Leading the way in Health and Safety Management

Written by

Here at MVIS, we pride ourselves on our reputation for quality products and customer service. Recently, alongside sister company Bartco UK, we became one of the first companies in the Highways sector to achieve the ISO 45001:2019 accreditation for Health and Safety Management.

 

Dedicated to offering the best service to our customers, here at MVIS, we are constantly looking for ways to make further improvements to quality and efficiency across all aspects of the business. We take a holistic approach to health and safety, combining ISO 45001 with our extensive internal safety procedures and continuous training opportunities.

This new accreditation is incredibly important us, with its focus on employee safety and working environments. Due to the nature of the work undertaken by many of our engineers across highways, vehicle management, crowd safety and construction, safety is paramount in transporting and erecting our units.

The accreditation is audited by NQA, and involved a series of comprehensive site visits and a thorough review of documented procedures, to ensure that all procedures are outlined and followed.

As part of MVIS’ health and safety management policy;

• Daily checks are completed on all units and vehicles before they leave the depot.

• The team rings the site traffic safety control officer (TSCO) in advance of arrival and checks that it is safe to do so.

• Full personal protective equipment (PPE) and traffic management is used, as appropriate for the road speed.

• The team observes paperwork and risk assessments completed by the delivery team prior to starting any deployment.

• Deployment on site is done in a safe manner and all site rules are adhered to.

General Manager, Anne Ashman said: “Earning this accreditation means we now have a recognised fully integrated management system, as well as a stamp of approval that we work in a quality manner, with health & safety as a priority and prevalence as well as working in an environmental way.

“The company culture and values revolve around quality and service, and the 45001 accreditation is another undeniable display that we drive our values through our operations every day.”

ISO 45001:2018 joins our portfolio of industry awards and accreditations including; 14001:2015 Environmental Management and 9001: 2015 Quality Management. By completing the three ISO accreditations we have created full Integrated Management Systems, so you can be confident in the knowledge that we provide high quality products and trusted solutions that comply with the highest industry standards.

To find out more about hiring our ITS products and integrated solutions, call out expert team on 01629 580 570 or email us sales@m-vis.co.uk. To keep up to date with the latest news from MVIS, follow us on Twitter @MVISLtd.

Women in Management- A Showcase of Diversity

Written by

As the years go by, the International Women’s Day movement gathers momentum, and more and more awareness is raised of females campaigning for equality and innovating for change.

Diversity is a word most, if not all companies will tell you is something they adopt and promote – perhaps without the data or evidence to back it up.

Stereotypically, it’s fair to say that the highways and construction sectors have been portrayed as ‘a man’s industry’, however, the presence and success of influential females within these sectors continues to grow.

This is celebrated and exemplified by organisations such as ‘Women into Construction’ and the Women in Construction Summit – which will take place on May 16th this year.

One woman who has been in the industry for a number of successful years and climbed through the ranks to now head a company strategy and vision is Anne Ashman of MVIS and Bartco UK.

Anne began working at MVIS & Bartco in 2011, prior to the company’s involvement in the London 2012 Olympics, initially coming into the business as Office Manager.

We spoke to Anne about the presence of females in the sector, how times are definitely changing, and if there are still any barriers to females in the highways sector.

We asked Anne, ‘how did you first get into the highways industry – given its reputation as a ‘male industry’?’

“Purely by chance, there was a sales job advertised and I wanted an exciting new role.

“I applied after being a purchasing manager for years, the company only had two employees and I felt my organisational skills would be of huge benefit to the company- especially when I knew it was aiming to win the 2012 Olympic project.

“During the interview, I talked the then Director into a full-time role as the office manager rather than a part-time role in sales – showing my determination.  After we won that project, I was a huge part of getting the goods into the country, working with customs and excise and shipping agents, in addition to working with the guys on the ground to help oversee the operational side.”

And is there a big change in the number of women in highways and construction in the 8 years you’ve been involved?

“There’s a noticeable change, but it’s fair to say women in construction are still a minority.

