UK sales of Electric Vehicles (EVs) hit an all-time high last year.¹ But we are still just scratching the surface of this major shift in transport and technology.

Fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs are now available to lease and hire for businesses across the country, and this is expected to have a significant impact on construction and infrastructure projects in several ways.

Here are four core benefits businesses can expect:

1. Reduced emissions

The most commonly cited benefit of EVs is their environmental impact. Even accounting for the generation of electricity and battery manufacturers, going electric dramatically reduces the amount of GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emitted through the lifecycle of each vehicle.

This is particularly true for fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs. Each vehicle produces a large annual reduction of CO₂ every year and across an entire fleet, this equates to an enormous improvement to your carbon footprint.

2. Fuel savings

A common misconception about EVs is that they are more expensive. While brands like Tesla have created the perception that going electric is costly, switching to fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs can actually result in a long-term cost saving.

Events from last year made clear just how expensive traditional fuel sources can be – not to mention highly volatile. Electricity is far cheaper and businesses can expect to save a significant amount per year on fuel.

3. Noise

Noise pollution is a major issue for the construction and infrastructure sectors – especially when working on inner-city projects. Heavy vehicles are a large contributor to that problem, but few projects can run successfully without them. This ultimately limits the times when projects can operate at full capacity.

Electric Van Mounted MEWPs provide a powerful solution to this problem. They run completely silently, thus entirely removing one of the biggest sources of noise pollution from your site – and enabling work during the night and early morning in areas where noise restrictions are strict.

4. Improved ESG

Whether you operate in the public or private sector, there is growing pressure to demonstrate the steps you are taking to improve your sites’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores. Opting for fully-electric Van Mounted MEWPs is an easy win in this regard, providing a large improvement that can be actioned immediately.

Sustainability is top of the agenda for most local councils. But delivering sustainable infrastructure projects is easier said than done.

Despite the recent announcement of extra Government funding ¹, the process of planning, managing and delivering sustainable infrastructure is a huge challenge. Tier 3 emission accounting means leaders need to implement green alternatives across their entire supply chains – and this creates a serious problem for many councils.

A gap in the sustainability market

Key infrastructure projects require strategic equipment like Van Mounted MEWP. But these are generally seen as a big source of carbon and noise emissions. Today, fully-electric alternatives exist – they have just not been readily available to local authorities. 

Access Zero offers the UK’s first fleet of fully-electric Van Mounted MEWP, enabling infrastructure projects to run more smoothly and with far less impact to the environment. 

Here are three ways electric Van Mounted MEWP help local councils achieve their sustainability goals:

1. Reduced emissions

The construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure are responsible for roughly 16% of the UK’s total carbon emissions ². The machinery and vehicles used during projects is an important part of this – yet these emissions are often seen as inevitable.

Fully-electric Van Mounted MEWP solve that problem – producing zero emissions and requiring far less energy to run. This helps radically reduce the overall output of mobile workforces. It also makes projects easier to run in densely populated urban areas where Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ) are more common ³ . 

2. Easier budgeting

According to recent reports, 7 in 10 UK councils are struggling to finance their net-zero transition. ⁴ This puts pressure on leaders, even with extra funding from the government. And since green options are generally seen as more costly, many contractors struggle to afford electric vehicles.

This is why Access Zero offers a fully inclusive maintenance solution, enabling local authorities to hire the latest access platform technology in confidence and easily forecast their cash flow due to not having to account for any service or maintenance costs. This means opting for electric Van Mounted MEWP doesn’t mean sacrificing other green initiatives or creating an unmanageable budget deficit.

3. Minimise noise pollution

Noise pollution is less widely publicised than air pollution, but it is just as harmful to the health of the local population. Researchers estimate that excessive noise costs the UK economy £20 billion each year. And Councils have a clear mandate to reduce noise from infrastructure projects – especially in urban areas.

Electric Van Mounted MEWP operate silently. This removes a huge source of on-site noise emissions and makes the environment more pleasant for both workers and civilians.

Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms (VMAPs) are an essential part of many infrastructure projects. But without the proper training, they carry a number of safety risks which can lead to delays, hazards – and potentially serious injuries. 

What are the vehicle mounted access platform safety risks?

Working from heights is always considered a health and safety risk; 123 UK workers died in 2022 as a result of falls¹. Whilst Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms present a safe and efficient way of working at height, there are still a number of other safety risks – all of which require operators to be highly trained.

Some of these are related to proper care and maintenance. If not set up or secured properly, the platform can be unstable – potentially causing it to tip over. Equally, if the vehicle is not properly maintained, sudden machinery failures can lead to accidents.

