Avove’s team took on the challenge of finding the most efficient covers that would be suitable for excavations of various sizes – particularly the smaller more common ones created by our more transient street works teams.

At Avove, we engaged our team to provide solutions with 55 ideas contributed. A shortlist of five finalists’ ideas was produced, with each product being developed against a set of key criteria with our dedicated supply chain partners. We tested the products for durability, flexibility, ease of use, the likelihood of theft and the safety benefit for members of the public. The Trellis product came top across all field tests.

Identified improvements in our street work excavations.

• Our practices ensured all excavations were closed and secured overnight
• We sourced the most efficient covers suitable for excavations of various sizes
• Launched a new product – ‘The Trench Protection Grid’ – offering a compact, transportable and durable long-term solution to our excavation practices
• Devices can be safely connected sequentially to create a much larger cover
• The trench protection grid produced offers a compact, transportable and durable long-term improvement to our excavation practices, ensuring better safety for colleagues and members of the public