Spillard Safety Systems and Plantforce have been shortlisted for a Supply Chain Collaboration Excellence award after successfully deploying an AI safety solution on the Banwell Bridge project. With the collaboration cutting red zone incursions by 51.8%, it’s hoped the team will take home the gong at Construction News’ awards ceremony on 9th July.
Listed alongside big industry players like Kier and National Highways, this recognition from Construction News marks the outstanding performance of our supply chain partners as we worked towards a common goal – reducing the number of dangerous red zone incursions on the Banwell Bypass development site.
The collaboration saw us integrate Spillard’s AI-driven Integrated Managed Services (IMS) technology into fleet operations. By working closely with the technology partner and clients Octavius Regional Civil Engineering and Galliford Try, the team were able to cut incidents by 51.8%, significantly lowering risk exposure.
One of the biggest risks on the Banwell Bypass site were red zone incursions, where on-the-ground colleagues (and occasionally the public) get within a dangerous range of heavy equipment. To fix this, our supply chain team started a test-and-learn process to find an AI-driven solution.
Spillard installed and tested their Integrated Managed Services (IMS) technology in plant on the Banwell site. IMS combines Spillard’s human form recognition camera technology with an intelligent AI interface and dedicated account management.
To get vital context and make genuine on-site impact, this information has to be shared and actioned collectively. To avoid siloes, the IMS model was co-developed with colleagues at every level on the Banwell site, from the Chairman to the Banksman.
Driven by key leaders at Plantforce, Spillard and Octavius, best practices were developed between teams, such as a regular feedback loop where concerns and information could be shared.
This enabled the team to implement proven solutions. Machine familiarisation training reduced isolation incursions by 77%. A change in the site layout cut 5m incursions by 25%, and the implementation of red zone and digital thumbs up training cut incorrect operator approaches by 37%. This cut the number of hours where workers were at risk (during 10-second incursions) by 48%.
The collaboration and best practices developed on this project allowed the team to make tangible progress towards their goal of reducing red zone incursions. It also helped fix an industry-wide problem of processing vast volumes of incursion data into tangible results.
Now at the judging stage of the process, the impact of this project will be assessed through face-to-face interviews. The winner will then be chosen by an independent panel of industry figures before the awards ceremony at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House.
George Shields, Works Manager for Octavius Infrastructure, said, “This collaboration saw two different supply chains brought together to meet a shared objective: improving workers’ safety. We’ve been so impressed by both the technology and the impact it’s made on our sites and teams. It’s only been possible thanks to the professionalism between all partners.”
Plantforce has marked out the high safety and compliance standards of its operations by meeting the Rail Industry Supply Qualification Scheme’s (RISQS) Sentinel standards.
Having worked with RISQS for years to establish ourselves as a trustworthy, reliable supplier for our customers, meeting the Sentinel protocol standards shows we’re going the extra mile to guarantee safety and efficiency.
James Smith, Plantforce SHEQ Manager for Plantforce, explains, “Although this is a rail-side qualification, to achieve it we’ve had to prove that our organisation has a strong health and safety culture. So for customers in any industry, this standard is an endorsement and validation of our processes. It shows that Plantforce is low risk when it comes to safety and compliance.”
Sentinel is a protocol set by RISQS that assesses a supplier’s processes for managing operator fatigue and meeting compliance standards against rail industry regulations. Passing the Sentinel audit is a legal requirement for any supplier to provide track-side machinery and operators to rail customers.
James says, “The railway is a high risk and penalty environment. For example, any delay you cause on track incurs fines of £10,000 per minute. To achieve Sentinel’s high standards, we’ve had to prove that our systems are efficient, that there’s redundancy in our operations and the people we hire are in the best possible health to work.”
To meet the Sentinel standards, we undertook an extensive audit process to prove that:
In short, meeting these strict safety and compliance standards showed our team is always ready to work immediately and that our operations are low risk and reliable.
This Sentinel accreditation means we can supply customers, including Tier 1 businesses, with both operators and machines for track-side work. As a result, we can give rail customers the full operated hire solution for their projects, without them needing to perform extra due diligence. Plus, our business will now appear on the main supplier database.
