Top Tips when Hiring Plant & Tool Equipment for Summer Construction Projects
Summer is just around the corner, and this comes with seasonal changes to the way we perform work. For construction projects on site works can provide different challenges compared to winter work.
Health and safety is a number one priority regardless of the season and it is important not to become complacent during the longer/warmer days in the sun. This blog will provide a few tips when completing construction projects this summer, such as large groundwork projects which require diggers and dumpers to hire, or smaller garden works that require a mini digger and a wacker plate for hire.
Longer Daylight Hours
Due to the increased lighting in the summer site managers can take advantage of this to get work done without turning on floodlights or other largescale lighting solutions. This will save costs on electricity too. The cost savings can be used on other aspects of the projects such a plant hire or tool hire. For example, hiring a mini digger in Birmingham, Luton, or London.
Also, starting your mornings on site a few hours earlier compared to the winter– as well as shuffling shift patterns to make use of the increased light in the evenings – is a great way of cutting some of the costs associated with long nightshifts. Again, these costs savings could contribute to a roller for hire.
Combating Overheating Plant Machinery
Warmer temperatures will of course mean that your plant machinery such as larger excavators, mini/micro diggers, dumpers etc will be at a bigger risk of overheating. Especially, if we have record heatwaves like we did in 2022. For example, if your mini digger for hire in Birmingham overheated during your landscaping project. Then not only will you be unable to do work; you also don’t know how long the machine will be out for.
The best action to avoid this is prevention. Keep monitoring the temperature gauge and if it’s overheating turn off your equipment immediately.
Another great tip is completing workload in smaller amounts. This will combat excessive heating when completing longer projects in the heat.
Another tip is if the heat is too much for that day; it would be better to delay the project until the weather gets cooler.
Heat Fatigue Risk
Watching out for heat fatigue really can’t be overstated; the UK we can have some deceptively hot days when they’re filled with work outside in the scorching heat. Make sure that there are structures available to get some shade for short durations – we all know how draining the sun can be when working under it for too long.
Using AC units can be a good way to reduce the risk of heat fatigue and is a great way to have designated cooling areas.
Keeping Hydrated
This is the most important tip on this list. Keeping yourself and the rest of your team hydrated will not only ensure peak performance but also prevent dehydration – a fate worse than plant machinery overheating.
If you’re a site manager, it’s worth enforcing regular water breaks for your team. Having a conveniently placed water bowser on site will help with this, and they’re usually available in a variety of sizes to suit your storage needs.
For example, after hiring a mini digger and using it in hot weather with excessive heat generated from the mini digger itself. It’s imperative for the operated to get water breaks to rehydrate.
At Procure-Hire we are a platform driving innovation in the construction industry. To get great deals on your plant hire and tool hire equipment please get in touch today! From diggers, dumpers, rollers etc we have you covered with nationwide delivery.
You can contact us at info@procure-hire.com or call us on 0330 133 3967
