Plant refers to any machinery, equipment or apparatus used for an industrial activity – in construction, it’s the heavy machinery and large equipment needed on building sites, from cranes to bulldozers. It is a vital part of any construction project and without it, work would rarely get off the ground. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the UK’s plant hire industry is worth over PS4 billion to the economy.

However, the initial purchase of such equipment can be a huge outlay for a smaller construction company and often there are other costs to consider including maintenance, delivery charges, insurance and storage. For this reason, many companies opt to hire rather than buy their plant and a wide range of different equipment is available on the market from forklift trucks to telehandlers.

Using this type of service also allows the company to use high-quality equipment that it wouldn’t be able to afford if they bought it, which may enable a higher standard of work to be achieved. As a rule, most larger construction firms will hire the best machinery that they can afford to ensure the job is done right first time and hiring also gives them flexibility to change the specification of equipment as projects progress.

The other advantage of plant hire is that it saves the company a significant amount of money. Hiring the equipment for the period that it is required means that there are no large initial expenses and the cost of ownership is spread over a longer term, making it far more cost-effective. This is especially true if equipment breaks down and needs repair, which will be taken care of by the hire company.

Finally, using a plant hire service can free up space at the construction site, which is important, particularly as more than PS70 million worth of construction equipment is stolen from construction sites in the United Kingdom each year. Space is also a problem for smaller construction firms and renting equipment can help them avoid having to pay for expensive storage facilities.

With so much equipment involved in construction, it’s vital that those who operate it are properly trained to use it and have the correct licence to do so. The Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) is a registration card scheme that shows the skills, knowledge and understanding that plant operators must have to be able to drive, operate and maintain certain types of construction plant. A range of guidance documents and support materials are available from the CPA (Contractors Plant Association) to help those in the plant world meet these requirements.