When Nigel Adams recruited Gary Escott to work for him at Prolec, a safety product manufacturer for the construction industry, they never realised that 20 years on they would be running a successful safety business that’s helping the waste and recycling industry eliminate plant pedestrian collisions.
Nigel, who was then the Technical Director, recruited Gary to head up Sales and Marketing (a complement of skills that still works well to this day!) But when the organisation went through changes after being sold, they decided it was time to begin a new venture.
Their first idea was born from their experience working with heavy plant in the construction industry. Digpilot was the first battery powered, portable system for machine control. This also inspired the original company name – Ongrade – meaning you are ‘at level’ or ‘on level’ when excavating or grading in construction. But they were ahead of the curve and the UK market wasn’t ready for this in 2009. Not like today, where machine control is a standard feature.
So, they pivoted, explains Nigel Adams, Technical Director for SiteZone Safety,
“During a visit to Intermat Paris (a show for sustainable construction solutions and technologies that is still running today) I saw a collaboration between a French university and German company looking at RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for detection of people on conveyor belts and thought it would be a good idea for plant and people in construction.”
After sourcing the technology, the first tag-based proximity warning system was manufactured. They got their first customer on board, a local sand and ballast company. Soon after Network Rail showed a keen interest, and the ball started rolling into construction.
Gary Escott, Managing Director for SiteZone, recalls their first construction project,
“Unfortunately, our first every construction project was after the tragic fatality on the M25 upgrade back in 2011. We deployed onto many machines including excavators, dozers, and drilling/piling machines. It was then that I realised the gravity of plant pedestrian interface, and the life changing impact of fatalities on all involved. It’s this that drives us today, to make sure that these incidents are eliminated.”
They soon realised that the first name they chose didn’t quite fit the new product, so the SiteZone Safety brand was born. Along with a new technology partner, Nigel and Gary steered the product development to the product and its variations we see today.
Gary went on to say,
“Back in 2011 proximity warning systems were unknown in the market and the risks of plant pedestrian interface were not talked about as they are in more recent years. We were not only educating the market to the dangers, but also introducing a brand-new concept and customers were unsure what to expect from it.”
Their first advancements into the waste industry were with Aasvogel and Raymond Brown. And then in 2012 they had their biggest breakthrough. After a successful trial, they deployed on all FCC Environment sites. A successful 10-year partnership with SiteZone currently installed on 217 machines across 74 sites resulting zero plant pedestrian incidents over the 10 years.
A few years later it was time to start expanding the team. Gary said,
“After running the business with just Nigel, myself, and subcontractors we realised it was time to get some support! First, we took on an office admin role and then we recruited our own engineers. Today we have a team of 13 people including engineers, sales and service, marketing, finance, data, and production.”
But like any business, they’ve had highs and lows. Gary recalled,
“A challenging time for us was when Carillion went into compulsory liquidation in 2018. As any supplier to the construction industry knows this has a big impact on the supply chain. Carillion were an early adopter of our proximity warning system and a large customer of ours at the time they went into administration.”
Interestingly it wasn’t the Covid pandemic that had significant implications for the company, but the post-Covid slump.
Nigel added,
“We still operated during Covid as we were a supplier to essential services (the waste industry). We also had another pivot and rapidly developed a personal detection system to help with social distancing which was used at the NHS Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham during the pandemic. But the post covid slump has been the hardest, with more competitors entering the market, as well as our customers who have also been affected by the pandemic needing to reduce costs.”
However, SiteZone continues to grow and is now deployed on 197 waste and recycling sites across the UK.
Looking back at the way the market has changed over the last 15 years, and what he has learnt Nigel said,
“From many years of designing products, I know that technology needs to be simple, and it’s important to surround yourself with the best advice and people. It’s a team effort, this makes a difference to success. Having the right people working for you is so important.”
Gary added,
“What’s really encouraging is the awareness of the issue has increased. We attended a Conference in 2012 where they reported on the 10th death in 10 weeks. This was a pivotal moment for the waste industry. And it’s come on leaps and bounds and is still getting better and better. The sentiment is more genuine and with associations such as WISH Forum, the waste and recycling industry shares best practice and leaves their corporate ‘hats’ at the door.
In the early days focus was on working practices and training, and some people were hesitant to adopt technology. Now people realise there is room for technology to help, but you need to get the basics right first.
We learnt not to be afraid to walk away or say no to something we disagree with on-site when it comes to safety. And we instil this in our staff, too.
A site I visited in the early days told me I didn’t need my PPE. That was my sign to walk away until they had changed their culture and attitude towards safety!”
So, what does the future hold for SiteZone?
Gary concluded,
“Data is becoming more relevant. The next big step is how we use that data to change behaviour. As Nigel said earlier, technology must be simple, and this also applies to data. We’ve simplified our data platform so that it’s quick, easy to use, and customers can act from what they learn. A whole site solution is becoming more popular, so we are soon to launch products that link with the tag or the proximity warning system on the machine to activate signs, alarms, gates to restricted areas, etc.
We’re also excited to see where the RCV Smart Loader product for the safety of loaders using bin lifts in automatic mode will take us.”
OnGrade (now known as SiteZone Safety) is celebrating 15 years since the company was registered. It’s also been a pivotal year for the company, being shortlisted for 7 awards for its most recent production introduction – the RCV Smart Loader.