Tag: Access Hire

The UK’s telecoms industry understands the huge commercial opportunity to transform digital infrastructure in the North. But with pressure to simultaneously expand high-speed coverage, innovation will no longer just be a question of technology – it will be a question of strategy and implementation.

That’s why Access Hire is so excited to attend this year’s Connected North. The event presents an opportunity to showcase our range of vehicle mounted MEWPs and specialist fibre vehicles.

When is Connected North 2024?

Connected North 2024 will be held on 22th-23th April at Manchester Central. From rural connectivity to fibre and 5G delivery, the event will feature 200 speakers discussing the challenges that will define the future of the North’s digital infrastructure.

Access Hire will be at Stand 3B

Our specialist team will be on hand to showcase the 3.5T MEWP and other specialist vehicles. We offer telecoms companies:

Deep industry expertise

Our team understands the service required to hit performance related fibre targets, minimise downtime, tailored contract solutions – and we’ve spent 15 years supporting innovative telecoms projects.

Cutting-edge equipment

We operate the UK’s largest and most modern fleet. With over 1,600 vehicles, our vehicles help telecom companies reduce maintenance costs, hit sustainability goals and meet ULEZ requirements.

Fully managed and inclusive nationwide service

From breakdown and recovery to delivering replacement vehicles to your site, our year-round inclusive support reduces your costs and keeps your project running.

Expert knowledge and fully accredited training providers (IPAF)

Our in-house operations team is always on hand to offer expert advice and guidance. We also run an approved IPAF training centre, offering on-site training at convenient location on van mounted MEWPs.

Specialist fibre vehicles

Our splicing vans were designed and built based on feedback from the telecoms industry, ensuring unparalleled safety, efficiency and welfare.

Our van mounted MEWPs solve all of these problems

With leasing options to manage cost concerns, our 3.5T MEWPs are ULEZ-compliant, enable the flexibility required for projects on tough terrains and have been trusted by multiple leading telecom companies to deliver their most important projects.

Few things are more important for modern infrastructure contracting firms than the ability to adapt to changing environments. 

From navigating Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ) to reducing noise pollution in residential areas, the strategic equipment and vehicles you use can dictate whether your firm is a viable candidate for a project. 

But what does that mean for city maintenance projects in 2024? And how can forward-thinking firms ensure they are prepared for a wide range of upcoming opportunities?

Urban Projects Require Greater Flexibility

Firms that want to work on city maintenance projects may face two problems: 

1. They need to be able to work at heights in a safe and secure manner
2. They need to move quickly through crowded areas

Many firms have historically opted for vertical lift MEWPs to enable workers to reach heights while reducing the risk of a fall. The only problem is the majority of MEWPs require a tow, which makes moving them around both slow and cumbersome. And they take up a lot of space, which makes navigating many urban environments difficult, often requiring advanced planning.

From street light repairs to building inspections, there will be many projects for which these MEWPs simply will not be fit for purpose. But fortunately, there is a simple solution that sets your firm up to work on any project you can land.

How can Van Mounted MEWPs Support City Maintenance Projects

1. INcreased accessibility

Access Hire’s range of van mounted MEWPs solve both problems posed by city maintenance projects: they enable your employee to work securely at a range of heights, while removing the need for towing. You can simply drive the van to the required spot, and move it quickly whenever necessary.

2. Flexible scale

Our range of van mounted MEWPs fit a range of needs including different:

• Heights
• Outreaches
• Spare load capacities
• Custom specification

This ensures you can choose the exact specification to meet your needs, and switch it up for your next project.

3. 24/7 support

City maintenance projects require you to work at heights at a range of times. But if there is an issue with your MEWPs, the entire schedule is at the mercy of your provider’s support hours.

With Access Hire, you have access to a 24/7 specialist support team and consultations from our in-house experts. This ensures any challenge is resolved quickly and downtime is minimised.

Win More City Maintenance Contracts with Access Hire

Ultimately, working with Access Hire is the perfect way to prepare for a busy year and ensure you can seamlessly take on any city maintenance project. With the country’s largest and most modern fleet of van mounted MEWPs, we provide the security you need to keep your projects running. 

Want to partner with us and get ready for your busiest year yet?

From growing consumer demand to the ongoing rollout of 5G, the UK’s telecommunication industry has many reasons to be optimistic. But after a recent pledge from many of the country’s leading telecom brands to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, many will wonder: what exactly can the industry do to ensure sustainability throughout its entire supply chain?

Electric vehicles are an easy win

According to Bain and company, 85% of telecom brands’ carbon emissions come from scope three emissions, with network construction accounting for a large proportion of their overall footprint. This means a focus on factors like the kind of van mounted MEWPs and other strategic equipment used during construction and maintenance are essential to decarbonisation efforts.

Fortunately, 2023 saw the emergence of the UK’s first fleet of fully-electric van mounted MEWPs. This represents an easy win for telecom brands: they can quickly replace their existing MEWPs with fully-electric alternatives that have already proven popular with early adopters.

