According to HSE, incidents of people being struck by dropped or moving objects remains a persistent cause of industry on job sites. The potential for harm is high if control of heavy objects like sheet piles is lost.
SheetMaster 2.0 has a safe working load of 10t, and features an innovative ratchet release mechanism to avoid accidental sheet release.
It is a multi-function sheet handling and installation attachment that replaces multiple regularly-used trench sheet handling tools on site.
It negates the need for quick-release shackles, is used to lift the sheet into the vertical for positioning, has a driving cap to protect the sheet from damage, and is also built as an extractor to pull the sheet out of the ground. No formal training is required, as the process will be very familiar to operators that are used to using quick release shackles and driving caps.
Groundforce Shorco regional manager Danny Terry said: 鈥淎s part of the two-year development process of SheetMaster 2.0 it was trialled by several of our customers and the feedback has been extremely positive. Their operatives really liked it; they鈥檙e enthused by it and they think it鈥檚 an easy piece of equipment to use. The key benefit is that reduces the time in danger zones around the machine, so they are very happy with how it works.鈥�
JN Bentley is one such customer whose input has helped inform the development of SheetMaster 2.0. Contracts manager Mark Wood explained they approached Terry to identify ways in which they could reduce two risks associated with installation: working at height, and time spent in the 鈥榙anger zone鈥� of the excavator.
鈥淭his was the point at which Danny shared with us some details on an early idea for what has become SheetMaster 2.0,鈥� said Wood.
鈥�Groundforce were very receptive to the conversation. The potential scenario we were investigating matched very closely the concepts behind the original challenge - removing the instance of the trench sheet not being held at the time the release mechanism is operated.
鈥淲e made available a site where a real-time trial could be carried out using a prototype. A safe area was set up, a product briefing was given to the operatives, and they were allowed to use the device.
鈥淪heetMaster 2.0 addressed the risks we identified with a traditional quick-release shackle by removing the point where a trench sheet is not fully held until confidently driven into place. It also wholly eliminates work at height. The end product is simple to use and incorporates functions that currently would need three separate pieces of equipment.鈥�
Other early users have seen the device's benefits. David Cackett, Health and Safety advisor at Seymour 萝莉原创, said traditional sheet handling methods required up to four people in an exclusion zone, whereas the new SheetMaster 2.0 only requires one to two people maximum.
Lewis Watts, head of engineering at United Infrastructure, added: 鈥淭he benefit is keeping guys safe, ease of use, and the ability to have one piece of equipment that does it all. Typically that鈥檚 the dream for every contractor, the world over.
鈥淚t is only through collaboration that we are going to be able to improve the sector, improve safety, and get that last 1% in safety that we are all pushing towards, and just make sure everyone goes home every day.鈥�
Rocco Casale, section engineer at J Murphy & Sons said: 鈥淚t would be a good tool to have on site and once the operatives get used to using this bit of kit, it would be second nature and increase a lot of efficiency, productivity, on site.鈥