However, as James explains, the real impact of this accreditation falls well beyond the rail industry. “The process we’ve followed to pass this industry vetting means any customer can feel confident in our safety, quality and compliance systems,” he says. “We’ve got all the checks in place to ensure our equipment comes to the customer right first time, plus all our operators are healthy and well experienced.
“In short, our customers can experience a gold standard operated plant hire solution every time they work with us.”
Jake Waterman has joined the Plantforce team as our National Accounts Director, bringing his extensive knowledge and skills as we continue to become the supplier of choice for operated and self-drive hire solutions.
With 20 years of experience in sales, strategic partnerships and accounts, Jake’s appointment will strengthen and support our sales team. With a strong operational background, he’ll also help establish the frameworks and processes our team needs to deliver even more for major customers and projects.
Having first started his career in the construction industry with sales roles at Hewden, Jake then joined Garic, where he grew from account manager to strategic partnerships leader. Over six years, Jake helped grow the business from a single site into a leading nationwide supplier. Most recently, he has led strategic sales at Nationwide Platforms and Vp plc.
When asked why he’d decided to join our team, Jake said, “Plantforce is in a very unique market position. It has national coverage and has already become a go-to supplier for many of the UK’s biggest construction businesses and projects. My role is to help form and shape the team so we can continue this trajectory.”
Jake’s appointment also comes as our business has achieved PAS 2080 accreditation. This marks the quality of our compliance and governance processes. Achieving the RISQS Sentinel standard also showcases our ability to deliver high-quality operated plant hire solutions to major rail projects. Jake’s experience working with rail customers only supports and enhances this position.
Chris Matthew, Chief Commercial Officer for Plantforce, says, “The rail industry is one focus for us, so having Jake’s knowledge will be invaluable here. However, it’s his operational and strategic mindset that will really help join the dots between our teams and establish longstanding partnerships with key accounts.”
Although the opportunity to be part of our growth story has been a big attraction for Jake, it’s our culture that sealed the deal for him, too. “Plantforce is different,” he explains. “It’s a nationwide plant business but still has a family feeling. The fact that it’s a single, large organisation with intricate relationships is something I really like. There’s a refreshingly open, transparent feel to the business, where people aren’t afraid to have conversations at any level.
Plantforce has become verified on the PAS 2080 carbon management standard. A holistic carbon management process set by the British Standards Institution (BSI), it’s a marker of how hard our organisation and team is working to cut emissions across the whole lifecycle of our fleet. It’s an accolade that customers can trust in, knowing we’re meeting globally-recognised decarbonisation standards on the industry’s road to net zero.
James Smith, Plantforce SHEQ Manager, said, “Meeting this standard has been a thorough and intensive process. As one of only two plant hire businesses in the UK to have PAS accreditation, this is evidence of our genuine commitment to cutting carbon across our entire supply chain. Proving that this is a part of our day-to-day culture, and not just token soundbites.”
PAS 2080 is a BSI standard for whole-life carbon management and reduction in buildings and infrastructure. Last updated in 2023, it recognises the role of all construction value chain members in achieving the UK’s 2050 net-zero goals. It’s also a practical framework, setting out the roles and responsibilities for each part of the supply chain.
For plant hire businesses like ours, this means working closely with manufacturers, operators and partners to create effective carbon measurement and reduction systems across the whole lifecycle of our fleet. By achieving PAS 2080, organisations put themselves ahead of net-zero requirements rather than reacting to them.
To meet the PAS 2080 standard, we had to prove:
To prove the above points, we ran a whole lifecycle carbon study of one vehicle in our fleet, the Kobelco SK210 excavator. This included examining carbon production at every stage of the vehicle’s life, from the extraction of minerals for production, through to its import onto site, its operational life and its end-of-life auction.
These findings were applied to every machine on our fleet to complete the PAS audit. Studies for other models in our fleet are also underway to make our carbon reporting and standards even more accurate. From this, we were able to run due diligence on our carbon tracking, reporting and monitoring systems.