“The number is certainly growing and if you walk around some of the major exhibitions there are certainly more females on stands as the face of the company with product and service knowledge. At Traffex 2019 I noticed there were far more females present than ever before-  and not just in the capacity of marketing as in previous years.

“Another noticeable change is seeing more and more women finding roles in the sector that perhaps in the past may have been blocked off.

“We’re starting to see ‘the first female…’ being mentioned in a variety of ways whether it be Traffic Management Operatives or Road Markers and that’s just fantastic to see.”

As a female, have you encountered any resistance or attempted barriers to ascending a company in the sector?

“Oh yes, even being told that I was a ‘woman playing in a man’s world’ which if I’m honest just makes me dig my heels in and be more determined.

“Gender should be absolutely irrelevant when it comes to the workplace, it should be about the best person for a role and should be indeed purely about getting the job done.”

And do you still encounter anything like this in 2019?

“Rarely, but unfortunately, yes. It’s fewer and further between nowadays, but it exists. In fact, the ‘woman in a man’s world comment wasn’t actually very long ago at all!

“Anyone who knows me knows I have a very strong personality and am extremely passionate about the company and my role within it.

“But the facts are, it should be about the qualifications, skills and experience of a person. I shortly will have completed a business management degree – I am just one exam away from the golden goal, after working my butt off for the last six years.  This adds to a string of other qualifications in HR, accounts, health & safety etc. that I have, so I never stop trying to learn and better myself – and the company with it”.

With that in mind, what would you say is the key for any female embarking on a career in this sector, or any sector that may be portrayed as male dominant?

“Firstly, stay true to yourself. You know you have a battle on your hands before you come into a stereotypically male orientated sector.

“Secondly, be respected for your mind and what you bring to the table and respect the people already in the sector who have knowledge to share – whether they are male or female. Also, be prepared to get stuck in – I am at my happiest when I am out on the ground in high-vis with the lads from my team, be it battery changing or delivering if the need arises.

“Finally, remember what you have to offer and that everyone in any role should only have to prove they’re capable of doing the job.”

You can meet the rest of the MVIS team here, and can keep up to date on all our news by following us on Twitter @MVISltd

Planning for 2019

Written by

With MVIS’ portfolio of innovative products and ITS solutions, you can ensure that both road users and workers remain well informed and safe throughout the period of works.

Timely Communications

When you know works are scheduled in, it’s important to make sure you have your signs ready in advance with clear messaging. However, we know that traffic situations are often unpredictable and can change within minutes.  

Our WebStudio™ Technology and BartcoLive™ app allow you to update your messages in real-time as traffic situations change. This ensures road users are well informed, reducing driver frustration and keeping traffic moving smoothly.

Signs and Instructions

But it’s not just road users who benefit from accurate signage and timely communications. Such measures are also crucial for your workforce to keep vehicles moving at a safe speed and promote safety information.

MVIS’ HD Compact VMS is the first temporary VMS designed for use within work zones to improve safety. Small and light, the HD Compact VMS can be easily moved into place and is the perfect size for displaying speed limits and safety access information.

More than Highways Management

We don’t just supply mobile visual message signs, we offer CCTV solutions and our close partnership with Wavetronix allows us to support clients in need permanent ITS installations with reliable data and improved road efficiency. It’s not just about Highways management – we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the team here at MVIS. Our dedicated team take the time to work closely with your business and really understand the needs of your projects. What’s more, our dedicated team offer 24/7 support throughout your project to ensure your units continue to provide reliable, high quality performance with accurate messaging.

So whether you’re in construction, events, or retail planning, you can TRUST MVIS to deliver high quality, proven and reliable solutions to keep your industry moving.

MVIS in 2019

After the success of 2018, we have a very exciting year coming up in 2019 here at MVIS. Last year we welcomed new talent to the team at MVIS and celebrated the success and progression of our Apprentices though promotions and awards and this year we hope to welcome even more.

