Our SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) team recently attended a safety stand down with Sunbelt Rentals in Whitehaven, alongside our supply chain partner, Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick.
The event was set up as a response to operative feedback about challenges using mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and the enhanced safety mechanisms being used on our construction sites. With a number of new operatives recently joining the project, it was also a timely opportunity for familiarisation and hands on learning.
Mike Harrison, Sunbelt major projects powered access lead, and Ryan Capitano, Sunbelt head of sales, delivered an excellent demonstration of the improved equipment safety systems (EQSS) on the MEWPs. The session gave our operatives the chance to gain first-hand experience with the enhanced technologies, and to engage directly with the manufacturer to ask questions and share feedback.
Molly Young, SCP ADT Health and Safety Advisor, said:
“It was great to hear our operatives sharing their own experiences of how this innovation could support them at the workface. It’s fantastic to see our suppliers working collaboratively with us to ensure we have the best possible equipment on site.”
Bradley Goulding, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisor on SCP, added:
“The event went really well. The operatives were engaged and asked a lot of good questions. They also made some good challenges to the manufacturer, highlighting the issues they are facing and what could be changed to improve the system.
“Ryan Capitano demonstrated the EQSS system against another system and also the upgrade to the EQSS system, which was all about making it more user-friendly, one of the main concerns raised by our team. A lot of those concerns were addressed, and the operatives got the opportunity to test the upgraded system at the workshop, where the improvements received a resounding thumbs up. The difference was described as ‘night and day.’”
The Safety Stand Down served several key purposes:
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It provided vital familiarisation for new operatives unfamiliar with the EQSS system.
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It created a platform for direct dialogue between our team and the manufacturer and supplier, helping to resolve ongoing issues.
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It reinforced our commitment to listening to our operative’s concerns and actively seeking practical, market-ready solutions.
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It allowed us to gather feedback on the system upgrades directly from those using the equipment day to day.