British Gypsum, part of the Saint-Gobain group, is helping to drive standards of health and safety within the plasterboard and drylining industry following the development of a new load securing system for its delivery lorries. Working in partnership with trailer supplier Don-Bur, the company has created a bespoke system for the transportation of its plaster and plasterboard solutions, which will help to improve safety practices and ensure products are delivered to customers at the highest possible standard.
Following extensive development and testing, British Gypsum has created a bungee strap system for its teardrop trailers which has been purpose-designed to transport its plasterboard solutions from factory gate to site or store in the safest and most effective conditions. Similarly, the company has also created an innovative suspended blanket for the delivery of its plaster bags.
Stephen Smith, Supply Chain and Operations Director at British Gypsum, explains the reasoning behind the move: “It has been compulsory for curtain sided vehicles to have sufficient load restraints for some time, yet we wanted to explore ways to go beyond this legal requirement and ensure the safest possible conditions for our customers, drivers and other road users. At the same time, we were keen to come up with a solution that makes sure our products get to the customer in the same excellent condition as when they leave the manufacturing plant.
“By creating a bespoke system, we’ve eliminated the need for our drivers to work at height, which obviously reduces a key risk, and deliveries can be unloaded onto site more efficiently, which is great news for our customers.”
As part of the creation of the new load restraint systems, the company has developed the ‘British Gypsum Load Securing Standard’, a set of best practice guidelines that have been formally signed by all of the company’s lead hauliers and subcontractors.
The development of the load securing system comes just months after British Gypsum began working in partnership with international logistics expert CEVA, and invested in its fleet of streamlined teardrop trailers and dual-fuel vehicles to reduce carbon emissions by 5 per cent.
Concluding, Stephen, added: “The implementation of these new systems is part of British Gypsum’s ongoing commitment to raising standards of health and safety and responsible manufacturing across all of its operations, and supporting our supply chain in doing the same.”
