Ipswich, England - January 20, 2006 - A national facilities management company has solved a particularly awkward refuse removal issue with the assistance of Birds Vehicle Solutions, located at Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan.

A new residential apartment complex has been constructed with upper ground level parking, which also accommodates wheelie bins that receive refuse from internal waste chutes. These bins have to be moved from this location, down a steep ramp to ground floor level, where they are emptied on a weekly basis by the local Council.

The facilities management company identified possible H&S issues, as the bins would be awkward to manhandle and manoeuvre down and up the ramp. They contacted Richard Shelley at Birds Vehicle Solutions, who has had previous experience of this type of issue.

"I visited the site in question and quickly realised that we could provide a satisfactory solution utilising an electric powered vehicle and adding a bespoke trailer," he said.

The main requirements were for a quiet vehicle, due to its operation in a residential area, and a trailer that minimised the handling of the 1,100 litre wheelie bins. The result was a standard Cushman 340 electric tug fitted with a special cab followed by the design and manufacture of a trailer that could accept two wheelie bins loaded from the side. The main issues to be overcome were the height of the cab due to the low roof and the angle of the ramp to avoid the trailer grounding.

"I'm pleased to say that we delighted the client with the solution we provided. Using our expertise gained from similar projects we were able to meet and even surpass their expectations," concluded Richard.