We’ll also be attending a number of events and exhibitions throughout 2019, starting with Traffex from 2nd – 4th April. If you’re heading down to the event, make sure you pop by and say hello. We’re on stand G025 and our team will be on hand to showcase our latest products and answer any questions.

Make sure you keep an eye on our Twitter account @mvisltd and blog to keep up to date with what we’re getting up to.

To see how MVIS can help you planning for the year ahead, get in touch with our friendly team on 01629 580 570 or email us sales@m-vis.co.uk

Our year at MVIS

Written by

We say it every year but where have the last 12 months gone? With just days left before Christmas we’ve been looking back over 2018 and some of the fantastic things we’ve been involved in here at MVIS.

A pioneering product

2018 was the year we launched the new BartcoLive™ app to further improve the efficiency of our VMS ITS solutions, offering more options for traffic managers to update messages on their VMS units remotely via any internet enabled device.

Click here to find out more.

Getting out and about

In November we attended Highways UK, where we exhibited our traffic management systems and solutions, made some interesting new contacts and discussed advancements in the planning, designing, building, operating and future-proofing of the UK’s road network.

The real apprentices

Forget Alan Sugar, at MVIS, we’ve long known that hiring apprentices is the best way to secure the skills we need for the future. So we were delighted when our apprenticeship scheme and our apprentices were shortlisted at the Learning Unlimited Awards, with apprentice Tillie Wooliscroft winning the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year award on the night.

2018 also saw the promotion of Dom Bridge (who started with us as an apprentice in 2013), to the role of Assistant Operations Manager. Since his first day, Dom got ‘stuck in’ and quickly became an integral part of the team. Congratulations Dom – you deserve it!

Sponsoring stars

At MVIS, we don’t just develop our own talent, we support local sports clubs and teams where we can and this year we’ve agreed sponsorship deals with Matlock Town football team,  the home jersey for the Liverpool Raptors (Merseyside’s newest American Football team) and continued our sponsorship of the local and super talented CP32 kickboxing champion Karl Johnston.

Investing in our community

As well as giving financial support to a range of local charities including the Star Trust Charity and the Save our Beds project, in support of Whitworth Hospital, we’ve also given our time to support community events including the Movies in the Park evenings organised by Mazzi Curry House and The Sparkle Walk, for Markovitz, in aid of Ashgate Hospice.

And they’re just a few of the highlights that spring to mind. There are many more…

To keep up-to-date with what’s going on at MVIS why not follow us on Twitter @MVISltd 

We’ve hope you’ve enjoyed being part of our story in 2018 and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous new year. On behalf of the team here at MVIS I’d like to thank all our partners and customers for your continued support and look forward to working with you in 2019.

Please note our Christmas opening times: 

Dec 21st  – Close at 12.30pm

December 24th -26th Closed

December 27th – 28th 8am – 4pm

December 31st 8am – 4pm

January 1st Closed

Reopen 2nd January

If you need any support over the festive break, our emergency line will be available 24/7 tel: 01629 580570

The Road to Success

Written by

It’s been over 6 years since MVIS was founded at our Matlock site and as 2018 comes to an end, and everyone starts to get into the festive spirit, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the development of MVIS and how, as a team, we’ve got to where we are today.

MVIS was formed back in 2012, in response to increasing demand for mobile variable message signs (VMS) and intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, and since then we’ve created a reputable company based on efficiency, excellent service and trust with our customers.

But how have we got to where we are today?

  1. Investment in staff

When talking about the success of MVIS, we simply can’t deny the contribution of our outstanding and dedicated team. Commitment to and investment in staff at every level is essential to us here at MVIS. To help our staff develop the skills and knowledge needed to continue as industry leaders, we’re committed to providing ongoing training and development opportunities.

  1. Developing talent

One way we ensure we employ the staff with the right skills is through our highly successful apprenticeship scheme. Almost everyone who has joined us as an apprentice has stayed with us for the long term and our very own Dom Bridge was recently promoted to Assistant Operations Manager after starting as an apprentice 5 years ago. We’re proud to say that he is now completing his Degree Level Operations Management Course with us. Our apprentices work hard, are eager to progress and their retention rate has been excellent.  In November one of our apprentices, Tillie Wooliscroft was awarded the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year at the Learning Unlimited apprenticeship awards for going above and beyond and developing her knowledge and skills to a high standard.

