ISO 45001 is the world’s first International Standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S).
Following a series of reviews and improvements to its already comprehensive H&S Management System, AGM have now been recently Assessed by BSi for this Standard.
Our ISO 45001 Certification will help to give AGM’s Customers complete confidence that all Hazards and Risks are controlled in line with current ‘best practice’.
“I joined AGM in August 1997 as a pipe fitter working in the mechanical workshop, building their Aquatech Pressmain brand of packaged water booster sets and pressurisation units, and overhauling old pumps.
The company moved to AGM House, London Rd, Copford in 2000, and shortly afterwards I was promoted to Mechanical Workshop Supervisor. I then began taking on several more responsibilities including checking and signing off units on the production line.
Four years later I was promoted to Works Foreman, were my role comprised of talking to customers and processing their orders, ordering stock, arranging couriers for dispatch, handing out work for workshop staff, testing units and much more. In 2009 to the present, I moved from production to AGM Pressurisationl Services as an Installation Engineer, where my responsibilities include servicing, breakdowns, warranties and installation works on many different manufacturers’ makes and models of pressurisation units and booster sets and more.
I enjoy working at many different sites around the country, every day is different: a different location, a different plant room, a different property type and different people. On one occasion I flew to the Falkland Islands with the RAF to do some install work on the District Heating System on the air base out there.
In this constantly changing industry I look forward to gaining more experience with more and more new system and unit types, which always keeps things interesting. I have been very fortunate throughout the last 20 or so years that I have worked with some very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful colleagues and it’s always been good to feel part of the team.”
Ben Brotherton – AGM Installation Engineer
AGM are certified to ISO14001 and have always taken the impact they have on the environment seriously.
We focus on good servicing to maximise unit life and avoid premature vessel failure, scrappage or even replacement.
We design our products mindfully for energy efficiency.
The majority of our products will provide remote notifications to prevent leakages and water waste.
We recycle components where ever possible.
When pump sets and pressurisation units come to the end of their lives they are taken back to the factory and striped down. All metal including the vessels are placed in a skip and removed by a specialist metal recycling company.
Pressure vessels should be regularly examined whatever their size.
Even though there was only one bar of force, that was enough to fracture the finger of an AGM Service Engineer when the clench ring on an 8 litre pressure vessel failed.
The clench ring is designed to hold two halves of a vessel together so if it fails the vessel breaks.
The story – During the service of a Pressurisation Unit the air charge of the 8 litre vessel was checked. A pressure gauge was applied to the air valve and as it was pushed down the clench ring moved which is unusual so the pressure gauge was removed and in the process the clench ring popped and the top of the vessel flew upwards.
Incidents like this are exceedingly rare but it is a reminder that had this been a larger vessel the consequences may have been more serious.
This is a good demonstration of why pressure vessel inspections are vital for safety, no matter what size the vessel. Our sister company ESIS can carry out these inspections for you. See ESIS website.
Group Chairman Mr David Taylor started the business 45 years ago on his own with one van. Today AGM are a group of companies with over 50 vans and 150 employees.
AGM Pressurisation Services (formerly Acorn Pressurisation Services) provides the installation, repairs and maintenance services associated with the original company together with expanding the brief to include water hygiene, waste water and other plant room support.
Aquatech Pressmain, AGM’s brand of water pumps and pressurisation units can be found all over the world, enabling water to flow in buildings such as Tate Modern, Heathrow Airport and The Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Over the past 45 years when much of the UK’s manufacturing industries have been lost, AGM are understandably proud to have kept this side of the business not only profitable but thriving.
The new factory in Copford provides a state of the art facility for Aquatech Pressmain to meet the challenges of leaving the European Union and the next 45 years.
When asked to what he attributed his success Mr Taylor said “We have always focused on providing a high quality product, meeting the needs of the current market. With a supporting service and maintenance department, available 24/7 throughout the UK. Our ethos has been to keep the values of a family firm and many of our staff have been with us for over 20 years”
Next Spring two of AGM’s Service Engineers, Melvin and Phil Cotton will be installing a solar powered water pump supplied by AGM at a school and orphanage near Jinga, 70 kilometres north of the equator in Uganda.
As the children currently spend six hours a day collecting water from a poor quality supply, our new pump will mean they can spend that time in school and the water they use will be good quality, improving both their health and education.
Melvin explained “The project was started a few years ago by the charity Beacon Christian Fellowship and having been there for a few weeks working we have built up a friendship and were asked if we could help with this situation. How could we refuse putting our skills and knowledge to some great use and help these children have a better life.”
We will update you as the project progresses.
