A regular skip lorry creates, on average, noise levels reaching 85db, while the same vehicle with chain covers – made from woven canvas – has been recorded at just 65db, from 2m away.
Introduced by MD Jacqueline O’Donovan at TfL’s Retiming Deliveries Work Group, the simple, cost-effective solution is being rolled out across all its skip lorries.
On the innovation, Jacqueline O’Donovan, commented: “While it’s vital that we maintain our exceptional customer service levels, respecting the local community remains a priority for us. We are conscious that noise levels can disrupt local communities and we believe this is a great solution for all parties.”
Gloria Elliott, CEO, Noise Abatement Society, said: “Skip removal can have one of the noisiest environmental impacts on the community – so it is really heartening to see O’Donovan’s waste company introducing a measure to reduce the loud and intrusive noise of clanging metal skip chains.
UPDATED 11 March to add:
O'Donovan used wear sleeves originally made for lifting rigging as chain covers; the supplier was Total Rope Solutions of Stalybridge.