For any one project there is always a series of regulatory requirements that are necessary to ensure the appropriate steps have been made to safeguard health and safety. Risk assessments, COSSH assessments and CDM regulations among others are used in the planning process, and contribute to safer working.
As so much of the company's work is carried out in exposed areas where the ground is difficult and the weather potentially unforgiving, the use of radios operative pairing is important. For safety's sake there must be some communication with the wider world and a person should never be left to work alone on a site to the extent that DMS has a clear rule that prohibits lone working on sites. The use of GPS mapping before deployment of heavy equipment ensures that hazards such as stones, holes, gullies and bogs are clearly pre identified and thus avoided by machines. Capable communications and GPS in each machine ensures that in the event of a problem, the operator can always tell others about the problem and exactly where they are located (useful on low visibility days).
Inevitably the projects require the use of specialist machines. Often these machines need to be adapted for the particular purpose and used in a particular way to traverse bogs, streams, or get up steep and narrow tracks. The correct selection and use of machines together with winches, temporary bridges and mats enables the team to get to where the project is and to complete. DMS also makes extensive use of GPS technology not only for accurate position fixing but also for mapping work and optimising area treatments to avoid overlaps or gaps.
DMS staff are well qualified for the work they do on these upland projects. Qualification is only part of the process, however, and as important is on site training on specific excavator methods that enable DMS solutions to be completed with the absolute minimum of vegetation impact. DMS operators appreciate that quality of work and minimised excavator damage build the companies reputation.
