The M O’Brien group is pleased to announce that it has come to an agreement to purchase a majority shareholding of Lowery Demolition. The prestigious demolition firm which has been completing prestigious demolition projects since 1983 will be a solid addition to the M O’Brien group of companies.

 

Having achieved great success through the contracting arm of the group, Skyland contractors, the group is confident that Lowery will continue to grow and take on blue-chip projects in the same style and maintain an outstanding safety record, which is always our first priority.

Benefiting from the modern fleet of demolition equipment available from M O’Brien Plant Hire and one of the most up to date fleet of haulage Lorries in the UK supplied by Ashvale Haulage, Lowery will always have the best equipment available for the job.

Joining the management team as Demolition director of Lowery Demolition is Colin Prendergast. Colin comes with a wealth of experience built over 12 years of planning, overseeing and managing demolition projects.

Michael O’Brien, Group Managing director – “I am very excited about this new venture. Having been involved with many demolition projects and driving on projects a few years before first starting M O’Brien Plant hire, it’s something I have wanted to do for quite a few years. The wait for the right opportunity and the right management team has been worth the wait and I believe that the plan we have laid out will be very successful. Colin comes from a very strong background and with some outstanding references and I have every confidence that he will be a valued addition to our team.”

Colin Prendergast, Demolition Director – “I feel honoured to be appointed in such an instrumental role within Lowery Demolition and look forward to embarking on a new venture with Michael O’Brien to add continued growth and become a leading member of the M O’Brien Group”

For all enquiries please contact our Head office on 01582 840045

M O’Brien Group Of companies Acquires LB Silica Sand LTD

In a deal that has been kept under wraps for the past few months, details have now been finalised on the deal that will see the M O’Brien Group take over LB Silica Sand LTD including the companies quarry operation in Heath and Reach.

LB Silica sand is an international supplier and is very fortunate that the sand has a high-grade silica content which provides a consistent quality at all times. The silica sand is both distributed and supplied from the company owned quarry in the Heath and Reach and can cater for all sectors, including industrial, construction and agricultural as well as more recreational areas including leisure and equestrian surfaces. They have been mining since the 1950s, giving the team years of experience and extensive knowledge within this industry and providing a variety of forms of sand for a range of uses.

The acquisition of LB Silica sand and its quarry is a major boost to the Haulage arm of the group, Ashvale Haulage, Which has gone from strength to strength since its conception in 2001. Ashvale now runs a fleet of 40 Tipper Lorries, Hi-abs, and Plant transport vehicles. The company will be boosted by the new requirement for the delivery of sand, and the transport of material for restoration of the quarry. 

Ashvale Haulage operations Director Richard Callanan will take on the Role of quarry manager from retiring manager Richard Walpole, having a wealth of knowledge and previous experience with Quarries and landfills, his involvement will put the operation in safe hands.

The productivity of the sand processing has already been bolstered and seen the benefit of M O'Brien Plant Hire's extensive fleet of earth moving equipment. Over 2 million pounds of equipment has been invested into the site in the first week to bring the project up to tier 3b emission standards, whilst also increasing the speed of sand processing with new sandvik screeners.

“I have been very excited about this deal for a very long time, and am so glad that it has all finally come together, this purchase will be a great boost to our material and aggregate supply activities and also to our haulage firm Ashvale. We have a great team around us and with the help of our new personnel being welcomed to the M O’Brien group I am very confident for a successful future with LB Silica Sand. I want to Thank the Walpole and Banwell families for their help and involvement in putting this deal together in such a timely and efficient way.” Said Michael O’Brien 

Safety Alert - Safe use of Mobile Phones at work

Safety Alert - Safe Use of Mobile Phones at Work

Using a mobile phone whilst driving you’re four times more likely to crash, injuring or killing yourself or others.

As of 01/12/2003 it came into force that it is illegal to use mobile phones or hand held devices (other than a two way radio) whilst driving. From February 27, 2007 the penalty for using a hand held mobile phone whilst driving increased to £100 - £150 fine and 3-6 penalty points added to the drivers’ licences for HGV drivers breaking this law.

Not only is it the law also but also Company Policy that you must be stationary before using any hand held mobile devices.

All vehicles have Bluetooth technology – PLEASE USE IT!!

In recent times a HGV driver has been arrested, for four accounts of death by dangerous driving on the A34 – he was changing music on his phone when the accident happened. Not only is he facing up to 9 years in prison, but he will probably never forgive himself. – Always stop and think of the consequences before picking up a phone or mobile device.

 NO phone call is that important that it can’t wait until you stop – If you suspect that you have an important call coming in, STOP at your earliest convenience to return the call.

Stay Fully Compliant with new London Low Emission regs with M O'Brien Plant Hire

Make sure your site meets the new London Low Emission Zone Scheme with Plant from M.O'Brien Plant Hire !

"Construction site managers throughout London must now retrofit or replace old construction plant to help clean up the capital’s air.

