Coleman hail JCB skid-steer safety features
Specialist firm says JCB skid-steer loaders are number one for safety in the demolition environment
ONE of the UK’s leading demolition specialists has purchased five JCB skid-steer loaders for what they describe as ‘the unrivalled health and safety features they bring to the demolition environment’.
Midlands-based Coleman & Co. Ltd initially ordered a single JCB 135 skid-steer loader to work on their intricate demolition projects where space is confined or where there are weight restrictions on suspended floors.
So impressed were they with the machine that they have now purchased a further four JCB skid-steers – a 155 and three more 135 models. All have been put to work on high-profile demolition projects across the country, including Didcot Power Station, St David’s Shopping Centre in Swansea and Birmingham New Street Railway Station.
As well as the performance of the machines, Coleman cited the health and safety features of JCB skid-steers, compared with competitive models, as fundamental to the purchasing decision.
Coleman’s contract support manager, Malcolm Hurst, said: ‘We work in increasingly hazardous spaces, so ensuring our operatives can work in safe conditions is of primary importance. As such, we continuously look to manage and mitigate risk where possible.
‘The JCB skid-steer models have a number of positive safety features that impressed us. These include far better all-round visibility and safer access to the cab, which in turn allows a demolition guard to be fitted at the front of the cab. This is something unique to JCB’s design; it is very different to any other skid-steer on the market.
‘We are also very impressed with the build quality along with the flexibility of the JCB skid-steers. Given the complex, technically challenging and high-risk nature of the work we undertake, we felt JCB were best placed to meet our needs.
‘The machines have excelled in these conditions and the support we receive from our dealer Gunn JCB is superb.’
As the only manufacturer to produce a single-sided Powerboom loader arm, JCB provide operators with a full opening door on the side of the machine. This means that there is never a requirement to climb over large, cumbersome attachments or tools, thus improving safety for the operator.
The Coleman & Co. skid-steer loaders have been further adapted to the demolition environment with a number of additional features, including: an alarm that is triggered if the door opens while the engine is running; solid puncture-resistant rubber tyres; and a grapple bucket that can ‘clamp’ a broad range of materials.
