CPI introduce ground-level refuelling concept

Chepstow Plant International raise the bar on safety with pioneering ground-level fuelling system on Volvo F-Series excavators

CHEPSTOW Plant International (CPI) and Volvo dealer SMT GB are taking on-site health and safety to another level with the introduction of new ground-level refuelling points (for both diesel and AdBlue) on two recently delivered Volvo EC500F and EC400F excavators at Tarmac’s Dolyhir Quarry.

Falls from height continue to be the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the UK with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics showing 50 deaths in 2023/24. 

As the mineral products industry aims to achieve zero lost-time incidents and injuries in the workplace, the Strategic Safety Forum (SSF) has identified working at height as one of the high-consequence hazards that have been the main cause of fatalities and serious injuries and incidents within the sector over the last decade. 

In response, SMT GB and CPI – one of the UK’s leading aggregates and earthmoving contractors – have designed, developed, and supplied the first new-generation Volvo F-Series excavators with an innovative ground-level refuelling solution.

The move was prompted by an incident four years ago when a Chepstow Plant worker fell from a walkway during refuelling on a mobile machine and, subsequently, suffered a broken rib. 

Following the accident, the company conducted a thorough investigation to identify how future injuries and incidents of this kind could be prevented. This included reviewing the company’s extensive mobile plant fleet and best-practice equipment across the mineral extractives and aggregates industry. 

The investigation's results prompted John Corcoran, managing director of CPI, to take on the challenge of addressing working at height in load and haul operations and developing a newer, safer approach to refuelling all heavy earthmoving machinery. 

‘Safety is at the forefront of everything we do and maintaining a safe work environment in the wider quarrying industry is critical for us,’ said Mr Corcoran. ‘When avoiding slips and falls, it is easy to overlook steps as simple as ensuring sound footing when climbing machinery. 

‘Add in factors such as operator fatigue, adverse weather conditions, and AdBlue spillages – which makes walkways and steps more slippery – the likelihood of workers falling from height increases. It was, therefore, important for us and SMT GB to find innovative and efficient ways of eradicating working from height whilst refuelling on mobile construction plant.’

Indeed, the consensus among safety professionals is that the most effective way to mitigate health and safety risks is to design the hazard out of the machine, component, or system. 

Following months of endless meetings and development work with Volvo CE and SMT GB, agreements were finally put in place to incorporate Chepstow Plant’s ground-level fuelling concept on all Volvo excavators ordered by the earthmoving contractor in 2024. Going forward, there are also plans to retrofit all existing E-Series excavators across the company’s mobile equipment fleet. 

James Thorne, joint chief executive officer of IQ and MPQC, commented: ‘John Corcoran’s simple yet ingenious and effective ground-level refuelling system is not just eliminating accidents in the field but also to change the whole culture regarding health and safety by integrating safer practices in the workplace that focus on continuous improvement and proactive prevention.

‘With many hazards present, standardizing ground-level fuelling for the UK mineral products industry demonstrates the need to take innovative steps and encourage the sector to be forward-thinking – further improving the quarrying workplace and raising the health, safety and environmental standards.'

Since taking delivery of the brand-new Volvo EC500F and EC400F excavators at Dolyhir Quarry, both machines are proving a big hit with the site operatives, as Tarmac machine operator Eddie John told Agg-Net: ‘The EC500F is hands down the best excavator I’ve ever operated at Dolyhir – it’s powerful, comfortable, efficient, and highly productive, packed with innovative safety features.’

Echoing Mr John’s sentiments, Rhys Morgan, CPI engineer at Tarmac’s Dolyhir and Gore quarries, said: ‘The bespoke Volvo F-Series excavators have ticked every box on the customer’s agenda, from improved productivity and machinery uptime to a host of cab upgrades and enhanced safety. 

‘With the EC500F and EC400F, I don’t have to worry about working at height during refuelling tasks – as both diesel and AdBlue fuelling points are easily accessible from ground level and filling up is straightforward, much quicker, and more efficient than other excavators on site.’

John Corcoran added: ‘Collaboration is the key to innovation, so we are very grateful to our supply chain partners SMT GB, in particular Simon Albert and Matt Jennings, who have helped get the project off the ground and to fruition. The ground-level refuelling project has proven to be a huge success and with the support of the Strategic Safety Forum, we’ll be looking to standardize this safety improvement not just for Chepstow Plant, but also across the wider construction and aggregates sector.’