Safety in the trenches

Any type of construction site is a dangerous place. Constantly moving heavy machinery and high-pressure equipment, along with toxic and hazardous chemicals, are an everyday part of the industry. With an increasing focus on having a safe and healthy workplace for workers and contractors, considering all of the options available can both save money and minimise the risk of injuries and fatalities on work sites.

Cook’s Body Works - one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of standard and custom-built motor bodies and who is recognised for its work with companies such as Coates Hire, Metro Trains and Telstra - recently engaged the Melbourne branch of CAPS Australia to assist with sourcing 10 ‘box-type’ portable air compressors that were to be truck mounted for one of its major cable-laying and telecoms infrastructure clients.

Some of the precision bodywork designed and built by Cook's Body Works, showing the maintenance and operational access doors.

“We looked at all of the different compressor companies in the market but none could offer all the benefits that the Airman machines could deliver,” says Simon Connaughton, Product Development Engineer for Cook’s Body Works. With the assistance of CAPS’ Victorian sales team, 10 portable Airman PDS75S-5C1 (75 cfm) box-type air compressors were soon ordered to fulfil Cooks’ tight delivery deadline for its client. “We certainly appreciate CAPS’ competitive pricing and quick delivery. The Airman portables were self-contained, with no external connections required, and also provided numerous safety benefits,” said Connaughton.

Used to power jackhammers, the operation of the portable compressors is aided by several safety features that eliminate the risk of injuries. The control panel of the unit is situated at the operator’s chest height, and daily maintenance is made via cabinet-style side-mounted doors, avoiding the need to bend into confined spaces. Eric Low, Airman product specialist with CAPS in Victoria, said, “Typically, compressors mounted onto truck bodies aren’t ‘optimised’ for such a position, making it difficult for operators to reach controls. It is also restrictive and potentially unsafe to access control panels and maintenance areas.

“The Airman range was designed with safety, comfort and ease of use in mind,” added Low. “It provides for easy maintenance, with a side-by-side radiator and oil cooler. Spillages are minimised by having all machine fluids removed from the outside of the machine.”

A ‘mine-safe’ 75 cfm Airman PDS75S-5C1 mounted on a truck.

The Airman boxed ‘mine-safe’ portable compressors have a strong presence in the Australian construction and mining industries. With installations on many sites across the country, CAPS anticipates further growth for the product. Low concluded, “The search for improvement in workplace safety never ends. CAPS believes the Airman range will continue to assist companies to achieve their safety goals.”