THAT SECURE FEELING

The biggest single problem with the plant hire industry is that once an item of equipment goes out on hire, the owner has lost control of it. If the unit is not used daily, it could be two, three or more days before the hirer realises that it is missing and another day before it is reported to either the police or owning company.

A well organised criminal gang spends just as much time pre-planning its daily and weekly schedules as any contractor planning materials movements in a London city site. Equipment is fed into a workshop within hours of being stolen and depending on the size and complexity of the machine, it could be ready for delivery to its new owner within a couple of days, complete with new paint, numbers and paperwork.

Everybody, the police, insurance companies and victims, agree there is ample evidence to show that the greater proportion of equipment that is removed from site is stolen to order. That means professionalism throughout the whole chain of events starting with an excellent working and commercial knowledge of the industry.

Good lookout men who know what plant is working where, operators who can handle any item of plant, truck drivers, quality fitters, painters, a decent forger and, finally, the salesman who sold the equipment before it was stolen, are all prime requisites for a successful operation.

If lost control by the owner is the first problem, then the second is the cavalier attitude of the hirer to protection and security of the equipment once it is on his site. All the good things such as lockable covers, wheel and track clamps, steering and towing eye locks, chains and padlocks are a waste of time and money simply because the operator will not use them.

'Why should I? It's not our plant and if it is stolen, they (the owners) will claim the insurance and make money on the deal anyway,' is the attitude of too many equipment hirers. If you think we are exaggerating the case, visit any site on a Friday evening and count the number of unlocked machines. Last month there was a newish 3CX parked up on Saturday afternoon in our village with the keys in the cab.

There has been a proliferation of anti-theft devices hitting the market over the past year or two and, very obviously, some are more effective than others at deterring thieves. Without becoming too technical, there are three main types of device; electronic, mechanical and, thirdly, those that combine both. The electronic types can be broken down into two categories - active and passive.

High profile active systems, such as Tracker, can be 'turned on' to emit a radio signal when the vehicle is stolen and then tracked by anyone with a compatible receiving unit. Every police force in the UK is now equipped with such receivers which have proved to be capable of extremely accurate tracking. So far 'finds' include equipment in containers at ports, JCBs in garages and mini excavators stashed away on a farm.

One of the problems with the active systems is that of size of the sender. On cars, trucks and mid-range plant and equipment, size is of little importance, but on a mini, hiding it is not quite so simple. Like every other electronic device, no doubt miniaturisation will provide the solution. Some of the more exciting developments are systems that can be used to actually track stolen vehicles directly on a road map generated on computer screen.

JCB has gone down this active route, being the first manufacturer to offer Tracker as standard. The system was adapted by JCB engineers and uses satellite technology to track and recover stolen plant. This is one of six initiatives announced by the company over the past 12 months, the other five being wholly mechanical systems.

The interesting point is that by investing in any of the JCB Plantguard systems, customers qualify for a 10% discount on their JCB insurance policy. As a market leader, JCB machines are a highly marketable commodity for the unscrupulous. 'With these initiatives, we believe our machines could become much more difficult to steal and, if fitted with Tracker, they will certainly be the ones most likely to be recovered,' says a company spokesman.

The most popular passive system is Datatag which relies on any number of very small transponders being hidden, or even embedded in the equipment. A reader gun, now issued to every police force, is used to gather information from the transponder, and if there is any suspicion that all is not right, more information can be called up via a modem linked to a central viewdata computer.

One of the problems with Datatag is that the reader gun needs to be positioned in very close proximity before it picks up the transponder signal. Kubota (UK) Ltd, like JCB a market leader in its chosen field, has also taken a firm stand in an effort to protect its customers from the light fingered brigade by offering Datatag as standard equipment on all its 1994 range of mini excavators. The company claims to have sold more than 30% of the 17,000 minis sold to date in the UK. Says UK sales director, John Woodward:'We hope the addition of Datatag as standard equipment will help combat the growing crime wave that is bleeding the UK construction industry.'

If, as suspected, these electronic systems, which currently cost around the same money as an alarm system for cars, become the preferred option, do owners warn potential thieves by plastering the machine with stickers proclaiming the fact? Or do they leave them blank in the certain knowledge that if the unit is moved unlawfully, whoever is in the driving seat will be apprehended.

While manufacturers and owners do as much as possible to protect their investments, it would be nice to be able to report that insurance companies are responding to those who take all possible precautions. But alas, such is not the case, which is neither right nor fair.

The same insurance companies offer home and car owners financial incentives in the form of discounts if they install approved alarm systems, but nothing to plant hirers and contractors for doing the same. Many companies are currently paying huge excesses because of a 'bad record' and to combat the increases some have opted to self-insure.

The idea that some companies actually make money from having their plant stolen is factually untrue. Or at least it is untrue for the majority of bona fide companies that have genuinely had their plant stolen. The administration time, lost site time and loss of revenue, coupled to the loss of capital, all add up to probably two to three times the actual value of the machine.

DBS Nationwide supplies a totally different answer in the form of an adapted Siteguard cabin, a secure portable garage large enough to take a full size backhoe loader. Nigel Strickland, DBS director, says. 'The decision to develop the Siteguard range was well founded as the Siteguard range has rapidly emerged as a market leader. Customers have been quick to point out that the office units provide a degree of comfort not usually associated with steel units.

'A major benefit to customers is that all units are designed and constructed to a specification which allows the contents to be insured against fire and theft, even in the most high risk areas,' says Strickland. 'A particular attraction of the range is that all units have a width of 2.74m and typical length of 7.3m means that customers enjoy 35% more space when compared to the alternative steel product. Offices are available in a range of sizes and standard features include internally operated shuttered windows, vinyl wall coverings carpet, heating and lighting. Finally, each unit is fitted with jack legs to take care of uneven surfaces,' concludes Strickland.

