High reach excavator safety training launched

New demolition tools are coming to market while safety training for high reach excavator operators has been established

With the 242 INTERMAT equipment exhibition due shortly, various manufacturers are offering new demolition tools to the market. Meanwhile the UK's 1644 National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) is now setting a lead in the sector by offering a high reach excavator training course. The NFDC has partnered with the 1643 National Demolition Training Group (NDTG) to develop the world's first training course for operators of high reach, demolition specification excavators.

This new course follows on from the lead set by the NFDC when it introduced its High Reach Guidance Notes document five years ago (a document currently being revised).

According to NFDC chief executive Howard Button, the new course helps plug an obvious gap in demolition training provision. He said, "Twenty years ago, these machines were virtually unheard of, and even 10 years ago they had something of a novelty value. But they are almost ubiquitous on UK demolition sites today, and training had failed to keep pace with their growing popularity. We have been mindful for some time that, in the wrong hands, these highly specialised machines could be extremely dangerous. We sought to address that at a corporate level with the guidance notes, and we are now addressing this from the ground up with the operator's training course." The course is open to demolition plant operators holding an A65B CPCS card for excavators with a working height up to 15m.

This three-day course is designed to introduce candidates to additional health, safety and legislation required when operating a demolitionadapted high reach excavator at working heights of up to 30m. The course indentifies methodology and additional structural awareness required when dismantling differing structures. The course also covers specific machine controls and maintenance requirements based on an array of operating manuals from different manufacturers.

Candidates will also visit a manufacturer where they will have the opportunity to operate the machine in a controlled environment.

"This course has been a long time in development because we wanted to make sure that it could keep up with the rapid changes taking place in this specific equipment field," Button said. "But we are satisfied that the new course will provide an experienced demolition plant operator with an excellent introduction to machines with working heights from 15-30m, making them safer and more productive in the process."

As for overseas interest, it faces a complex situation with regard to differing requirements.
While the NFDC has been working on operator training with the 1648 European Demolition Association, there are multiple national legislation demands even in the 27 EC nations where such regulations should (in theory at least) have been harmonised. The complexities of equipment regulations have still to be unified across Europe, which leads to a great deal of additional costs for the sector.

However the US-based 4816 National Demolition Association adopted the NFDC's high reach guidance when it was introduced and may yet review the UK training programme to see if this also meets its requirements. There are close ties between the NFDC and the NDA and the American body absorbed the NFDC's guidance into a wider document developed in the US. But with demolition contractors in the US still using large numbers of wrecking balls on cranes instead of long reach excavators, it remains to be seen how long it will be before demand is sufficient to require such a course.

In Europe at least, market demand is good for long reach excavators with an array of manufacturers now offering machines either directly or developed in partnership with specialists in the field. 178 Caterpillar, 233 Hitachi, 2300 Komatsu and 718 Liebherr have all been active in this field for many years but other firms in the sector now also include 176 Case, 695 Doosan, 236 Hyundai, 255 JCB, 5895 New Holland and 359 Volvo CE.

One of the latest excavator firms to develop a long reach model suitable for demolition work is Turkish manufacturer 230 Hidromek, with the HMK300LC LR model. As with the other new Gen Series machines, the 300LC has a large cab and is powered by an 2724 Isuzu diesel that meets the latest emission requirements for Europe and North America. The 31tonne machine comes with a standard bucket capacity of 1.5m³.

Meanwhile there is also an array of new demolition attachments and specialist tools coming to market, with 161 Atlas Copco launching the new HB 4100 hydraulic breaker. Although lighter than its predecessor, this 4.1tonne breaker is said to offer better performance and higher efficiency. Suited to carriers in the 40-70tonne class, the breaker features a revised guide system that is said to be more stable and robust. A new covering for the retaining bar offers more protection, especially in the lower section of the breaker where mechanical stresses are high. The new breaker also has a reinforced service window, as well as circumferential wear protection.

2396 Montabert is continuing to develop its range of variable speed breakers and the new V3500 fills out a range that already includes the V1800, V2500 and V4500. The new V3500 can be mounted on carriers weighing from 35-60tonnes and a hydraulic flow of 320litres/ minute provides a frequency of 850 blows a minute at an operating pressure of 175 bars. Its patented variable speed system has been designed to enable high productivity on homogenous rock surfaces, and adjusts speed automatically according to the hardness of the material being broken. Large tools of 175mm diameter can be used and the standard version of the V3500 is silenced, while it can be equipped with a pressurisation circuit for underwater work.

Montabert is introducing two new models to its Blue Line entry-level range of hydraulic breakers, the XL1000 and XL1300.

Simple and robust, the range was developed to meet the needs of rental customers as well as demolition contractors. The XL1000 weighs 900kg and is made for excavators weighing from 11-17tonnes, offer a frequency of 900 blows/minute and a tool diameter of 107mm.
The larger XL1300 weighs 1.25tonnes and is for excavators weighing 15-22tonnes, while it delivers a working frequency of 750 blows/ minute and has a 124mm diameter tool.

From Finnish firm 2172 Ramtec comes an array of new models for demolition purposes and the company's Robi range CG20R crusher grapple is said to be well suited for crushing materials down to 350mm size, as well as for sorting and loading demolition debris. The 1.8tonne CG20R pulverises concrete and separates rebar from concrete, while it can also be used for sorting and loading different types of waste materials. The CG20R sits alongside the 2.8tonne CG35R and the 3.5tonne CG50R in the Robi CG crusher grapple range and standard features include hydraulic rotation. New P-jaws make Ramtec's Robi DG15RP demolition grapple ideal for recycling applications. The DG grapples are especially designed for light demolition projects such as concrete without rebar, and for sorting and loading demolition debris. Ramtec says the new P-jaws replace the previous rib type units and provide increased wear life and durability. The recently updated Robi MP19 multiprocessor can be used in a wide range of demolition tasks.

Designed for primary applications, particularly for crushing concrete and cutting reinforcement structures, it has an operating weight of 2.27tonnes, with a maximum jaw opening of 859mm. The MP19 has a cutting force of up to 2,800kN and a maximum crushing force of 1,350kN. Meanwhile the BH30C is designed for use on compact machines such as backhoe loaders, mini excavators and skid steer loaders.