A few practical updates from Guardian. 

We’ve made some changes to make hiring easier, added more trench shields to the fleet, and pulled together a few safety reminders worth sharing with your crew. 

Visit Our New Guardian Website 

You can now find Guardian’s trench shields, accessories, certification downloads and practical how-tos and FAQ videos in one place.

Visit www.guardiancivil.co.nz  

Three things we have changed to make hiring easier

  • Separate hire contracts can be consolidated onto one invoice when the order number is the same. 
  • Improved stock visibility helps us respond faster when your scope changes. 
  • Electronic signing makes hire paperwork easier to complete and return. 

Stand-down vs Off-hire 

 Stand-down Off-hire 
When to use it A short pause while the shields stay on your site. You are finished with the equipment, and it is being returned. 
What you pay You pay 25% of your agreed rate. Hire charges stops while equipment is being returned. 
What happens to the gear Equipment stays allocated to your site. Equipment is returned. Your off-hire request must be made in writing. 

Planning a stand-down? 

Stand-downs are intended for short pauses (max 5 working days). Contact Guardian before the stand-down starts so we can confirm the dates and terms with you. 

Your invoice looks different 

  • Your agreed hire price hasn’t changed. 
  • Your invoice now shows the standard hire rate first, followed by your discounted total (where applicable). 

Current Projects Of Interest 

North Island: Portsmouth Stormwater Project, Flaxmere 

The Portsmouth stormwater project in Flaxmere is part of Hastings District Council’s push to upgrade the area’s ageing stormwater network — helping reduce flooding risk for the community and support the new housing developments underway across Flaxmere. The project is now 95% complete, with the major pipe-laying work nearing the finish line. 

Guardian trench shields were on-site throughout, keeping the crew protected as the new pipe went in. The job called for a mix shields, mostly being 3.6m and 5m long shields with topper boxes for the deeper runs. That combination meant the team always had the right protection for the ground in front of them, without slowing down to swap gear or compromise on safety. 

It’s the kind of setup we build Guardian shields for — solid protection you can trust, sized to the job, so crews can focus on delivering the infrastructure their community needs and get home safe at the end of the day. 

For more on our full range of trench shields and topper box configurations, check out our website. https://www.guardiancivil.co.nz/knowledge-hub/  

Check out Hastings District councils video about the job here:  Hastings District Council – Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Heretaunga 

Customer Voice 

“We chose Guardian because their product effectively solved our health and safety concerns by protecting our team from the unstable rocks on the cliff face.” 

“The shields are well-made and backed by excellent service. They’ve made our work safer and easier when handling complex excavation projects.” 

— Glenn Bradshaw, Project Manager, Euroclass

Read more here Euroclass case study.

Got a Guardian site story? 

Send us a site photo, a lesson learned or a project milestone. We’d like to feature more of the crews using Guardian gear around New Zealand. 

Email us your story – [email protected]

What is a PRO 6G davit arm kit used for? 

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: The recovery winch and material winch are not interchangeable. 

Know the difference at a glance 

Recovery Winch Material Winch 
✓ Personnel use ONLY ✓ Equipment only 
✓ Emergency recovery ✓ Materials only 
✓ Fall arrest ✗ Never for personnel 

Four details worth knowing 

  • 136kg maximum – The working load includes the person, clothing, tools and equipment. 
  • Audible overload warning – Internal “weight wicks” snap to trigger an audible overload alert. 
  • Red karabiner warning strip – If the red strip is showing, quarantine the unit, do not use it and contact Guardian for inspection. 
  • Fast site setup – The base clamps directly onto the trench shield and can be set up by one competent person. 

See the full kit and FAQ video: https://www.guardiancivil.co.nz/videos/what-does-a-pro-6g-davit-arm-include/ 

More trench shields in the fleet! 

Eight containers of new trench shields have arrived this year, giving us more capacity to respond when projects change or you need gear quickly. 

Get in touch with Guardian today for all your trench and site safety gear!  

[email protected]  

0508 41 41 41 

Trench & Site. Do It Right.