Unsafe working conditions call for out-of-the-box thinking

On a site in Wiri, Euroclass was working in dangerous conditions by a cliff, where protecting workers from falling rocks was crucial. “We needed a solution to ensure health and safety in these high-risk situations,” Glenn explained.

Protecting Euroclass’s people with Guardian trench shields  

Glenn said: “We chose Guardian because their product effectively solved our health and safety concerns by protecting our team from the unstable rocks on the cliff face”.

Ben, our Guardian Auckland hire manager, went on-site with Glenn to brainstorm how they could protect the foundations team from the falling rocks.

With Kiwi ingenuity, they landed on this 4.8m high by 70m long stacked trench shield wall. Designed with one 2.4m high x 5m long shield, placed upside down on top of another shield the same size. The shields were attached together with vertical joiners.

This was supported by tilt slab stays and 1.2m long ground screws. The tilt slab stays fixed to the ground screws and bolted to the top of the shield. This held the wall in place, creating this innovative design which shields aren’t generally used in.

While the shield wall was in place the team started safely excavating a footing with steel reinforcing, roughly half a meter from the shield wall (as per picture above). Then they concreted in a footing, and placed concrete tilt slabs on that footing, concreting again to join the tilt slabs to the footing.

With this new wall in place, they craned our shields out from behind it, leaving the new concrete wall to protect the team in the area. While the shield wall was in place it’s strength easily handle falling rocks unlike other options like a safety fence.

The shield walls robust design was checked by Euroclass's own site engineer in both the planning and executing stages.

Glenn’s overall thoughts

• Enhanced Safety: Guardian’s priority was to get the team home safely each night, this solution was the answer for Glenn’s team “The shields created a safe work area for our crew when working by the cliff face.”
• Reliable and Durable: When the shield wall was in place, Glenn could trust that his team were safe from the falling rocks. “We like that the shields are strong, sturdy, and well-maintained.”
• Exceptional Service: Glenn was pleased with the care Ben took throughout the whole hire process, telling us we had “Good service, clean, tidy product, and a top rep!”

Pleased with Guardian’s shields and service

While not used daily, Guardian’s trench shields provided a critical solution for Euroclass when needed. “They gave us a reliable answer to meet our health and safety problems when working around the cliff,” said Glenn. Which was in keeping with Euroclass’s high standards and the pride they take in their work, Guardians shields were a perfect choice.

Euroclass would recommend Guardian trench shields. “The shields are well-made and backed by excellent service. They’ve made our work safer and easier when handling complex excavation projects.” Guardian remains a trusted partner, ensuring Euroclass maintains its high safety and quality standards, in both these unique set-ups and regular trench work.

Euroclass’s Rich History

With over 30 years of experience as a construction and property development company, Euroclass has completed over 350 large-scale warehouse and office buildings across New Zealand. Including in-house civil, drainage, and build teams, they handle every construction process step, from design to delivery.

Thanks to Euroclass for choosing to keep your people safe with Guardian Trench shields.