  1. R&D and Innovation

By prioritising research and development, and gaining a strong customer insight into the challenges they face, we have been able to design products and solutions that our customers need, including the Solar IP – developed in response to the highway managers’ need to provide a flexible response to temporary traffic management situations. It houses a range of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) equipment in one unit that can be deployed anywhere on the road network.

  1. Customer Service

The high standard of the products and solutions we provide combined with the diligence and responsiveness of our staff means our customers benefit from a first class service.

The high standards of our work have been independently verified by the achievement of  our ISO accreditations for quality and environmental management. We are currently working towards the 45001 Health and Safety accreditation.

If you’re interested in working with MVIS, you can contact our friendly team on 01629 580 570 or email us at sales@m-vis.co.uk

 

MVIS Scores with American Football Team

Written by

Committed to supporting developing talent both within the workplace and now on the football field – American football that is – as MVIS takes on the Liverpool Raptors.

Merseyside’s newest American Football team, the Liverpool Raptors formed in 2015 as part of the University of Liverpool. With over 60 active members of the team, they’ve shown impressive growth over the past 3 seasons. They’ve competed against some of the best teams in the North West and are actively seeking a promotion into Division one in the new year.

But striving to be the best doesn’t come cheap. As well as training equipment and coaching, the team also need practice, home and away kits and support with their travel, match preparation and marketing.

Here at MVIS, we’re actively committed to helping to develop talent with the apprenticeship schemes and school activities we’re involved in. That’s why we’re proud to announce our new partnership with the Liverpool Raptors.

MVIS are proud to support the Liverpool Raptors and to sponsor their home jersey.

Keep an eye out to find out more about how the Liverpool Raptors get on in their new season.

If you’d like to find out more about the Liverpool Raptors, head over to social media and follow them on Facebook @Uolaft, Twitter @LiverpoolRaptor or Instagram @LiverpoolRaptors

MVIS’ own Tillie Wooliscroft scoops Apprenticeship Awards

Written by

Recently MVIS was recognised for its commitment to developing future talent and apprentices and we were shortlisted for Learning Unlimited’s Investment in Apprenticeships award. Last week the team attended the awards ceremony to discover who the lucky winners were.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with the unexpected, but exciting news, that not only had we been shortlisted for the Investment in Apprentices award, but two of our very own apprentices had been shortlisted for individual awards.

George Sheldon, one of our Apprentice Technicians, was named as a finalist in the Advanced Apprentice of the Year category and our Operations and Customer Service Apprentice, Tillie Wooliscroft, announced as a finalist in the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year category.

Both are outstanding assets to the MVIS team, and it’s with great pleasure that we can now announce that Tillie was the well-deserved winner of the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year award. Highly organised and enthusiastic, Tillie works incredibly hard to ensure customers get the support they need. She thrives on talking to our customers and helping them whenever she can – you’ve probably spoken to her yourself – and we receive fantastic feedback about her. She’s also been working hard across our website and social media accounts to promote the work we do to increase our brand profile.

We’re so proud to have Tillie as part of the MVIS team and we’re sure you’ll join us in congratulating Tillie on her incredible achievement.

To find out more about what’s going on at MVIS, follow us on Twitter @MVISLtd or search MVIS Ltd on LinkedIn. 

National Recognition for MVIS Apprenticeship Scheme

Written by

Here at MVIS, we’ve been running our apprenticeship scheme for just over five years and we’re pleased to announce that our hard work has been recognised by Learning Unlimited as we were recently awarded a place on the shortlist for their Investment in Apprentices award.

The investment award celebrates employers who are “fully invested in apprenticeships and have integrated them into their workforce succession plans, above and beyond expectations,” and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in Sheffield at the end of November.

