Hope Construction Materials

Background

Hope Construction Materials is Britain’s leading independent supplier of cement, concrete, aggregates and asphalt. Its cement business is based at the UK’s largest cement plant, located in Hope, Derbyshire. Hope Construction Materials company produces up to 1.5 million tonnes of cement products each year. Considering the size and vastness of business operations taking place on the site each day, it is understandable that strong communication is crucial to keep all of the business processes running smoothly and efficiently.

Previously the cement company has been using an old analogue two-way radio system, however, it proved to be unreliable. As the company site is based in a rugged and hilly part of Derbyshire, the rough terrain made it hard to establish stable transmissions. The quarry and manufacturing areas built on site also make it hard to exchange information by creating no-signal areas and creating loud background noise.

Hope Signage

The Communication and Connectivity Challenge

As mentioned previously, the Hope Construction Materials is based in a geographically challenging environment, with many hills and peaks creating a picturesque, but difficult environment for establishing stable radio signals. Therefore our team of radio engineers had to find a way to overcome the transmission issues caused by the environment, as well as the large structures, such as quarries and manufacturing areas, within the work site.

Another challenge, that the potential two-way radio system had to overcome, was background noise. The quarry, manufacturing areas, and loud machinery provide a lot of loud background noise, which hinders communication. A two-way radio with crystal-clear input and output audio quality was needed to cut out unwanted noise, making the user’s voice easy to hear and understand for the listeners.

Being able to fix all the issues with a new communication system would highly increase the safety of everyone on site. A lot of the personnel spend long hours working alone with heavy-duty machinery, which increases their chances of sustaining injuries. Because of that, a reliable and easy solution must be provided, letting users get help delivered to them swiftly. Improving communications would also greatly impact on-site productivity and workflow. Being able to allocate jobs and tasks within the perimeter would make managing jobs a smoother process, ensuring everyone knows their role within the business and have the right tasks given to them.

Hope icons

The Perfect Radio Solution

Hope Construction Materials chose DCRS as their communications partner and decided to replace their outdated analogue systems with a  MOTOTRBO digital two-way radio system. They decided to upgrade to this particular radio system because of MOTOTRBO’s ability to solve all of the business communication challenges. The radios deliver clear, loud, and high-quality audio even in a challenging environment, which is filled with background noise. The new walkie-talkie system can easily be accommodated to new users, which then can be added into easily created talk groups, strongly improving the effectiveness of team communication. Hope Cement has also deployed MOTOTRBO’s Digital Telephone Interconnect system so that supervisors in the office can connect with radios used by production and maintenance teams, keeping everyone informed of anything happening on-site.

As well as improving communications, the system has highly enhanced safety: the two-way radios include lone worker and man-down functions to help protect staff. The emergency button found on the side of MOTOTRBO’s radios overrides channels, once it’s clicked, this way making the emergency message a top priority and allowing team members to instigate any emergency procedures needed in case of an accident.

Although the site presents some challenging conditions, including a loud quarry and manufacturing areas, the radios’ robust construction, high IP rating, and ATEX compliance still manage to ensure continuous operation. In short, MOTOTRBO provides the reliable, dependable communications that are essential to ensure safe, efficient, and productive operations in this demanding 24/7 environment.

Communication systems for loud construction environments

Construction and material-gathering sites can create a loud environment, making it difficult for staff to communicate and exchange information. The heavy machinery and rough terrain also make it easier for personnel to sustain injuries. All of these possible issues bring up the importance of high-quality, reliable, and easy-to-use radio systems.

DCRS has a vast list of recommendations for such business sectors, some of which are the Motorola DP4400e and Motorola R7 range. This two-way radio model is well known for its durability and longevity, not being affected by daily wear and tear or heavy rain, making it a good investment in your team’s communications. DP4400e offers such beneficial features as long battery life, no cables, an emergency button, and Lone Worker mode. Find out about the extensive list of features of the R7 range here.

To discuss any additional features and different two-way radio solutions, feel free to contact our communications expert team by enquiring here or calling 0800 043 2688.