How did we develop the
Crane Forks Cage?

Following too many accidents and near misses, we decided to put a spotlight on safety and act on the unsafe nature of current methods for lifting pallets of bricks and blocks. We were approached by Select Plant Hire, who wanted to work with us to come up with a solution. Due to Select Plant Hire being part of the Laing O’Rourke Group, working together gave us access to feedback from the site teams and operatives using the Crane Forks.

Collaboration and open communication are the only way for the construction industry to move ahead and innovate. When there is an issue about safety, such as this one, it must be solved. No individual or individual party can get in the way or push their own agenda or interests. It is all about working together, with people that have experience and ideas, to come up with the most viable solution to the problem.

For this product, the meet-up at design stage was important as it helped us further shape the brief for the product. After initial discussions we knew that we needed to create a product that is: 1. A fail-safe, fully enclosed way of lifting bricks, blocks or similar palletised materials. 2. A cost-effective solution, to ensure that contractors can quickly adopt to improve safety across the industry

We carried out several site trials on projects associated with Select Plant Hire and the Laing O’Rourke Group. A key project was the Northern Line Extension, where the main contractor was Ferrovial Agroman Laing O’Rourke joint venture (FLO). The project’s involvement was very helpful as we could see how the product would perform for an infrastructure application.

The product trials at the Northern Line Extension gave us very useful feedback and helped us adjust the design. This included the addition of an access ramp which has meant the cage could work for more uses, ie, it can work under reduced ceiling height or in a loading bay situation.

Scroll down to view videos showing the feedback from some of the team.

Our ethos of safety and continuous improvement is directly aligned with Select Plant Hire and the Laing O’Rourke group. The partnership and our network have allowed us to hear the views of people in varied roles and from multiple projects. In addition to the team above, we’ve listened to Health & Safety Coordinators, Lifting Managers, Project Managers, Lifting Specialists and Plant Managers, to name a few.

As a result, we have a safe, secure solution for lifting bricks, blocks and palletised material that will ensure the load is contained, even if the pallet or materials were to shift on the Crane Forks.