Three Essential Advantages Mobile Lighting and Welfare Units Bring To Your Worksite

Lighting towers and welfare units are vital for modern construction sites. Welfare unit hire ensures your workers have the space and comfort to rest during tough work days; tower lights provide a reliable source of light that allows workers to operate safely and efficiently – regardless of the time of day or location. 

However, traditional types of equipment present challenges. From transporting them to the site, to fitting them into tight positions, traditional static models are no longer fit for today’s agile, fast-moving construction industry.

Enter mobile units: a more flexible, energy-efficient alternative that is becoming increasingly popular with forward-thinking construction and infrastructure managers. Here are three essential advantages they offer:

service-saving

1. Easier delivery, relocation and collection

While traditional tower lights and mobile welfare units are transported to site using a HIAB vehicle, mobile assets are towable by a van, larger car or pick up. This makes life easier in three important ways. 

First, mobile tower lights and welfare units can be delivered to sites with limited access. There is also greater flexibility as to where they can be located – and they can be moved into tighter spaces.

Second, relocation is much easier and quicker. The tower lights or welfare unit can be moved by site staff whenever necessary, unlocking extra agility for your project. Finally, mobile assets can be collected more easily. This makes the logistical challenge of clearing a site simpler and eliminates the need for HIABs at the end of a project.

2. cost and energy savings

There are significant financial savings associated with mobile lighting towers and welfare units. Hiring and running a HIAB vehicle is expensive, and even if transport is included in your hiring agreement, those costs will inevitably be passed onto the end-user.

Further, removing the HIAB vehicle from the operation reduces the carbon emissions your project is associated with – because tier-3 emissions are counted towards your total GHG emissions.

3. Streamlined admin

When traditional lighting units and welfare units are transported using a HIAB, they create extra complexity for Health and Safety (H&S) compliance. Some sites restrict access to lorries – depending on location and timing – whereas such restrictions may not apply to smaller delivery vehicles.

Mobile tower lights and welfare units are therefore considered lower risk, and require less complicated RAMS. That means fewer administrative headaches and a healthy dose of time saved.

Five Important Ways Great Customer Support Keeps Construction Projects Running

83% of industry leaders expect a shift towards customer-centricity in construction. While the quality of equipment is still central, vendors must also offer comprehensive support to maximise the value they provide – and keep their customers’ projects running.

But what does great customer support mean? In this article, we explore five factors that every quality vendor should provide.

1. Faster turnarounds

With tight deadlines and challenging workflows, construction teams should have access to key strategic equipment like mobile welfare units and lighting towers exactly when they need them. But this is not just a question of convenience; it has a real bottom line impact on your project.

Faster turnarounds on equipment orders have been found to reduce the overall length of a project by up to 50%¹ – and great customer service is all about realising these kinds of improvements. 

At Welfare Hire, we pride ourselves on not just processing orders quickly, but ensuring they are delivered at market-leading speed. With the UK’s largest fleet of mobile eco welfare units and lighting towers, customers can rely on the availability of our equipment – and most locations can receive their orders within 24 hours.

2. GReater flexibility

As projects evolve, leaders often need to modify their orders at short notice. This not only ensures they get the exact equipment and vehicles they need – it also means they avoid being left with the wrong specifications. 

Good customer service delivers this level of flexibility. With responsive teams on hand, vendors should be able to change orders with ease without interrupting delivery or allowing delays to the project. 

Welfare Hire does exactly that, with a responsive Hire Desk Team ready to attend to your orders – and any changes that are needed. The result is leaders’ lives are simpler as they have more control over their project and equipment.

Kelling Group Access Hire Leasing

3. Reduced delays

Research shows that roughly 10% of activities on the average site are performed out of sequence² and larger projects routinely take 20% longer than anticipated. When a problem arises, even a few minutes’ delay can have a significant impact on your project’s schedule – so a support team should be on-hand 24/7.

Welfare Hire reduces any such delays by carrying out the most rigorous checks in the market. Each unit goes through a 67-point PDI check before it goes out to hire, ensuring the vehicle is in proper working condition. They are then delivered by our own dedicated drivers who provide customers with expert advice about the use and maintenance of the vehicle.

Service Driven Support

4. ON-hand expertise

Vendors must have deep knowledge of the equipment they provide, and readily share it with their customers. This can have a huge impact on projects; by consulting over the phone with an expert, issues that may arise with mobile welfare units or lighting towers can be quickly resolved without engineers being called to the site. 

Welfare Hire has a dedicated tech support team that can provide any information you need about your equipment. They will help assess the issue, give a clear estimate as to the delay and walk you through any steps you can take to resolve the problem. In addition, we have a team of Field Service Engineers out on the road, ready to support you on-site whenever they’re needed.

5. true partnership

85% of B2B customers expect suppliers to have a solid understanding of their business.³ Why? Many issues that arise on-site are industry specific, and customer support teams require knowledge about the sector you operate in to help resolve the issue. The best vendors are not mere suppliers – they are strategic partners that adapt to the specific challenges of your industry.

That is how Welfare Hire operates: we specialise in a handful of key sectors and gear our market-leading mobile welfare units and lighting towers to our partners in those industries.

1.https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/digital-construction/big-data-construction-equipment/58173/
2.https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/constructions-productivity-problems-the-statistics-laid-bare//
3. https://startupbonsai.com/customer-service-statistics-and-trends/

Coming soon…Our new products on show at Plantworx and Rail Live

Welfare Hire Nationwide will be showcasing our latest product innovations at two industry shows this June. You’re welcome to meet our specialist team and try out first-hand the latest in ECO mobile welfare and lighting!

