Align is a joint venture of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick, appointed to deliver the C1 package of HS2, the UK's new high-speed rail line. The £1.6 billion contract covers 21.6km of infrastructure, including a 16km twin-bored tunnel and the Colne Valley Viaduct, the longest railway bridge in the UK.
This is how Traffi partnered with Align to support hand safety and reduce carbon emissions across the project.
Ralph Ashwood, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Deputy Director, Align
Early in the project, Align JV brought in Traffi to ensure the right hand protection. Cut resistance was important, as Align wanted to reduce cut injuries common in construction. The gloves also needed to be hard-wearing and long-lasting without losing dexterity.
Traffi worked with Align's Health and Safety team to recommend gloves that met their Hand Protection Policy. The colour coded TraffiSystem, aligned to EN 388:2016 and running from Cut Level A to F, let Align quickly check compliance on site.
This reduced Align's Scope 3 emissions down the supply chain. Traffi's life-extending technology also allowed Align to launder the gloves up to three times, extending product life and ensuring the gloves remained fit for purpose to the end of their use. By October 2022, the move to Traffi gloves had saved 89 tonnes of CO2 emissions on the project.
Early in the project, Align JV brought in Traffi to ensure they had the right hand protection across the work. Cut resistance was of significant importance, as Align wanted to reduce the number of cut injuries that are prevalent in construction when the right glove for the task is not worn.
Align is delivering the C1 package of HS2, including a 16km twin-bored tunnel and the Colne Valley Viaduct, the longest railway bridge in the UK. The gloves needed to be hard-wearing and long-lasting without compromising the dexterity or comfort of operatives.
Align needed an approach that aligned with their Hand Protection Policy and made compliance easy to assess across a large, complex site. The colour coded TraffiSystem, which aligns with the EN 388:2016 standard and runs from Cut Level A to Cut Level F, gave them a clear, visual way to do this.
Traffi worked with Align's Health and Safety team to ensure the recommended gloves met their requirements. With the red, amber, green TraffiSystem, Align could quickly identify operatives' compliance with their policy and cut resistance requirements on site.
A bespoke glove board to help operatives choose the right gloves
Support for Align's Safety Stand-up events
Toolbox talks
The High 5 campaign focused on reducing hand injuries
Operatives commented that the gloves were lightweight, offered improved handling and were touchscreen compatible, which improved safety as they did not need to remove their gloves to use tablets. This combination of practical support and the right gloves helped embed consistent hand protection across the project.
By October 2022, the move to Traffi gloves had saved 89 tonnes of CO2 emissions on the project, reducing Scope 3 emissions down the supply chain. For a project of this scale, every tonne of carbon saved matters.
Traffi's life-extending technology also allowed Align to launder the gloves up to three times, extending the life of the product and ensuring they remained fit for purpose to the end of their use. This supported both Align's safety and sustainability goals.
Using Traffi gloves has saved us some 89 tonnes of CO2. That means a reduction in our Scope 3 emissions down the supply chain. Every tonne of carbon matters on the project. We have to do as much as possible to reduce carbon on the project. More importantly, the Traffi production part has ensured that the gloves are actually zero carbon. So, they have offset the emissions associated with producing the gloves in the first place. Rowan Klimaytys, Carbon and Energy Manager, Align
Traffi’s life extending technology enables us to launder the gloves up to 3x, which has helped us to extend the life of the product and ensuring that they are fit for purpose till the end of their life.
