While many businesses have been thrust into lockdown status across the UK over the past three months, at AJ Grab Hire, our operations have still been lightly running under strict social distancing measures.
Our aggregate deliveries and grab hire lorries have been busy supporting projects in Cambridgeshire and surrounding area, as many landscaping and construction projects have continued.
Under the government guidelines, we have been taking all the necessary precautions with our team and our customers to ensure that health and safety during this time remains a priority. This means our team has worn protective clothing and carried out rigorous cleaning procedures on each grab hire lorry.
Much of the world has come to a grinding halt due to coronavirus, but as many of our clients have had to continue their work, we have also been on the frontline of these projects to ensure operations run smoothly, and waste is removed as quickly as possible from the site.
Here are a few ways we’ve been keeping the grab lorries busy during Covid-19.
Helping Essential Construction Work
In April 2020, the government’s position on construction work was that construction sites should continue to operate during Covid-19.
A statement from the Secretary For Business Energy & Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, thanked the UK construction sector for “delivering for our nation through this difficult time”.
However, it has been a difficult decision for many in the construction industry whether to keep sites open or shut them down amid health and safety concerns.
Thankfully, the Construction Leadership Council produced industry-wide Site Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines to give construction workers and businesses clear advice for operating during the pandemic.
The SOP guides detail a list of topics, from travelling to the site, access points, hand washing facilities, and other welfare facilities, including toilets, canteens and changing rooms.
With clear guidelines for those in the construction industry, many sites have re-opened quickly, and continued work across the UK, despite a police-enforced lockdown for many who were deemed as non-essential workers.
The fact is, across the engineering and construction sector, many large scale projects have had to still continue. This includes work on roads, public facilities, and the remedial work launched by the government on fire stopping in all social housing.
At AJ Grab Hire, this has meant we’ve continued to support our customers in helping them to move waste quickly from site to ensure that social distancing can remain in place and that there are no obstructions to vital access points.
Supporting Local Landscapers
In relation to the landscaping sector, the guidance from the government was very unclear as to whether work would be allowed to continue amid the covid-19 outbreak.
The UK Landscape Institute sought clarification from the government and gained no official statement, they simply re-iterated the Chief Medical Officers statement – “ If you cannot work from home, then you can still travel to work.”
While the Landscape Institute has urged members to minimise fieldwork, some essential works have still had to be continued.
With this in mind, The British Association of Landscape Industries has since submitted guidance for all landscapers needing to work, on how work should be carried out to remain safe during the pandemic.
At AJ Grab Hire, we’ve seen a number of small scale local landscape projects continue and supported in providing aggregate delivery and muck-away services with our fleet of grab hire lorries.
Under the circumstances, our grab hire lorries have helped to keep these projects moving forward at a pace so that they can be completed quicker and minimise the need for more manpower on site.
As a grab lorry can move more than a skip, in a much quicker time frame, there is no need for extra labour on site.
If your construction or landscape project is due to start up again soon, contact our team to see how we can help support you.
AJ Grab Hire
Head Office:
Langdale Farm
Cambridge Road
Melbourn
Hertfordshire
SG8 6EY
