Southeys-Updates
Southeys Group has launched Sustainable Sand and Stone, a large plant in Auckland that recycles hydro excavation waste into clean, high-grade sand and aggregate. September, 2022
Hydro excavation is a popular and precise method of trenching, particularly in urban areas where access can be difficult and where underground services could be damaged by heavy machinery.
However, every year, thousands of tonnes of muddy slurry from hydro excavation is dumped into fill sites around the country to be stored, dried and used as fill for gullies on farmland.
The dumpsites are generally in rural areas, which means trucking the waste long distances leading to higher fuel and emissions costs.
A normal 21 ton hydro excavation unit has a tare weight of around 12t, which leads to an inefficient tonne-per-kilometre transport cost both in fuel and emissions.
Because of the un-engineered nature of the fill, there are future land use limitations and, in many cases, an environmental impact caused by filling gullies and reducing the overall surface area of the land.
The water from the slurry that doesn’t evaporate eventually finds its way into settling ponds to remove the silt before it can be reused for irrigation or potentially end up in waterways.
Contact Kris at SSS (Sustainable Sand and Stone) to learn more
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"The Southey’s management team of Rob Southey, Sheryl Lean, and Kevin Chapman, could see that the sustainability of this process was quickly becoming unfeasible, especially as central and local government contracts demand more and more environmental responsibility." Contractor Magazine, Sept 2022 |
Photo session gives kudos to our team for their hard work in 2021
Striking images of welders captured by their co-worker Jess Graham, inspired Southeys to recreate the same for our team. Before a full team safety meeting, workers were captured as they returned back to base, we used these epic images to build a worker only calendar.
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"Thank you very very much!! Nice photography", Ben, yard worker
"WOW Jess did an awesome job eh! All the photos I saw look great", Andrew, Southeys HS Rep
"hehehe yep it's me, I don't know who take(s) this photo of me. I'm surprised...I like it.
By the way thank you", Chris, Driver
"I love (them), of course (we) look great!", Cleo, Driver
View here (for those with instagram) to see what inspired us to have Jess do a photo shoot of our workers at our depot.
If you are interested in having Jess visit your Auckland work site, contact us for Jess's details or pm Jess through insta, she is a full time welder but has some availability.
Southeys participation testing hydro pressures on gas pipes, contributes to Vector Safety Alert, April, 2021
In January 2020, we had a full Health and Safety (All Hands) meeting with updates around the hydro-excavating around utilities, specifically gas pipes. Southeys had been a part of the testing phase with Electrix to understand the impact of a range of hydro excavation pressures on gas pipes. It was great to update workers who had contributed to the outcomes, and to share the preliminary findings. It's useful to include our workers in the backend work of developing safer work processes (SOP's)
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Practical tests measured the effect of different pressures, starting at 5000 psi to the more common range of 2250-3000. This was done on a range of typical gas pipe coatings. Findings suggested that 1500 PSI does not cause damage on the more vulnerable coatings that protect the pipe lines.
The findings provide a foundation for the safety alert issued by Vector 12 March 2021. This safety alert lists Vectors requirements for hydro excavation around Gas, Electricity and Fiber.
Please see here for the Vector Safety Alert HSA001/21
Southeys adjustable pressures work best for networks
Southeys is uniquely placed as our dual water blasters are individually adjustable. Having two water blasters enables one to be permanently set and marked at the optimum PSI for utility customers. Alongside having the right equipment for the work, our workers are better prepared from learnings developed at our team meeting. Read here for for a working summary of key tips for work around gas carriers developed at the Toolbox with John McAllister from Electrix Gas, January 2021.
Southeys has put in place a clear considered SOP for workers as a result of this valued work, its great to see innovative and thoughtful processes supported by Electrix Gas and Vector that support safer work for our team.
Southeys Tauranga established, August, 2020
Southeys 2020 growth includes establishing a permanent branch in Tauranga. We look forward to meeting more local customers and project managers in the Bay of Plenty and contributing to the continued positive growth this region is experiencing.