Other risks relate to operators’ skill and knowledge of the vehicle. If the operator does not have proper control over the vehicle mounted access platform, there is a risk of collision with other vehicles or obstacles – not to mention the risks to the person working on the platform.

How training mitigates the risk

Comprehensive safety training is not just a matter of legal requirement – it can actually save lives. By ensuring the operator is familiar with the proper safety procedures – as well as protocols for maintaining the equipment and noticing when additional support is required – the right training course will make your operators safer, more confident and more efficient.

Training should include information on how to properly set up and secure the platform; how to properly use the controls and safety features; and how to safely access and work from the platform. Additionally, safety training can help to prevent accidents and injuries by teaching operators how to recognize and avoid potential hazards.

But simply memorising this information is not enough – it needs to be used. And that is where most training programmes run into a serious problem.

Why training needs to use real vehicles

Sitting in a classroom or at a computer is one thing; making decisions in the moment is another. Just 12% of employees say they have been able to apply what they learned in training courses to their real-world job². 

Why? Because they learn in an artificial environment divorced from their real day-to-day work. A trainee may take in all of the information, but it is less likely to stick – and far less likely to become a lasting habit that ensures consistently safe operation.

This is a common problem with operator training.  While International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) training is the industry gold-standard, few organisations are able to offer the programmes using vehicle mounted access platforms – which is exactly why Access Hire stepped up.

Access Hire helps your site stay safe

We now offer full IPAF training onsite using our market leading range of Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms. Not only does this ensure operators are properly accredited – it gives them the opportunity to learn skills specific to the vehicle they’ll be using on site.

This makes the training more relevant and helps them memorise the information more effectively. As a result, safety practices become real habits. The operator follows every safety protocol and operates the vehicle properly without even thinking – and that is what you need to keep your site safe.

Telecommunications is one of the UK’s most essential and fastest growing industries. But innovation has often been slowed by legacy infrastructure that is massively outdated and complex.

In the coming years, we will see these challenges finally resolved. The UK government has earmarked £5 billion for “Project Gigabit” – its attempt to ensure the expansion of high-quality broadband into hard-to-reach areas¹ – as well as a slew of further investments to promote innovation and security in the sector. 

Some estimate the cumulative impact of these projects could result in a £120 billion boost to the UK economy over the coming 15 years². Value will be produced at every step of the process, from hiring innovative access platforms to creating thousands of new jobs. 

In this report, we explore four key trends that will drive this growth in 2023.

Four telecoms trends in 2023

1. The 5G rollout

The expansion of 5G networks will accelerate during 2023, with EE claiming it will deliver 5G to 90% of the UK’s geographic area by 2028³. This looks increasingly plausible: UK comms regulator Ofcom says the number of 5G base stations in the UK doubled in 2021, with coverage now between 67-77% (up from 42-57% last year),⁴ – and we should expect this number to grow rapidly. 

Much of this is thanks to the Government’s £200 million 5G Testbed and Trials programme.⁵ The government has made clear its intention to make the 5G roll out as widespread and impactful as possible – largely by “cutting red tape” to enable innovation. This includes simple factors like increasing competition, as well as more “out there” proposals, such as using “Street furniture” like lampposts as 5G towers.⁶

Not only does 5G offer increased speed, reduced latency and greater reach – there are clear ESG benefits too. It is up to 90% more efficient than 4G in terms of energy consumption per unit of traffic (W/Mbps),⁷ and the ongoing rollout could produce huge energy gains across the country’s telecoms infrastructure.

But this is where the 5G rollout gets more complex

The reality is, providers will not be relying on 5G any time soon. Despite the rollout, networks will still need a robust 4G infrastructure for many years. While Vodafone will phase out 3G in 2023,⁸ it will continue to simultaneously invest in its 4G infrastructure – however fast 5G access expands.

Equally, 5G is not the only type of network most want access to. 45% of enterprise businesses are concurrently testing or deploying Wi-Fi 6 and 5G for their advanced wireless initiatives. Indeed, a recent Deloitte survey found that fully 98% of respondents expected their organisation would be using both technologies within two years.⁹ 

Perhaps tellingly, countries that report the highest levels of 5G pilots and deployments also report the highest levels of WI-FI 6 pilots.¹⁰

2. Major fibre projects

In September 2022, CityFibre announced that its full fibre infrastructure project –  in partnership with Vodafone – had been successfully deployed by more than two million homes.¹¹ But this is just the start. CityFibre expects the project to see full fibre-optic broadband deployed in 8 million homes by 2025 – creating 4,000 jobs in the process.¹² 

There is competition though. In may December 2022, Openreach announced 12 new locations where it plants to deliver gigabit-capable technology – with plans to reach 4 million new homes each year. Virgin Media soon followed suit, announcing its intention to upgrade its entire fixed network to full fibre by 2028.

