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Kamloops News

Business Spotlight

Surrounded by Safety

Barry Laing, right, general manager of United Rentals in Kamloops, and Sebastian Edgecombe, Kamloops operations manager, along with their 10 staff are available to help Monday to Friday at the Laval Crescent Location.
Original Publication Date January 08, 2018 - 12:00 AM

Safety must be the priority when 80 feet in the air.

     Whether you operate a scissorlift, small or large Earth Moving Machinery or just fall arrest, the operator needs to be safe and educated about the equipment they are using; whether on the Jobsite or on a home site, stresses Barry Laing Manager of United Rentals in Kamloops. 

     Through United’s business is to rent heavy/ light equipment and machinery, for home, construction and industrial use, safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
     “Safety is everything.  We have the number one safety record in the business,” says Laing, who’s been in the business for 6 years.

     In an effort to hold that record, United remains focused on the safety component when renting their equipment.  To support that effort, the national company of which Laing is Area Manager of four outlets; Williams Lake, Kamloops, Kelowna and Castlegar, has founded United Academy. This is a safety and certification department of United Rentals that strives to make all aspects of training easier for every industry to have an opportunity for their employees to remain safe at work while operating or when using in an equipment atmosphere.

     “ If anyone is on the job site and has to rent and/or run a forklift or anything else from us, he or she has to be trained and certified to operate.  All 12 of our staff here, from counter staff to those in the yard are also certified,” says Laing.  “There is way more safety awareness on jobsites now than there used to be, so people need to be competent and compliant with certifications by being trained.

     Training for anyone; the public, contractors, companies and even trainers, can all be done in Kamloops, or any other United Rentals locations. Online (blended) training can also be done anywhere; at home on your sundeck, at a United location, or even on a jobsite, in order to complete certification before deadlines.

     Confined Space, Fall Protection, Plant and Facility Maintenance, Trench, excavation, Cranes and Rigging, Road Safety, Regulated Driving, Electrical Safety, OSSA Accreditation, Train the Trainer, Job Safety and more are all available in English, French and Spanish.

     “The Academy is the biggest add-on we’ve had in the last 3 years.  We continue to provide more training in more categories,” says Laing.

     Founded in 1997, United Rentals has become the largest equipment rentals company in the world with an integrated network of 880+ rental locations in 10 provinces and 49 states.  This comes with a focused and dedicated business plan with safety and quality at the forefront.

     Much of United’s equipment is not more than 4 years old, Laing says.  They purchase new and then sell off inventory every several years. All equipment is checked and serviced every 250 hours.

The diverse customer base of United includes construction and industrial companies, utilities, municipalities, government agencies, and independent contractors.

     “We rent everything from large construction equipment to small hand-held home owner renovation tools. We provide every customer with access to the best people, equipment and solutions in the Industry,” says Laing.

     The passion, focus and attention to detail carries over into the community as well as Laing supports various organizations, events and community in the Kamloops area.  Nationally, United Rentals throws its support behind Military Veterans and their families with participation and funding for The Fisher House Foundation and Ekso Bionics® (Robotic exoskeletons suits for Paralyzed Veterans).

     “It’s a great company. They’ve been good to me, and it’s a neat place to work,” says Laing.

 

Sponsored By   United Rentals

News from © iNFOnews, 2018
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