K M GROUP CHAS ACCREDITS ELITE SAFER WORKING – INNOVATION LED
K M Group’s unwavering commitment to Safe working and Best Practice, is reflected in the Multi Award-Winning Group’s status as a CHAS Elite CAS SSIP Accredited organisation. Group Strategic Operations, R&D and Innovation Manager, Murray Ambler-Shattock, has a long history with CHAS, and this relationship has been reinforced with K M Group, including K M Plant Hire & Groundworks Ltd. (a member of the K M Group), being one of the very first adopters of CAS SSIP via CHAS, the preferred Accreditation provider for the Group of businesses. As an Innovation Led organisation, Murray sees CHAS as a vital partner in formally demonstrating the application of Best Practice and Safe Working Methods across the highly innovative aspects of K M Group’s work in Construction, Civil Engineering and Utilities Infrastructure.
Safer Excavations
The Advantages of Vacuum Excavation
Excavation is an essential process in Construction, Civil, Engineering, and Utility Infrastructure installations, repair and maintenance, and groundworks that require digging or trenching to lay foundations and bases, or create structural support, or channels into which underground utilities and services can be installed or simply accessed. Traditionally, mechanical methods like diggers, backhoes and shovels were used for these tasks, but they often posed significant safety risks, being blunt instruments with metal edges, capable of inflicting considera- ble damage. Fortunately, the emergence of Vacuum Excavation has revolutionised the industry, offering a far safer and efficient alternative, using air to breakdown the earth and suction to extract the soil, thusly not risking contact with underground utilities and services, and that also has environmental benefits, in not damaging root structure of proximate trees, hedges and plants, etc. There are numerous safety benefits in utilising Vacuum Excavation, reflected in the statistical data on improved utility strike avoidance. This also offers a financial benefit, as service strikes damaging infrastructure, can prove extremely expensive to the liable party at fault.
Enhanced Utility Detection and PAS 128
One of the primary safety advantages of Vacuum Excavation is its ability to enhance safe utility presence exposure, as all too often, underground utility services are not exactly where they are reported as being on Statutory Undertakers and Utility Service Providers records. In the UK, the adoption of the PAS 128 specification, has played a crucial role in improving utility detection accuracy, and therefore the best practice around `safe digging’. PAS 128 provides guidelines for utility mapping surveys and detection, and promotes the use of non-destructive techniques, including Air Pick Lances and Vacuum Excavation, for locating and identifying buried utilities. By adhering to the PAS 128 standards, companies can ensure a more reliable and efficient utility detection process, significantly reducing the risks associ- 38 BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE TION TRADES CIVIL & HEAVY ENGINEERING K M GROUP CHA S ACCREDITA ELITE SAFER WORKING
TION TRADES CIVIL & HEAVY ENGINEERING K M GROUP CHA S ACCREDITA ELITE ated with utility strikes through the adoption of best practice. K M Group’s Strategic Operations, R&D and Innovations Manager, Murray Ambler-Shattock, has long been a champion of PAS 128 adoption and the work of USAG (the Utilities Strike Avoidance Group).
The Vanguard of Innovation
K M Plant Hire & Groundworks Ltd. `K M Plant’, part of the K M Group, under the driving guidance of the Group Managing Director, Khan Lynch, and the Group Strategic Operations, Innovation, Research and Development Manager, Murray Ambler-Shattock, has earned a place at the vanguard of Innovation adoption in the Utilities Sector. With a sharp focus on safer, more environmentally sensitive and efficient working methodologies, K M Group have become leaders in the adoption of Vacuum Excavation technology in Wales across multiple major contracts and Client works. Indeed, K M Plant has pioneered and successfully implemented Vacuum Excavation methods for multiple smaller works in the Civil Engineering and Utilities Infrastructure installation, repair and maintenance sector, and now operates a fleet of Vacuum Excavators cross its Client works, and latterly, available for Hire. This forward-thinking approach has delivered exceptional value to Clients while promoting safer working practices across a growing number of contracts.
Adopting Vacuum Excavation for Safety
K M Group’s commitment to optimal safety and efficiency is evident in its Group-wide adoption of Vacuum Excavation. By replacing traditional excavation methods with non-mechanical Vacuum Excavation, K M Plant has eliminated the need for much of the mechanical and manual digging, reducing the risk of misreported utility locations leading to accidental damage and potentially, worker injuries or even fatalities. Furthermore, the non-mechanical suction-based excavation process minimises the potential for serious mechanical impact damage to utilities, mitigating the surrounding risks and preventing the resultant service disruptions of damage, not to mention the high costs of any damage repairs. With its highly innovative Group MD at the helm, K M Group continues to lead the way in adopting innovative practices that prioritise safety, efficiency and environmental factors.
Award-Winning Work
K M Plant’s dedication to safety, innovation, and in such areas as Trenchless Technology and Vacuum Excavation, has garnered the company professional recognition and accolade within the industry. The company’s commitment to safer working practices and the adoption of Vacuum Excavation technology has contributed to their multi award-winning work in Construction, Civil Engineering, and Utilities. According to Khan Lynch: “By embracing efficient and safe excavation methods, we have set a high standard for excellence in the industry, delivering exceptional Client value and promoting a safer working environment, that others are keen to emulate.” The safety benefits of Vacuum Excavation, coupled with the adoption of PAS 128 and the innovative practices of K M Group, facilitated by its Innovation Team are clear. According to Murray Ambler-Shattock “The use of Vacuum Excavation enhances utility detection and identification accuracy, significantly reduces the risk of utility strikes, and vastly improves worker safety. By adhering to the PAS 128 specification and under the leadership of Khan Lynch, our company has established itself at the vanguard of innovation adoption and application in the industry sector. The implementation of Vacuum Excavation technology, combined with a commitment to safer working practices, has resulted in exceptional Client value and a far safer working environment.” As the industry continues to prioritise greater efficiencies, Andrew Bradley, Head of Commercial at K M Plant, confirmed the demonstrable benefits of Vacuum Excavation in delivering meaningful improvements in operational safety and efficiency, and in mitigating risk. K M Group are also a significant proponent of Trenchless Technology such as Horizontal Directional Drilling `HDD’, Pipe-Pulling and Slip-Lining, all massively reducing surface and infrastructure disruption in the installation and renewal or repair of underground utilities, an activity for which K M Plant has again, received industry recognition and accolade, in the form of multiple Awards.