General Manager, Anne Ashman, said: “The highways sector faces a shortage of recruits, and apprenticeship programmes like ours encourage young people to explore the potentially highly fulfilling career options available within our industry.

“Seven of our 17-strong team joined as apprentices and we’re in the process of recruiting an eighth. Our apprentices have all worked hard and their retention rate has been excellent.  Our assistant operations manager was recently promoted to the role having joined us as an apprentice.

“The shortlisting provides us with further encouragement to continue this extremely fruitful programme. We are confident that it will continue to generate business benefits for us and ultimately to support the industry as a whole, as new talent is welcomed into the sector.”

The winners of the Learning Unlimited National Apprenticeship Awards will be announced on 22nd November at the awards ceremony. We’re sure you’ll join us in wishing everyone at MVIS the best of luck for the evening. Fingers crossed – and watch this space!

Visit us at Highways UK

Written by

We’re exhibiting at Highways UK from 7th – 8th November at the NEC Birmingham.

Highways UK is an annual event that brings together businesses involved in the planning, designing, building, operating and future-proofing of the UK’s road network.

As part of the event, we’ll be on hand to advise attendees about our extensive portfolio of traffic management systems and solutions and we look forward to meeting new and familiar faces at this landmark event.

Plus, our Managing Director, Pat Musgrave will be taking part in an innovation trail and 10 minute talk to help inform young people of the future of traffic management and the innovation that continues to be developed in the traffic industry.

To find out more about how you can benefit from MVIS’ practical and innovative traffic management solutions, come and see us on Stand C1.

If you’d like to find out more about the exhibitors and sessions available at Highways UK, or to book your place, take a look at the website: https://www.highways-uk.com/huk/whats-on

In the meantime, if you’d like more information about any of our products or services, contact the team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk

Greater Speed and Greater Flexibility with BartcoLive™

Written by

Introducing the new BartcoLive™ app from MVIS. 

Designed to further improve the efficiency of our VMS ITS solutions, BartcoLive™ offers more options for traffic managers to update messages on their VMS units remotely via any internet enabled device.

Working in conjunction with our innovative Web Studio™ technology, the new BartcoLive™ app means that wherever you are, you can control the messages displayed on any of your portable VMS, with greater speed and flexibility.

Created in response to changing customer needs, the BartcoLive™ app is designed to facilitate instant updates based on the changing traffic environment, keeping road users well informed and ensuring that traffic is well managed and continues to run smoothly. 

Available for Apple and Android, the BartcoLive™ app features:

  • Remote access via any Apple or Android phone or tablet
  • Instantaneous or scheduled message upload to single or multiple assets
  • Job Queue: keep up to date with message upload, asset status update, etc.
  • Secure login using Web Studio™ credentials which can be memorised to speed up subsequent logins.
  • Searchable asset list (VMS, etc.) including user-defined groups
  • Access asset status information including:
    • GPS location
    • Battery voltage levels
    • Light output level
    • Current message displayed
    • Communications status
    • Controller status
    • Controller information
  • Map detailing asset location
  • Directions to asset location

To find out more about how BartcoLive™ can help you manage your traffic solutions, get in touch with the team on 01629 580 570 or email us on sales@m-vis.co.uk

We think the BartcoLive™ app is pretty great, but see for yourself and download the app now for Apple and Android. 

CCTV and VMS: A Perfect Partnership In Road Safety

Written by

Traffic managers and local authorities have a responsibility to help keep our roads safe and one of the best ways to keep accidents to a minimum is to present clear and up-to-date information to road users. Find out how our CCTV and VMS technology helps to keep roads safe.

Despite Highways England commitment to reducing the number of people killed or injured while working on our roads to as close as possible to zero by 2040, ‘over the past 10 years, workers have been injured by motorists on more than 50 occasions….’ and ‘12 road workers, including two traffic officers, have lost their lives’. 

