Utilities: Railways
Scottish Woodlands Ltd is a Management owned firm specialising in forestry management and timber harvesting, vegetation management solutions and fencing services. The Company has 16 offices throughout the UK, and a dedicated Utilities Depot in Perth in central Scotland.
Our Railway division has 4 modern Unimog RRVs, which can carry out a variety of tasks including flailing, chipping of woody shrub debris, transporting of vegetation arising, and delivering materials to remote locations. We have up to 90 PTS trained operatives who are skilled and competent in chainsaw, strimming and weedkilling operations, and trackside fencing with security fencing, post and rail, and post and wire. We also offer access-step design, supply and fit; graffiti removal; leaf blowing; litter removal and minor civils works, e.g. repointing, hard and soft landscaping and drainage works. We have experience in providing a one-stop service for vegetation management, from site survey, GIS mapping, management proposals, and period contracts for re-visiting sites and carrying out herbicide spraying and inspection services.
Our dedicated Utility Depot in Perth was developed during 2005 to house the Unimog Fleet, and meets Link-Up requirements for care and maintenance of the machines, attachments and other equipment.
Our health and safety management for utility operations has been externally accredited to OHSAS 18001 by SGS. The whole Group currently maintains an integrated management system for quality and environment, accredited to both ISO 9000:2000 and 14001 by SGS. Staff pay close attention to job planning, and use a personnel database to match operator competencies with client requirements. Method statements and risk assessments are worked up in conjunction with the client, to ensure a safe system of work. A system of safety inspections, formal audits, review meetings and closing out of non-conformances helps to steadily improve the Division's health and safety profile. The SEQ Director is CMIOSH qualified, and an external Consultant is also retained to assist with Principal Contractor Licence, Engineering Acceptance and Link-Up approval issues, and help develop control systems for CoSHH and other important Regulations.
With Regional Railway Managers based in Dumfries, Perth and Speyside (covering North and West Highlands) we can offer a Scotland-wide service. We have many years experience of lineside fencing in both rural and urban locations, and have trained several personnel in CAT scanning for buried services. A more recent development is the provision of access step refurbishment, in both metal and timber, with anti-slip surfaces built into the designs. Our level crossing maintenance team has been busy over the past year carrying out white-lining and box-marking operations, as well as fence renewal with timber and also powder-coated palisade sections. On the devegetation side the RRVs are regularly out on night shifts, complete with mounted chippers, chip boxes and light sets, in order to maximise work efficiency, and keep the trains running safely.
We were confirmed as a Principal Contractor in March 2008, and are currently working on a Possession-only Operators Licence for the RRV Fleet. In our 2007 Link-Up audit renewal we completed the addition of our RRV-mounted Flail to the list of equipment with engineering acceptance within relevant product groups.
Contact:
Departmental Head: Craig Nimmo
Telephone: +44 (0)1738 621 708