‘Organise your professional workspace’ For many plumbers, a van is more than just a way to get to work each day – it’s a tool of the trade, essential to the smooth running of their business. Dave Willets, commercial manager at Interpart, the parts division of Baxi, offers some advice on how plumbers can maximise their mobile assets... For your chance to win this prize, simply enquire to answer A or B in response to this question: Triton introduced how many new products in 2013? A: Two B: Three With 2013 having seen Triton add two exciting new products to its range of electric showers, HPM is giving away a bundle comprising its Touch by Triton and T75 electric showers. Offering a premium combination of cost effective high end technology and style, Touch by Triton is the ideal electric shower for those looking to bring a striking showering design to any property. Triton’s T75 single control shower, meanwhile, is the perfect partner for new or retrofit installations with a focus on simplicity. The newest addition to Triton’s range brings simply great looks to a new bathroom at an affordable price. Answer A 161 REMEMBER: enter all 12 competitions, and you could win the grand prize - the lot! Answer B 162 HPM’s Festive giveaway PRIZE 10 Got a story? Ring us on 01732 748041 or e-mail twood@unity-media.com BOILERS,SERVICING&PARTS Awell-stocked and organised van can not only make you more productive and appear more professional to your customers, but it can also make all the difference in terms of safety and efficiency. If you want to improve your mobile work space, the first thing to address is what you keep in your van. Proper planning and an inventory of basic consumables and stock items will help to ensure you are prepared for most jobs you arrive at, which will save you the unnecessary time and expense of trips off-site to the merchant. Always ensure a plentiful supply of brassware such as ball valves, gate valves and stop taps, tool consumables like drill bits and blades, repair and service kits, personal protective equipment such as protective gloves, and other general items like plumber’s mate, wall plugs, screws and expanding foam. The simplest way to ensure you don’t run out of any of these items is to use proper storage, so you can visibly monitor levels as you work. By using drawers, containers, boxes and shelving units which all lock securely into place to properly organise and secure your kit, finding items is made much easier too. Drawers can be very useful for organising small parts and inserts can help to separate them by size or type. This all has the added benefit of improving your productivity and efficiency on site to give your customers a positive image of you and your work. Van racking is usually bought as a modular system, so you have the flexibility to design a storage solution that works for you and the way WWW.HPMMAG.COM you like to organise things. More modern systems are available with underfloor modules, ideal for heavy items and tools, and extras like fold out tables for paperwork or use with a laptop. By placing items in storage, you have the advantage of a clear space in the centre of the van for large items such as boilers, water heaters etc - these should be properly secured during transit using lashing straps or similar. Before you buy any van storage equipment, don’t forget to check how much it weighs. Most vehicles have a maximum weight that can be placed across the back axle and if this is exceeded the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency can take legal action. Additional weight will also increase the van’s fuel consumption and affect the vehicle’s handling. ERGONOMIC AND USER-FRIENDLY From an occupational health perspective, care should be taken to choose an in-vehicle storage system that is ergonomic and user-friendly, limiting the amount of bending and stretching you need to do. Also, when deciding where items should go in your storage system, consider how easy it is to access common or heavy items. Stretching to reach high and heavy objects can cause injuries, especially if something falls unexpectedly. Organising the kit and equipment in your van may not seem like a matter of life and death, but in the event of an accident, it could be. Unsecured loads can be very dangerous and incorrectly stored or restrained items can increase the risk of personal injury if a collision occurs. Research suggests that in the force of a collision, a gas bottle could become 20 times its normal weight. As well as weighing more, anything unrestrained will be catapulted forward at the same speed as the vehicle was travelling. So, if a vehicle crashes at 30mph, an unsecured domestic heating boiler, for example, could be thrown forward at 30mph. If not appropriately stored, smaller items are capable of causing serious harm too. Even hardware like nuts, bolts and screws and small tools like tape measures, spirit levels and screw drivers can become very dangerous projectiles if they aren’t properly secured and an accident occurs. Under the Corporate Manslaughter Act, introduced in April 2008, business owners can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter if serious management failures result in a gross breach of duty of care, and they can face unlimited fines. In addition, the Health & Safety (Offences) Act, introduced in January 2009, has increased penalties for people who break health and safety law, and has provided the courts with greater sentencing powers. So ensuring a tidy and secure van could pay dividends in more ways than one. While it may take some time to implement a proficient system of organisation in a van it is worth the time and investment. Your van is your professional workspace and reflects the quality of service a customer can expect to receive from you. By ensuring it is organised and well stocked, clients can rest assured that their installer takes pride in their work and this will ultimately help your business to flourish. 58 DECEMBER 2013 HEATING & PLUMBING MONTHLY enquiry number 160 Triton shower bundle PRIZE 10
HPM December 2013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above