Key Factors to Consider When Appointing A Heavy Machinery Moving Company

Whether you have great experience in overseeing heavy machinery moving projects, or you are embarking on your first production line change requiring internal heavy machinery moves, we hope you learn something new from this article.

Health and Safety Guide to Moving Heavy Machinery | Merritts

When we are appointed to a project, we are normally working for a machinery agent or distributor, a machinery manufacturer, or the machine owner/manufacturing company. The primary objective is to always ensure that the heavy machinery moving project goes ahead as planned and in a safe manner without any incidents occurring, such as damage to the machine or other equipment, buildings on the transport route, and without anyone getting injured.

Moving heavy machinery is a very specialised service, and Merritts is one of the very few companies that have the in-house capability, experience, and knowledge to provide a comprehensive turnkey package to its customers.

So, if you are comparing our service to our competitors and other equipment moving specialists, what are the key factors that we think you should consider when evaluating your potential project partners?

SKILLS & EQUIPMENT

We would be asking whether the company had moved this type of machinery before, what specialist transport and lifting equipment will be needed and do they have this equipment in-house.

Will they be able to provide the specialist fork lifts and cranes with the capacity required to lift, move and load the machinery. Do they have the specialist trailers of the required length, height and load capacity to safely transport the heavy machinery to the required destination. Do they understand any transport restrictions that may be encountered along the route.

We would also be asking about the skills and qualifications of those involved, how long they have been employed, and evidence of ongoing training and assessment. Evidence of regular maintenance and inspection of vehicles would also be top of our list together with recognised industry accreditations.

Finally, we would want to see an example of risk assessments and a detailed method statement incorporating a lift plan. Also, they should be willing to visit site and to carry out a visual assessment.

CREDIBILITY

It takes years of training and experience to acquire the knowledge and skill sets required to successfully complete a heavy machinery moving project. We would be evaluating the company history and reputation. This includes its health and safety track record and the professional appearance of their personnel and equipment. Remember that whilst on site they may be representing your company, therefore your reputation may be at stake.

CARE & ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Your equipment is too valuable to risk getting damaged on route, so don’t be afraid to take references from other customers this company has worked for, and ask about their experience of using them.

LOGISTICS

Whether you are moving just one heavy machine or relocating an entire factory of heavy machinery, you need to ensure the company you appoint has in-depth knowledge and an appreciation for the logistics involved.

You will want to know how long it will take to load, move, and unload each machine, and what kind of downtime your company should expect to plan for. We would expect the company to understand the routes to be travelled and to have researched the route before to prepare and plan for any potential hazards or disruptions. Also, depending on the road transport requirements, there may be the need to apply for special permits.

AVAILABILITY

To get the best provider and ensure the required assessments and documentation can be completed, we would expect to have to receive an initial enquiry at least a week in advance. However, this does not mean your enquiry cannot be dealt with in a shorter timescale. We will always do our best to accommodate.

Additionally, the best service providers will work with you at your convenience to meet deadlines that ensure new machines are delivered and installed on time to minimise production downtime.

PRICE

No evaluation matrix would be complete without price being one of the criteria. However, it should not be the driving influence as a price cannot be placed on a high quality personnel service, senior level project management and the provision of suitable insurance cover for all goods included within the project cost. You will also want to be certain that safety will not be compromised when evaluating a lower price.

HOW DO MERRITTS FAIR AGAINST THIS CRITERIA?

Our service is Director led, so you can be assured that your project team will be expertly supervised throughout. Our thorough process ensures meticulous project planning, and we continue to invest in new vehicles and lifting equipment. Our unparalleled health and safety track record means that our credibility and reputation would also score highly, as would our knowledge of machinery transport logistics. There are very few heavy machinery types or scenarios that we have not encountered before. All of our vehicles are liveried with our branding, and operatives wear branded workwear and PPE to ensure a professional image.

If we can assist with your next heavy machinery moving project, please get in touch.

January 7, 2021 by Richard Merritt

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