The Low Emission Zone for construction machinery is the first step in cleaning up air quality ahead of the next stage – the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in central London from 2020.
Under the new rules, all construction sites in the centre of London and sites building more than ten homes or larger than 1,000 square feet in Greater London will have to replace or retrofit 10-year-old plant."

M O'Brien is Commited to helping our customers comply with these regulations and do their part for lowering emmisions in the capital. With a constantly renewing and growing Plant Fleet we are happy to say that over 60% of our fleet meets Tier 3B and above. For specialist equipment or any items of plant with Tier 3A standards we can retro fit Diesel Particulate filters (DPF) to bring them in line with Tier 3B compliance. 

For Clarification of the standards now expected of Site's in London please see the below extract.

From the 1st September 2015

1. Major Development Sites within Greater London NRMM used on the site of any major development within Greater London will be required to meet Stage IIIA of EU Directive 97/68/EC
2. Any development site within the Central Activity Zone or Canary Wharf NRMM used on any site within the Central Activity Zone or Canary Wharf will be required to meet Stage IIIB of EU Directive 97/68/EC

1st September 2020

1. Any development site within Greater London NRMM used on any site within Greater London will be required to meet Stage IIIB of EU Directive 97/68/EC
2. Any development site within the Central Activity Zone or Canary Wharf NRMM used on any site within the Central Activity Zone or Canary Wharf will be required to meet Stage IV of EU Directive 97/68/EC

Innovation week

Over the Past 10 Days we have been showcasing our latest innovations for safety and productivity. Interested personnel from companies such as Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Costain, Carillion, Volker Fitzpatrick and Bam Nuttalls were invited to our St Albans Depot to view and give feedback on our latest innovations. 

Over the course of the week we were showing off features such as;

• All round vision cameras including proximity detection up to 5 meters.
• Remote Hydraulic cut off for excavators, allowing a banksman or supervisor to safely stop the machine and attract the drivers attention from a distance or stop an unsafe ocurrance. 
• Keyless starting of machines, incorporating a 5 digit pin code to safely authorise access. 
• Live sync Safe load indicators that give a constantly variable and up to date hook load based on the position of the machine. This prevents the machine from being overloaded and dramatically reduces the chances of a fall over due to incorrect lifing procedure.
• QR code reading on each machine to obtain certificates and associated documentation for that item of plant.
• Quick Hitch alarms, Audible and visual.
• Triple machine isolation; Deadman handle, Seatbelt cut off, and a third switch. This will reduce unintentional operation of the controls. For the Hydraulics to be live the operator must first have the seatbelt on, the deadman handle up, and press a final button to acknowledge activation of the hydraulics.

We Also had on display some of the newest additions to our fleet including;

Hitachi ZX140W -5, Wheeled Tier 3B excavator with chapter 8 signage

Hitachi ZX225-5, 25 tonne Zero tail swing Tier 3B excavator

Hitachi ZX135-5. 15 tonne Zero tail swing Tier 3B Excavator

Case 210C, 21 Tonne Tier 3B excavator

Case 300C, 30 Tonne Tier 3B excavator

Hyundai 140R, 14 Tonne Tier 3B excavator with Keyless Start

JCB 85Z, 8 tonne Zero tail swing excavator

Hydrema 912 E, 12 Tonne Swivel tip Dumptrucks

Hitachi ZX350-5 Chameleon, 28 Meter shaft digging telescopic excavator

Hitachi ZX210-5 Chameleon, 22 Meter shaft digging telescopic excavator

For More information on our newest safety innovations, or if you would like to arrange a visit to see how some of these features work, do not hesitate to contact us.

M O'Brien Plant HIre expands Haulage fleet with 2 brand new Beavertail lorries.

M O'Brien is a company commited to provide the highest level of service to its customers and to continually improve the image of the construction industry. 

We have invested in two brand new Beavertail Plant lorries to run out of our St Albans depot. The lorries will run above Cross rail spec and will have the following features;

Rear view camera
Blind Side view camera
Blind side, side scanners with audible driver alarm (to detect cyclists and pedestrians) 
Audible warning for left indicator
Rear and Side underrun bars
Chapter 8 signage and strobing beacons for visibility
Full Edge protection (not shown in picture) 

We have opted to run this specification of lorry for many reasons, with this lorry we can move up to 18 tonne excavators safely and legally. Unlike many types of vehicle that have lower capacities. 

We will use these lorrys to deliver our own plant and also to move customer machinery.
For more information plese contact us on 01582 840045

Special Projects London Bridge

Over the winter months M O'Brien Plant Hire has been working closely with Costain on their network rail London Bridge project. We played our part in the laying of new track during some tight closure times. 

5 Brand new Hitachi 135 dash 5 tier 3b excavators were delivered to the site and were piloted by a carefully chosen team from our top class of operators. 

The machinery was lifted in front of the iconic London Shard and down to track level where work would commence to replace the track.

The rail was lifted in sequence using our special universal lifting beams for maximum control and accuracy, making the operation as safe as possible. Our low emission Tier 3B machinery made the work easy and kept the air clean with personnel working in close proximity.

For more information about our special projects approach please contact us on 
01582 840045