Here are three benefits this will bring:

1. Reduce environmental impact

Fully-electric van mounted MEWPs eliminate both carbon emissions and noise pollution. They run on 100% electric power, enabling you to operate with ease in Ultra Low Emission Zones. This can have a profound impact on the total environmental impact of construction and maintenance projects, leading to…

2. Improve ESG

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores are increasingly crucial to secure investments. Embracing fully-electric van mounted MEWPs will give a solid boost to any telecom brand’s ESG, helping them access funding during times of increased competition.

3. Better performance

Access Zero’s fully-electric van mounted MEWPs come with 24/7 operational support, and you get a dedicated account manager to ensure the transition process is fast and smooth. The result? Your new MEWPs are secure and reliable – helping every project stay on track.

Take Control of Your Supply Chain in 2024

At Access Hire, we believe our partners should never settle for second best. That’s why we pride ourselves on delivering the most innovative products on the market – and making them easily accessible for every business we work with.

Want to start decarbonising your projects?

Every facility manager today knows they need to reduce their carbon footprint.

76% say their clients consider sustainability “the most important issue” in the tendering process¹, meaning that carbon reduction is not just about ethics – it’s crucial to winning business.

But how can facility managers produce a meaningful reduction without totally overhauling their existing processes?

The answer is simple: through embracing fully electric van mounted MEWPs for ongoing maintenance work.

Van Mounted MEWPs are an opportunity to reduce emissions

Facility managers routinely use van mounted MEWPs to undertake maintenance work, and few leaders have  identified them as an opportunity to reduce emissions. But as pressure to institute more sustainable processes, many are looking to this new option.

CBRE recently argued that facilities managers should switch to an electric fleet to improve sustainability². And the chief reason most facility managers haven’t made the switch is there was not a reliable source of fully-electric van mounted MEWPs – until now.

The rise of fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs

Earlier this year, Access Zero launched the UK’s only fleet of fully-electric van mounted MEWPs. With zero carbon emissions and silent running, they enable facility managers to undertake regular maintenance work without adding to their carbon footprint or contributing to noise issues.

This is an important step for the facility management industry. A study from Reading University found that facilities managers are far less likely to measure and inspect their supply chain for carbon emissions than other factors³. But the introduction of fully-electric options makes it far easier to ensure your fleet is clean – and therefore signals your attention to detail.

now is the time to act

There is a major opportunity for facility managers to become early adopters of electric vehicles – and they should grasp it with both hands. Not only will doing so show their intent to reduce emissions and implement more sustainable practices; it will position them as pioneers in the industry – which could have a lasting positive effect on their reputation. 

Better still, it is easy to introduce fully-electric van mounted MEWPs today. With Access Zero as your dedicated partner, you have everything you need to make a seamless transition that will give you a clear edge in the tendering process.

Want to learn more about Access Zero’s fully-electric fleet?

The UK’s power sector has pledged to reach net zero by 2035. But with demand for energy set to more than double in the next two decades¹, experts warn that more rapid measures will be required to achieve these goals.

What can the sector do to ensure it both meets consumers’ needs and reduces its impact on the climate? 

At Kelling Group, we believe the key is to engage at every level of scale – from new infrastructure to the van mounted MEWPs used on-site. And in this article, we explore three ways this can be done.

1. Introducing Clean Energy to the Grid

The goal

The UK needs a green energy system that can provide over 65 million people with a reliable source of sustainable energy. This involves a complex national infrastructure that transports clean energy to households and buildings.

The challenge

Nearly £200 billion has been spent on clean energy projects since 2010².  But there is a lack of capacity in the national energy grid, which has created significant delays. There is currently an enormous “queue” to connect wind and solar energy to the grid – with some providers told they will have to wait up to 15 years.

“Fundamental reform is needed. More infrastructure is needed. We are working very hard to design and build at a faster pace than we ever have done before.”

Roisin Quinn of National Grid

How innovation helps

The lack of access to the grid – and concerns about the latency of some forms of renewables³ – can be overcome through technology. A recent report cited “smarter, more flexible, digitally-enabled grid” that would enable flexible use of power.⁴

2. Reducing Emissions On-Site

The goal

Power infrastructure projects must also decarbonise, enabling regular building and maintenance work to be done without adding to the sector’s overall carbon emissions. 

The challenge

Few projects can be completed without equipment like van mounted MEWPs. But until recently, it has been extremely difficult to access electric vehicles (EVs) that can fulfil the needs of a construction site.

How innovation helps

Access Zero offers a fleet of fully-electric van mounted MEWPs which radically reduce the carbon emissions of power sites. This empowers site leaders to make an easy win, immediately improving their ESG scores. With plans to remove diesel from worksites by 2035, they will also be getting ahead of the curve⁵ – and likely win more government and local authority contracts in the process.

2. Increasing Consumer Demand for Clean Energy

The goal

Consumers are able to influence the choices of both government and private enterprise. Educating the public and encouraging individuals to push for far faster progress on decarbonisation will increase the sector’s urgency. 

The challenge

Many consumers perceive clean energy as a direct route to higher prices. Combined with the recent increases in bills due to the war in Ukraine, many consumers are less inclined to opt for greener choices. 

