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maintenance & Housekeeping: 39
Safety improvements for inspecting
screen decks
Hanson Aggregates > Dagenham Wharf, Essex > 020 8984 1900
New equipment has been designed to access and inspect screen decks at this wharf on the Thames in
Essex. The result enables easy and safe access to the screens via a platform and ladder, with the risk of
falling into the access chute at the bottom of the screen removed by installing folding covers.
Maintenance workers no longer have to gain access to the screen by clambering over the sides but can use
the platform and access ladder. Furthermore, the person working on the screen can have tools and spares
passed from the side, or heavier items can be lowered from the platform.
The covers are operated by releasing a simple locking mechanism and are then lowered into position,
with very little effort involved. This means the person on the screen does not need to wear fall prevention
equipment, making the task far less cumbersome. As a result, the employee maintains comfort and
flexibility, which in turn aids the manual handling aspects of tasks where access is required.
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Retractable spray bar mechanism
Aggregate Industries UK > Bardon Concrete, Liverpool > 01524 738858
Bardon Concrete in Liverpool has designed a device to improve safety in the maintenance of dust
suppression spray bars used to control the dust emissions around the site. The nozzles of the spray bars
are situated around the loading point of the plant and need to be above the loading sock – necessitating
the use of a ladder or scaffold to remove the nozzles for cleaning.
The company’s low-cost solution was to design a device which would retract the spray bar assembly to
ground level to enable the cleaning and replacement of the nozzles. This featured a release mechanism
to allow the spray bar assembly to be retracted via a winch or chain block, and did not involve any
dismantling of the sprays.
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Window cleaning on wheel loaders
Aggregate Industries UK > Jamestone Quarry, Lancashire > 01706 831454
Jamestone Quarry has devised a solution to the potential hazards of
operators standing on top of the load frame parallel lift arms when
cleaning the front windscreen of wheel loaders.
The company purchased a brush fitted to a telescopic handle and a
water supply, and then constructed a raised access platform from which
operators can wash and clean wheel loader windows, as well as steam
clean other equipment.
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Preventing cable strikes
Brett Concrete > Kent > 01227 712401
Brett Aggregates’ electrical department uses Durite Canterbury Spar Sand – a bi-product manufactured by
its sister company Brett Specialized Aggregates – to indicate buried cables.
Due to its distinctive colour, the sand makes itself easily identifiable and helps prevent cable strikes by
machine operators and hand digging. Once located, the sand makes it simple to follow the line of the
cable, and provides good protection for cables with coverings of 22 cm to 30 cm deep.