for use in a wide range
of applications. Products include the Swing Lift range of medium
duty cranes for use on pick-ups, drop-sides and flat-beds and
the Step Lift, Load Lift and Tail Lift lifting platform ranges
for use on pick-ups, drop-sides and vans. The company also manufactures
the Mezz Lift for handling loads between ground floor and mezzanines
and specialist equipment for handling wheels, tyres and barrels
in vehicles and at customers’ premises. Penny Hydraulics
is a privately owned family business based in Clowne, Derbyshire.
Notes to editors: May Gurney is an infrastructure services
company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public
and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line
services across the UK. We make sure that the road, utility,
rail and waterways networks and public buildings are well maintained
and that household waste is collected, managed and recycled.
These essential maintenance services, which are based on long-term
contracts, are the ones that are visible to local communities,
and make a very real difference to the quality of life. They
keep the country running. Our track record in delivering great
operational performance has built long-term relationships with
our clients, who rely on us to support and anticipate their
current needs and improve future outcomes. This focus on excellent
customer service drives May Gurney. And we never forget that
our clients trust us to engage with their customers - communities
and individuals - on their behalf. It's a responsibility that
everyone at May Gurney takes very seriously. May Gurney. Delivering
essential services for our communities. For further details
about May Gurney please go to www.maygurney.co.uk
DIGITAL IMAGES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FROM KEITH WOOTTON
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