We appreciate it’s not always an easy job to keep traffic moving safely and driver frustration to a minimum, but with our innovative CCTV and VMS technology, traffic managers are able to respond quickly to changes in congestion on the roads and display this information to road users. Keeping drivers well informed is crucial in helping to keep roads safe.

Used across a wide range of applications in different industries, CCTV can be especially effective with regards to traffic management. Road users who are aware that their actions could be caught on camera, are more likely to avoid driving too fast or recklessly, reducing the potential for accidents. Furthermore, the nature of the information collected via CCTV, especially when used in conjunction with other technologies such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), can effectively help to prevent and respond to accidents.

Where CCTV can be used

  • emergency roadworks
  • planned maintenance
  • temporary speed restrictions
  • school zones
  • parking management
  • event traffic management

Our VMS units enable traffic managers to effectively update information displayed to road users in real-time, to help keep drivers informed, warn of any upcoming issues and keep congestion moving smoothly.

Benefits of VMS

  • Precision control of communications helps keep traffic moving and people safe
  • High visual impact (especially if a colour matrix VMS used)
  • Can be remotely updated e.g. to show speed restrictions at peak times
  • Flexible and lightweight: they can easily be moved
  • Reliable in all weather conditions
  • Solar-powered and environmentally friendly

All our VMS and CCTV units can also be used in conjunction with our innovative WebStudio™ technology, which allows traffic managers to update their messaging instantaneously on any Wi-Fi enabled device.

Not only are our CCTV and VMS units impactful when used individually, when used together they make the perfect partnership in helping improve the safety of our roads.

See why our customers continue to trust MVIS: “No infrastructure development initiative of this scale will be without any disruption, but we’re pleased to say that so far, not only have we received relatively few calls from road users, but we’ve had some extremely positive feedback from people about the effectiveness of the system.” – Nottingham City Council

If you’d like to know more our about innovative CCTV and VMS units, or are interested in hiring them for your traffic management operation, call our friendly team on 01629 580570 or email us sales@m-vis.co.uk

* https://www.gov.uk/government/news/highways-england-highlights-dangers-faced-by-road-workers  published 4th April 2017.

NTIS DATEX II Portable Travel Time VMS: Pioneering and HE Compliant

Written by

In 2016 we were proud to become the first ITS solution providers to have real-time journey information from the National Traffic Operations Centre (NTOC) displayed on VMS, improving the commuter’s journey experience.

We are proud to say that as well as being the first to offer this pioneering solution, we fully comply with Highways England’s (HE) stringent criteria.

Our NTIS DATEX II Portable Travel Time VMS (TTVMS) was created in partnership with HE as part of its Travel Demand Management (TDM) pilot for use on its Manchester Smart Motorway (MSM) initiative.

It’s since gone on to feature in HE’s largest scheme, the £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon upgrade. Displaying  journey times on 26 portable Bartco VMS, the system helps inform 85,000 drivers on average each day of their predicted journey time, assisting them to choose a different route.

During the MSM project, HE issued its supply chain with a new Major Project Instruction, MPI-54-062016, ensuring that schemes of longer than 4km must not only display TTVMS legends on portable VMS to let customers know the travel time to the end of the works, more importantly that consistency is achieved between the information displayed and Strategic Road Network (SRN) fixed VMS.

The data we use is provided by the National Traffic Information Service (NTIS), which validates all data collected from GPS probe devices, ensuring quality and accuracy by comparing the measured journey times and speeds with ANPR and MIDAS data.

Compared to fixed traffic monitoring devices such as ANPR to generate journey time information, there are many advantages to using data from in-vehicle GPS devices, allowing real time monitoring and low latency, granularity of traffic data, improved coverage and less roadside equipment.

To find out more about how MVIS can offer an excellent service across your traffic management system get in touch with our team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk

Mobile Visual Information Systems

01629 580 570

MVIS, Units 6-8, Brookfield Way, Brookfield Industrial Estate, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 5ND

© 2022. Company registered in England No. 8130402 - Registered Office: Units 6-8, Brookfield Way, Brookfield Industrial Estate, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 5ND