Brian Woodham, president of the National Prefabricated Building Association and managing director of Rovacabin, talked about the recently introduced Fire Prevention on Construction Sites Joint Code of Practice which has wide ranging implications for the construction industry.

Published by the Building Employers Confederation, the Loss Prevention Council and the National Contractors' Group, the Code has been drawn up to minimise the risk of accidental or malicious fires. Non compliance could result in insurance cover being withdrawn.

'Statistics relating to fires on construction sites leave most in the industry in no doubt that we cannot afford to be complacent. According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 580 serious reported work incidents involving fire in the year 1992-3. The launch of the Joint Code of Practice was therefore a welcome step in the right direction, inspiring a renewed commitment to safety,' says Woodham.

'The Code has 12 core tenets which collectively span the whole gamut of equipment and activities involved in construction. Thankfully, all are explained in simple yet strong terms, which has made for smooth implementation. Key to the Code is its introductory statement which insists that proper planning for fire, safety and health must be an integral part of the overall preparation and budgeting for a project.

'This is critical. We cannot afford to treat safety as an after thought. It must be put at the top of the agenda for new project work and adequate resources to fund measures are even more crucial. We absolutely have to put our money where our mouth is where matters of life and death are concerned,' insists Woodham.

'To ensure that this happens, the Code stipulates that from the very outset- and that means the design phase of the project- a coordinator must be appointed. Their responsibility is to ensure that both the risk of fire and potential for damage are properly assessed and kept to a minimum during construction, and that the finished building complies with all statutory requirements in respect of fire precautions.

'Once in the construction phase, the main contractor must appoint a site fire safety coordinator whose responsibility includes assessing the degree of fire risk and formulating and regularly updating the Site Fire Safety Plan as construction proceeds. The construction coordinator must also liaise with the coordinator for the design phase.

The Code is quite specific about the areas of responsibility which it lists. These include fire drills and training, fire brigade access and a materials storage and waste control regime.

'It goes on to give comprehensive guidance on emergency procedures and ways of securing the site against arson, as well as waste materials, electricity and gas supplies, plant and hot work. Temporary buildings are highlighted in section 11 of the Code and in the most detailed fire safety prescription to date for the relocatable building industry. The NPBA has since issued its own guidelines which support and emphasise the Code. The central and perhaps most important stipulation is that units should be sited preferably 10m away from the building under construction,' says Woodham.

'If this is not possible and the unit is placed less than 6m away from the building, it has to be constructed to meet all the relevant criteria. For example, there should be a Class 1 surface spread of flame performance to BS476 Part 7 to all internal wall and ceiling surfaces and to external surfaces of walls. External surface of the roof should meet Class AA in BS476 Part 3.

'Walls, roof, doors and windows should achieve 30 minutes fire resistance, and if the units are to be vertically stacked, the roof/floor assembly and members supporting it must achieve at least 30 minutes' fire resistance. Each unit should be fitted with fire detection systems and if it is used for cooking, an automatic detection system must be fitted.

'On a more commonsensical and practical note, the Code covers items such as ease of access to and from buildings, prevention of build-up of rubbish under units and enforced no smoking policy where fire hazards exist where combustible materials, liquids and gases are present.

Woodham concludes: 'Many of us in the industry have been taking these precautionary measures for some time. The fight to minimise the risk of fire goes on and requires commitment from all sectors. Industry-wide initiatives such as the new codes of practice set the right benchmarks for us all and help to motivate and renew commitment to this very serious issue.'

Services covers just about everything that happens on site from the supply of tools and equipment, setting up materials compounds, supply and distribution, servicing equipment and a hundred more aspects.

Remember the famous order: 'Send three and fourpence, we're going to a dance' which should have been 'Send reinforcements, we're going to advance.' Communications have always formed a vital part of site life, and the larger the site, the more important they become. In truth, many sites have far too complicated systems installed in the mistaken belief that by using the most sophisticated system the greater will be the efficiency.

Gone are the days when agreed hand signals sufficed. Now everyone wears a two-way radio as a badge of office and clogs up valuable air space with totally unnecessary messages. And that brings me onto a pet hate - electronic mail. If ever a communications system has been abused it is E Mail with For Sale, invitation, and Unwanted/Wanted notices.

Scheduling supplies and materials is difficult at the best of times. In city environments it can become a nightmare, especially when on-site space is strictly limited. The faster you turn vehicles round, the better. If crane time is at a premium and there is room to manoeuvre, a small telehandler that can reach across and even the length of the truck body can be a real time saver. Many trucks now carry their own load/ unload system and the huge technology leap in lorry loaders over the past decade has meant the trucks can now lift and reach treble the distances.

The ubiquitous skidsteer with its huge range of front end attachments from forks to rotary brooms comes into its own and earns its keep not only transporting goods into and from compounds and stores, but also keeping the site and surroundings clean.

One of the most logical services now being offered by a number of plant hire companies is the on-site shop.

The more professional outlets set up a complete mirror image of their permanent facility, including hire desk, computer recording and invoicing, service and repair. Most importantly, it is staffed by a knowledgeable advisor on site, housed in one or two purpose-built temporary cabins.

The benefits are twofold. Contractors and their subbies no longer need to waste time looking for, then driving into town to find the necessary equipment. For the plant hirer, if he has done his homework and judged correctly the type and numbers of machines and equipment likely to be needed, it provides a captive customer base.

Details: enter on card:

Tracker: 810;

Datatag: 811;

DBS Nationwide: 812.