How innovation helps

At Kelling Group, our eco-friendly fleets are a perfect example of innovation providing the answer. While many employees on power worksites may not feel they can influence decarbonisation, they actually have the ability to make a real difference – simply by putting pressure on their employers to choose cleaner equipment. With fully-electric van mounted MEWPs now available nationwide, workers can show their employers that products exist which will both improve their output and reduce their carbon emissions.

Want To Explore Eco-Friendly Fleets?

The arguments in favour of Electric Vehicles (EVs) are now very familiar. They reduce carbon emissions, minimise air pollution and provide a more sustainable means of transport. 

But the question is how long until adoption is widespread? 

More than 10 million EVs were sold last year, and that number is expected to reach 14 million in 2023. With the government’s pledge to phase out – and eventually make illegal – the sale of new oil and petrol vehicles, this growth can only increase.

What does it mean for your infrastructure projects?

It depends on your perspective. 

Because if you seize the opportunity, it could deliver a  substantial competitive advantage.

The genie is not going back into the bottle

Now that it is possible for an infrastructure project to use fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs, there will be an inevitable chain reaction. Early adopters will improve their ESG scores rapidly, which in turn will help them win more tenders. 

Once this becomes clear, competitors will have to adopt EVs just to keep up – at which point those that have got ahead of the curve will have the headstart of being used to this new way of working.

The advantage of this emerging technology is the ease of integration into current operations. With us as the UK’s pioneering supplier of a fully electric fleet of Van Mounted MEWPs, our customers find that incorporating these vehicles into their daily routines can be a seamless process. The experience of operating an electric vehicle quickly becomes second nature. The earlier you embrace this change, the sooner you can begin reaping the benefits of electric technology – giving you an upper hand in this rapidly evolving sector.

 

Electric vehicles will only improve

While the current crop of fully-electric Van MEWPs produces significant savings, there is already research suggesting that the life-cycle emissions of a typical EV will be cut by 73% by 2050. As usage grows, production becomes more efficient and the grid is optimised, it’s inevitable that the rest of the industry will cotton on to the undeniable benefits.

That is part of the reason we have made sure to get ahead of the curve. We believe our role is not just to provide our customers with quality equipment, but to help them embrace innovation and carve out a more positive future.

We are confident that Electric Vehicles will be a major part of that future for the infrastructure sector, and we are proud to be the first to take bold action and offer ambitious, forward-thinking project leaders a fully-electric fleet.

Want to learn more about Access Zero?

MEWPs are essential for many infrastructure projects, enabling faster, safer work at heights. Choosing the right MEWP will:

• Save time by reducing delays
• Save money by enabling faster, more efficient work
• Improve workers’ experience on-site

But how do you know who has the capability and who to trust with the responsibility of providing your MEWP?

At Access Hire, we pride ourselves on being trusted advisors to our customers. Which is why we’ve put together this guide to choosing the perfect MEWP supplier for your project.

Here are four factors contractors should consider before hiring a MEWP:

1. Site Safety and Conditions

Whether working on a town or city street, or in more rural environments, the central concern for any MEWP hire is picking the correct MEWP for the job. This will depend on the specifics of the job and industry: working on a smaller site will require a smaller, more agile vehicle; jobs in rural areas will likely benefit from a 4×4 pickup style MEWP.

The majority of projects, however, will benefit from van mounted MEWPs. Without the need for towing, they can simply be driven to wherever they are needed and get to work. This is not only more efficient; it allows the vehicle to be moved more quickly – granting your project more flexibility. 

2. Service offering

From rigorous testing to fast delivery, the service of a MEWP provider can make all the difference to your project. What level of support does the vendor offer? Is maintenance and servicing included in the contract? And how quickly can your vehicle be delivered to the site? 

These factors can impact the overall economics of your hire: costs incurred due to faulty machines, downtime, maintenance and servicing are often underestimated and overlooked when planning to source a MEWP.

3. Courtesy Vehicles

How easily can a vehicle be replaced? And what does that potential downtime cost you? For most contractors, time without their MEWP can lead to big losses. And delays will typically slow down the entire project’s workflow.

Your chosen provider should therefore be able to resolve issues with their MEWP quickly. Signs to look for are the size of the supplier’s fleet (as this indicates whether a replacement vehicle is likely to be ready) and the quality of their engineers.

At Access Hire, for example, we employ a highly responsive team of engineers who are experts in the specific units we hire out. As a result, they can often diagnose issues over the phone – reducing your potential downtime from hours to minutes.

We also have dedicated courtesy vehicles to minimise downtime and help our customers to get back to work quickly!

4. Environmental impact

A growing number of tenders require contractors to demonstrate their eco-credentials. This is a key topic currently and it will be a growing priority moving forward – and project managers should be aware that environmentally friendly Van Mounted MEWPs are now available.

The first fully electric MEWP lease package, Access Zero, was recently launched, enabling Fleet Managers to reduce their carbon emissions and show their dedication to environmental concerns. If you believe improved ESG will give you a competitive edge, this may be the unit for you.

Explore Access Hire’s full MEWP range here or contact sales for more information.