These projects will be highly complex, requiring powered access equipment to successfully deploy the necessary infrastructure. But the net result will be a huge increase in both supply and demand. 

A report from the FTTH Council Europe predicted the total number of fibre subscriptions in the UK to increase to 18.5 million by 2026, with the overall penetration of fibre reaching 63.1%.¹³

Are targets too ambitious?

While the above figures are promising, the infrastructure required for such coverage will not be easy – requiring much strategic and technical support. The UK government has found this out the hard way. In a recent report, they were forced to break their manifesto pledge to achieve nationwide fibre coverage by 2025 – with the date now moved back to 2030.¹⁴

3. Reinforcing telecoms security

Following the passage of the Telecommunications Security Act last year, we should expect increased efforts to reinforce the security and safety of the UK’s telecoms networks. With increasingly powerful connectivity, the dangers of cyber attacks have intensified. Both the UK government and private companies are highly incentivised to ensure networks are maximally robust.

There will also be an important balance to strike between increasing security and ensuring efficient competition. The government has launched a £250 million initiative to build more competitive, innovative and diverse supply chains – reducing the reliance on a small handful of massive equipmark firms.¹⁵ However, this may create conflict between providers’ desire for security and their desire for economic efficiency.

The government has already enshrined a law to strip out ‘high-risk’ suppliers’ tech from networks,¹⁶ which will have a huge impact on security. But actioning this may not be so simple. BT has estimated that it will take 5 years and £500 million to remove Huawei technology from its networks.¹⁷

4. Focus on values

Overall, network performance is improving. Broadband and mobile complaints are down despite increased usage,¹⁸ and the various projects we’ve discussed thus far show how the telecoms sector is innovating. But that does not mean providers are safe from competition. 

64% of consumers are likely to switch phone providers within the next three years if telecoms don’t invest and act fast.¹⁹ This means there is growing pressure on companies to innovate -and clear rewards for those that are able to do so fast.

In the coming year and beyond, we expect to see telecom companies looking to go beyond providing great service. They will increasingly have to position themselves as adding extra value beyond the traditional bounds of telecoms – and this will ramp up significantly throughout 2023.

BT is a prime example: they recently declared that they would only back “responsible tech” in the future, with an emphasis on climate change, diversity and inclusions.²⁰ This will run through their entire business, informing everything from the access platforms they lease to their commitment to a circular economy model.

While other businesses may take differing approaches, the takeaway is clear: telecoms companies must increasingly be more than just telecoms companies in order to survive.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) is an organisation that promotes the safe use of Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs), such as Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms (VMAPs).

With over 1,500 members across 76 countries, it is the international authority on safety best practices – which is why Access Hire is proud to announce we have become an official IPAF training provider.

Why is IPAF training important?

MEWPs are large pieces of equipment that can cause serious damage if misused. That is why operators must undertake rigorous training to ensure they know how to operate the equipment effectively – and keep themselves and their colleagues safe.

Ensuring operators are highly trained is not just about compliance, it is about creating a culture of safety and demonstrating your commitment to the workforce and your customers.

Well trained employees can also work independently and make decisions that can improve their overall efficiency. They are able to identify and solve problems quickly, preventing costly errors and downtime.

IPAF training courses are conducted by authorised training centres and culminates in the awarding of a PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) to the trained individual. This training is mandatory for anybody who operates a MEWP, and the PAL Card remains valid for 5 years.

Access Hire lets you train with a VMAP

While IPAF training is mandatory for Vehicle Mounted Access Platform (VMAP) operators, the majority of training providers do not carry out their training using VMAPs. This is not inherently problematic, but it does mean that trainees lose out on vehicle-specific tips which could be vital.

As a market leading provider of Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms, Access Hire felt this needed to change. Trainees can now undertake 1b static boom training on the specific type of VMAP they will use on-site, enabling them to benefit from our experienced trainers’ specialist VMAP knowledge.

Trainees will learn:

• Key regulations, legislations, standards
• How to identify risks and hazards
• How to identify machinery parts
• How to undertake a pre-use inspection of the vehicle and platform
• Safe machine operating methods
• How to identify common faults