Auckland Fleet includes a second ‘Night Rider’ July, 2020
The Southeys Fleet has expanded with an additional infamous ‘night riders’ hydro-excavator. The super quiet hydros that feature a ‘whisper pack’ that reduces noise emissions by over 50% compared to typical hydro excavators. This recent article in the January 2021 Contractor magazine, talks about how the quieter operations are appreciated by neighbours and communities bordering construction works.
Southeys operations enhanced with Assignar Field worker App May, 2020
To support organisational growth, Southeys has invested in moving the synchronisation of its fleet and workers to Assignar. This is an online platform that enables us to clearly match our clients requirements with the competencies held, and inductions completed, by our workers.
Special site and task requirements can also be uniquely matched through Assignar. Through advanced features Assignar generates solutions for the time the work is required.
Our health and safety systems were swiftly moved to this App to meet our responsibilities, and continue essential works through Covid 19 levels four and three.
2021 will see more features introduced that we hope people will value. Currently clients are pleased about the availability of real time site and plant checks associated with their sites and the work we are doing. If you would like to know more about Assignar, please use the button below and we will share our experience.
Assignar info request
Southeys RavsPlus Participant, July 2019
The team from Southeys recently completed their participation in the next level of accreditation with Isnetworld the prequal system managing Downer's health and safety with subcontractors.
The final stage was a face to face interview between the teams as to whether Southey's practice aligns with the workers day to day experience. This process has been invaluable and we thank the team for their participation. Southeys looks forward to the added assurance Ravs Plus provides clients with that Southeys group is committed to Health and Safety for all workers.
Southeys team member appointed to the Civil Contractors Auckland Board, June 2019
We are pleased to announce that Jason Gribble, as a key member of the Southeys team, has been elected to serve on the Auckland Branch Committee of Civil Contractors NZ. Jason looks forward to representing and contributing to discussions that enable the ongoing strengthening of the Hydro Excavation sector. Jason special interest is balancing higher performance, health and safety provisions, and the ability to meet flexible requirements for clients in terms of timing and service provision.
The Westpac Auckland Business Awards North West, May 2019
Southey's group were honoured to be nominated for the Westpac Business awards by one of their clients in early June 2019.
“We have worked with Southey’s trucks on multiple occasions and more than often we have had to call them up and get them in to remove truckloads of water from a site. They have a high level of professionalism, nothing is too hard and their staff are friendly and helpful. What originally attracted us to use them was their staff, they are proud to work for Southey’s – proud staff means better service for us. I would like to nominate them for the awards this year and if I can it would be for Employer of the Year and Customer Service Delivery. Cheers.”
We greatly value our working relationships with our clients and were appreciative of the time taken to nominate us. Southeys looks forward to continuing quality relationships with our clients.
Southeys Group has launched Sustainable Sand and Stone, a large plant in Auckland that recycles hydro excavation waste into clean, high-grade sand and aggregate. September, 2022
Hydro excavation is a popular and precise method of trenching, particularly in urban areas where access can be difficult and where underground services could be damaged by heavy machinery.
However, every year, thousands of tonnes of muddy slurry from hydro excavation is dumped into fill sites around the country to be stored, dried and used as fill for gullies on farmland.
The dumpsites are generally in rural areas, which means trucking the waste long distances leading to higher fuel and emissions costs.
A normal 21 ton hydro excavation unit has a tare weight of around 12t, which leads to an inefficient tonne-per-kilometre transport cost both in fuel and emissions.
Because of the un-engineered nature of the fill, there are future land use limitations and, in many cases, an environmental impact caused by filling gullies and reducing the overall surface area of the land.
The water from the slurry that doesn’t evaporate eventually finds its way into settling ponds to remove the silt before it can be reused for irrigation or potentially end up in waterways.
Contact Kris at SSS (Sustainable Sand and Stone) to learn more
|
"The Southey’s management team of Rob Southey, Sheryl Lean, and Kevin Chapman, could see that the sustainability of this process was quickly becoming unfeasible, especially as central and local government contracts demand more and more environmental responsibility." Contractor Magazine, Sept 2022 |