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IMPROVING SAFETY ON BUILDING SITES

12/11/2003

"Men have been loading machines in the same way since World War One. I had been in the business a long time and realised there had to be an easier way."

Currently, labourers have to manually shovel sand into a mixer/placer machine, which is used for the specialized process of laying floor screed on building sites. It is hard, physical work and there are regular hand and arm injuries, when people reach inside the machine to try to resolve mechanical problems. It is difficult to recruit men prepared to take on this work and when they can be found, they are expensive to hire. There has been very little design innovation in the mixer/placer machine sector for the past 20 years.

John, of Southampton, says: "Men have been loading machines in the same way since World War One. I had been in the business a long time and realised there had to be an easier way. It seemed a waste of time and money, particularly as the machine already had enough power to self-load."

John's idea was a self-loading system driven by compressed air to suck sand into the mixing chamber of the mixer/placer machine. Using his own money to hire equipment, he developed a basic prototype which not only reduced the labour input and thus speeded up the operation, but also, was safer and easier to clean.

While continuing to work full-time laying floors across the South East, John teamed up with Lincolnshire consulting engineer, Tony Wakefield, to produce Autoload, a self-loading system.

He says: "We may seem an odd couple because of our different backgrounds but as soon as Tony heard my ideas, he never doubted it would happen. Even when things went wrong, we never said 'Never'. Instead we worked to find a way through it."

Now they are seeking a licensing deal which could see the technology in use on building sites next year. John adds: "It could bring huge improvements to the industry, as it is so much safer and reduces dust inhalation, in itself a major health hazard."

This month the pair unveil a new commercial prototype, produced with NESTA's support. Mark White, NESTA's Invention and Innovation Director, said: "Again, NESTA shows it is uncovering bold, new ideas from all over the UK, and offering them the chance to thrive. We were keen to support this project because of the obvious economic and social benefits it could bring, particularly as innovations in this area of the building trade are so rare."