Select Plant Hire is embedding Health & Safety technology into new fleet additions, highlighting how plant-hire businesses can build proactive safeguards into construction equipment procurement.

As reported by International Rental News, the UK company is installing Xwatch safety technology on around 30 new JCB machines following a £5 million investment announced in August. The programme covers 370X tracked excavators, 245XR and 145XR reduced tailswing excavators, nine-tonne dual-drive site dumpers and Loadall telescopic handlers.

Part of the Laing O’Rourke Group, Select Plant Hire provides plant, equipment and accommodation services for major infrastructure, building and engineering projects across the UK. Its fleet operates across varied construction environments, making adaptable equipment safety particularly relevant as machines move between projects. JCB’s announcement on Select’s £5 million fleet investment

The Health & Safety benefit is central to the development. Xwatch systems fitted to excavators can provide height and slew limitation and rated capacity indication, giving operators additional protection when machines are working close to overhead hazards, restricted areas or carrying out lifting operations.

For construction contractors and plant-hire operators, this approach supports managing risks at equipment level. A machine moving between projects may encounter different overhead services, exclusion zones, lifting requirements and site layouts. Configurable safety technology can complement established controls including operator competence, planning, supervision and safe systems of work.

The programme builds on an established relationship between Select and Xwatch, which previously included installation of XW5 MK2 technology on larger JCB X Series excavators. Xwatch is also developing its XW-Insite telematics capability with Select, bringing machine and safety information together, including location, operating hours, fuel use, productivity, CO2 data, geofencing, fault information and safety-system settings.

For fleet managers, that connectivity provides another layer of oversight once equipment leaves the depot. Visibility of machine location and safety settings can support informed fleet management as equipment moves between projects and working environments.

Xwatch, part of Hexagon, develops machine safety and control technology for construction equipment. Its systems are designed to provide configurable controls that can support operators and site teams alongside existing construction safety procedures.

For the sector, Select’s investment demonstrates how construction Health & Safety can be incorporated into fleet specification from the outset. Combining modern machinery with configurable safeguards and connected monitoring can support safer plant deployment across the UK.

Source: International Rental News / Xwatch / JCB