An innovative design from Europe’s biggest trailer maker has been honoured at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Ifor Williams Trailers are delighted that modifications to a trailer for carrying plant and machinery have been recognised at the Safety and Health Practitioner Awards. Their collaboration with leading utility solutions provider Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions and excavator makers JCB and Kubota was runner up in the category for the Partnership Initiative of the Year.

As a result of the improvements to the "highly regarded trailer", the ramp was extended to decrease the angle for loading plant and machinery. Another modification that impressed the judges was a lockable box at the front of the trailer to store and transport the heavy attachments.

The ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel was attended by Paul Davies, the National Account Sales Manager at Ifor Williams Trailers, and Leading Designer Bob Davies.

Paul said: "Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions put together a working group comprising Ifor Williams Trailers, JCB, Kubota and the training provider, Failsworth. We all chipped in with ideas on what would be practicable to make the trailer even better and even safer."

"I’m glad to say that the redesign has since been given the enthusiastic endorsement of the operatives who use it. We came up with a ramp which is longer and it’s got side rails to eliminate any risk of actually slipping off the ramp."

"Although they were originally built for Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions, the new version of the trailer is now available to other customers too. A recent visitor was overwhelmed with the design of the new trailer. He was particularly impressed with the box to store the drill attachment or breaker that fits onto the end of the dipper arm of an excavator."

"Rather than having to put the attachment in the back of a transit van for safe keeping it can now be locked into the box that is an integral part of the trailer. The beauty of this new trailer is that the attachment is already on the trailer and immediately available when you’re starting work."

Bob Davies, the designer of the trailer improvements, thought about how to transport the excavator with the attachment still attached and in a secure box. These attachments are worth about £2,000 each and Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions has about 200 of these breakers in their fleet so security is really important. In this case, we are responding to the needs of our customer, Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions which is what we’ve always done."

Anthony Murray, Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions, Health and Safety Project Manager said: "This new mini excavator trailer design is a direct action taken by BBUS to minimise the risk during use on site. My team's main objective is to continually review accident and incident data and current activities to design out and reduce any risk to staff and members of the general public."

"We were also delighted to have been a finalist in the SHP Awards in October, in the Partnership Initiative of the Year category, for the new trailer. Working closely with our Plant and Transport team and our suppliers it has proved to be an excellent way of achieving our goal of becoming the ultimate solutions provider."

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