Select Plant installing safety technology on new machines

Select Plant Hire in the UK is installing Xwatch safety technology on new machines entering its fleet, including 30 JCB units ordered as part of a £5 million investment with the OEM announced in August.

The technology allows operators to set height and slew limitations and gives rated capacity indication, providing additional protection when working close to overhead hazards, restricted areas or during lifting operations.

The Xwatch systems are being fitted to 370X tracked excavators, 245XR and 145XR reduced tailswing excavators, 9 tonne dual-drive site dumpers and Loadall telescopic handlers.

New JCB excavators in the fleet of Select Plant Hire. (Image: Xwatch)

Select and Xwatch have previously installed the XW5 MK2 technology on larger JCB X Series excavators. (Xwatch is part of Hexagon, the parent company of Leica Geosystems.)

Warren Wilkinson, business stream leader for plant and power solutions at Select Plant Hire, said safety technology was an important consideration when making investment decisions; “Our hire fleet covers a broad range of manufacturers, machine types and applications, so we need equipment and technology that can meet the demands of the environments our machines are going into.

“Xwatch has become a valued part of that process, backed by the service and support we need to keep machines working.”

Also working on telematics

Alongside safety systems, Xwatch is working with Select on a wider telematics programme. Its XW-Insite platform brings together machine and safety information, including location, operating hours, fuel use, productivity, CO2 data, geofencing, fault information and safety system settings.

Jemma Dycer-Hopkins, sales and operations manager at Xwatch Safety Solutions, said: “There is a huge amount happening with Select at the moment. Our engineers are working across a substantial number of new machines, covering different machine types, and it is fantastic to see Xwatch being specified on so many new fleet additions.

“Select operates a large and varied hire fleet, so every installation has to work for the machine and the applications it is likely to encounter. That makes good engineering support and a close working relationship particularly important.”