Welfare Hire’s sustainable range complements the events’ focus on technology and innovation, especially for those that are driving the construction sector toward its net zero carbon goals. With next generation silent, green running systems, including XL solar, rainwater harvesting and smart telemetry, our eco units will be in their element at these outdoor events to showcase the latest in smart ECO welfare and lighting.

Plantworx is the UK’s largest working construction equipment exhibition, held at the East of England Showground in Peterborough between the 13th and 15th June. The outdoor show is the perfect place to see our latest product innovations, including solar hybrid power and rainwater harvesting.

We’ll be at Stand C-CC4; for your ticket – Register Here for Plantworx

Rail Live attracts 5,000+ visitors each year from across the rail industry. Taking place on the 21st and 22nd June at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, we’ll be showcasing the full array of our range, including some exciting new product launches.

We’ll be at Stand G1; for your ticket – Register Here for Rail Live

We look forward to meeting our customers and new partners at these events and welcome interested parties to get in touch here for more information and to book your slot with the team.

Three Ways Inclusive Service and Maintenance Is Vital For Van Mounted MEWPs

There’s little debate that modern van mounted MEWPs improve infrastructure output: 79% of contractors say such advanced technologies improve on-site safety, and 78% say they increase labour productivity.

But even the best van mounted MEWPs require regular servicing and maintenance. Rather than seeing this as a regulatory burden, however, project leaders should focus on the benefits this process offers.

Here are three important ways inclusive service and maintenance helps you get more value from your van mounted MEWPs:

1. Increase safety 

Van mounted MEWPs make working at heights far safer. But that doesn’t mean there is no Health and Safety risk when vehicles are not properly maintained. A large study found evidence of 736 MEWP-related accidents between January 2019 and December 2020¹

According to a report from the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the most common causes of injuries and deaths are: falls from the platform, electrocutions, entrapment, overturns, MEWPs hit by an object or vehicle, or struck by a falling object.²

But regular maintenance and servicing dramatically reduces these risks, ensuring the vehicle functions smoothly. As the IPAF states:

“All accidents can be avoided, if the correct steps are taken during a rigorous pre-use planning process.”²

What do these ‘steps’ include? Proper training, rigorous checks, and regular servicing and maintenance.

2. Ensure compliance

Lifting equipment like van mounted MEWPs are subject to rigorous LOLER examinations every 6 months. Every vehicle in your fleet must pass these tests to remain road legal – and avoid logistical problems and potential delays to the project.

Regular maintenance and servicing ensures your MEWPs pass in several ways. Not only do they ensure any vehicle wear is addressed and the vehicle functions properly, it also helps increase fuel efficiency.

Planning Your Budget For Leasing Access Vehicles

3. Cost savings

Research shows that maintenance accounts for 30% of vehicle costs. But these costs can be kept under control with regular servicing and maintenance, as this ensures issues are caught earlier – and dealt with quickly. When hiring van mounted MEWPs, inclusive maintenance and servicing therefore provides a huge cost saving – both in the short and long-term. 

That’s why we include it with every vehicle you hire or lease from Access Hire and Access Lease. The goal is to help our partners unlock more value and keep their projects running, so they’re free to focus on what they do best.

Four Key Ways to Equip Workers to Stay Safe Onsite

Everybody wants to create a safer, happier working environment. But turning good intentions into practical applications is not always so easy. 

UN Safety & Health At Work Day exists to promote awareness of these challenges – and help leaders overcome them. As a leading partner to the infrastructure industry, we at Access Hire feel responsible for supporting these efforts.

Here are four keys factors construction and infrastructure contractors should focus on:

1. Proper vehicle training

Equipping workers with the information they need to stay safe on site is essential. But simply imparting abstract knowledge is one thing; helping workers ensure that they act on that knowledge is something else.

Access Hire’s IPAF training enables workers to learn proper safety procedures using the exact models of Van Mounted MEWPs they will use onsite. This helps them habituate proper safety protocols, memorise safety information more easily and operate the vehicles confidently.

Key action: Book every worker who operates Van Mounted MEWPs a full training course.

2. Stress reduction

Workplace stress is endemic on construction and infrastructure worksites: 48% of workers have taken time off due to unmanageable stress, and a third deal with elevated stress every day.  

But this isn’t just a problem for workplace wellbeing; researchers find that heightened stress increases the likelihood of poor safety behaviour, ultimately increasing the frequency of accidents and injury.

Employers can improve worksite safety by reducing individual workers’ stress levels. This can be achieved in multiple ways, from providing more space to relax during breaks to teaching stress reduction techniques and offering more reliable shift patterns.

Key action: Develop a clear plan for reducing stress and create the right environment onsite to facilitate that.

3. Rest breaks

Construction and infrastructure shifts can be gruelling. Workers are doing physically demanding work for long periods, often with relatively little downtime. This can lead to poor decision making and less attention paid to safety measures.

Introducing more frequent ‘micro breaks’ enables workers to manage that workload more effectively. It gives them a chance to recoup energy and recharge their focus – both of which are essential to ensure everyone follows safety protocols and stays healthy onsite.

Key action: Make regular breaks a right for every worker and ensure they are taking them.

4. Better equipment

Working from heights is a key part of most infrastructure projects. But traditional ladder work puts workers at unnecessary risk.

Leaders should focus on providing Van Mounted MEWPs to enable workers to operate at heights more safely. They should focus on procuring the newest models possible, and ensuring every vehicle is properly maintained and rigorously checked.

This is exactly what Access Hire offers: the UK’s youngest fleet of market-leading Van Mounted MEWPs, with inclusive maintenance and servicing to keep your project running – and keep your people safe.

Key action: Use the best Van Mounted MEWPs available to empower workers to work securely at heights with ease.