Background:
It was back in June 2017 that Morrision Utilities first began the extensive trialling of six different Vacuum Excavators currenlty in the marketplace. The exercise proved fruitless, as none of the units tested deemed suitable for the specific demands of working on narrow, busy streets of London.
Challenges included, busy streets, parked cars, parking restrictions, narrow footpaths etc. Vacuum Excavation was eventually replaced with traditional yet much slower hand digging methods.
Key Issues Experienced:
- Working over parked cars
- Customer complaints from blocking streets
- Time lost through mobilising & de-mobilising unit
- Manoeuvring issues
- Increased costs
- Poor filtration / blockages
- Over sized equipment
- Tipping issues
- Unable to only work from footpath
Proposed Solution:
Sept 17 – We were approached by MUS in mid 2017 to trial some our own bespoke equipment. After listening to the key issues we suggested to wait for our new 2018 micro AIR-VAC track unit.
Clients Response to the AIR-VAC Solution:
Feb 18 – “We were blown away by it. Some of the group were initially sceptical about whether a micro machine could really do the job but the potential was obvious and everyone came away desperate to get their hands on one!”
“We took delivery of the first AIR-VAC in March 18.Very often, when you introduce something like this, the guys take some convincing but within five minutes you could see the enthusiasm levels rising as they realised how amazing this machine is, how it will speed up their day, reduce cable damages and save their backs!”
“The most telling thing for me is that when the unit is passed to a new team, we are getting significant resistance from the previous team as they don’t want to let it go.”
“Vacuum excavation is becoming increasingly essential in the areas that our smart metering teams work in due to the congestion of underground services and utilities. Across our industry, underground strikes are a costly issue with a risk of serious injury. The introduction of the micro AIR-VAC provides a self-contained and agile HAV’s free method of excavation in and around buried live services and we are very excited by the new efficiencies that this tool brings.”
“The reduced size and improved agility of the micro AIR-VAC is delivering significant customer service benefits to our smart metering teams working on behalf of Thames Water. The unit’s self-contained design is also helping to minimise the impact of the work being carried out as no spoil is left on site which addresses the issue of site tidiness – a key priority across all of our contracts. From a customer service viewpoint, this is a great example of the ways in which we can take customer feedback and incorporate it into new and progressive ways of working.”