Beyond our own processes, we collaborated and engaged with our whole supply chain (both customers and suppliers) to help them meet PAS requirements on their route to net-zero. We also demonstrated a commitment to wider industry decarbonisation with our involvement in the Element1 and HyConstruct projects, including the hydrogen conversion of an articulated dump truck.
Gaining the PAS 2080 standard means all our customers can have confidence that we’re an environmentally responsible and compliant supplier. A well-established standard for Tier 1 construction businesses, it’s a marker that customers can trust and feel confident in when completing their environmental due diligence.
James says, “The PAS accreditation shows we’re no longer just a supplier of low emission machines. We’re a carbon-aware partner that actively helps customers and partners reduce the carbon footprint of projects and reach sustainable outcomes. By taking our responsibilities seriously and mentoring our supply chain, we hope to start a trickle down effect that will help everyone reach net zero.”
Our North West Plantforce team and customers made a step towards the future at Tech Day on 26th March. The event marked the opening of our new Wigan depot and gave businesses the chance to explore the latest industry innovations.
A wide range of customers attended the day, where our market-leading partners exhibited technologies which will add value to their businesses. This included hands-on demonstrations of sustainability, efficiency and safety systems and software across different zones.
The zones included:
3D machine control and GPS: Leica Geosystems and SITECH shared their Trimble systems, which connected modelling and field software.
Advanced safety: FTC Safety Solutions, Safety Shield Global and Spillard Safety Systems showcased their human form recognition systems, including AI-enabled technologies and 3D avoidance zone system.
Site safety and operational limit: integrated and connected systems from XWatch and Prolec, including smart-site technology and rated capacity indicators.
Data and efficiency: real-time machine performance insights and integrated telematics from the experts at fleetCMD and PLINX, as well as productivity-focused attachments available from the Plantforce Attachments division.
Alongside efficiency and safety, sustainability was a big conversation at the event. With guest exhibitor and project partner ULEMCo showcasing the latest HyConstruct project, a van with a mobile hydrogen refuelling cell. A converted Ford Ranger was also on site to raise awareness of the project’s technology, which aims to reduce tailpipe emissions on an articulated dump truck (ADT) with hydrogen/diesel dual fuel technology.
Area Sales Manager, Neil Wilson, said this event marked an exciting step forward for Plantforce. “It didn’t just give us the opportunity to connect with our customers, but show how our team and partners can boost their business’s performance,” he explains.
“By exhibiting cutting-edge technologies in our purpose-built Wigan site, we showed how Plantforce can introduce knowledge and the latest technology innovations that can add real benefit to our customers. The feedback from both customers and our supply partners has been fantastic, with many commenting on how much knowledge they have gained, allowing them to now make the possible a reality.”
Last month, we were pleased to recognise Fleet Coordinator Rachael Paige-McLean with the Above and Beyond Award. This recognition celebrates her unwavering reliability, her proactive approach and the consistently high standards she brings to the business every day.
Rachael is one of those people whose impact is felt not through one single standout moment, but through the steady and dependable excellence she brings to her role. No matter what is asked of her, she is always helpful, always willing to step in and always committed to finding a solution. The team often describe her as someone you can rely on completely, whether it is a routine query or an urgent request.
In her role as Fleet Coordinator, Rachael manages a wide range of responsibilities, many of them behind the scenes. She takes initiative wherever possible, especially when dealing with drivers’ phones, system issues or day to day operational challenges. Rachael consistently tries to work things out for herself before asking for support. This approach shows her strong problem-solving mindset and saves valuable time while helping operations run smoothly.
Her dedication is also clear in the way she supports the insurance side of the fleet. Rachael does far more than simply process information. She actively looks for opportunities to improve procedures, reduce claims and minimise avoidable issues. Her proactive thinking and close attention to detail help reduce risk and improve efficiency across the business.
Rachael performs at such a consistently high level that it can be easy to overlook just how much she contributes. Rachael, we’d like to say thank you. Your hard work, reliability and quiet excellence do more than keep the fleet moving. They help the entire business succeed.
