BHP had a problem. A unique one. Their onsite workers were struggling to transport heavy steel rolls manually. And when we say ‘heavy’, we mean HEAVY.

In a harsh and highly challenging workplace environment, where space is tight and the floor uneven, it was a manual handling task that increased physical fatigue and the risk of accidents and injury. The BHP team needed a solution – a built-for-purpose tool for this specialist task that would be easy to use in confined spaces and make light work of safely transporting the rollers.

Working with the BHP team to understand their workers’ functional requirements, we set about custom designing a highly manoeuvrable battery-powered trolley.

We quickly decided a rigid base wouldn’t cut it. It would hamper movement up and down ramps and overload the trolley’s centre wheel, so we engineered a pivot base for our prototype, which we tested onsite.

With the prototype approved, we fitted the electrical components, turning the trolley into a motorised, go-anywhere transporter that could be securely stored, easily transported and operated from both ends, taking ramps in its stride and fitting into all those narrow spaces.

Tough and smart, the Millipede’s ergonomic design, pivoted chassis, dual controls and variable-speed motor make moving heavy rollers in the most challenging conditions easy. What’s more, with removable batteries that allow on-the-job charging, it’s always ready to go.

But crucially, it’s packed with practical safety features – removable safety rails (for easy loading), safety horn and signage, a master control button and emergency-stop functionality – all of which minimise fatigue, the risk of accidents and the potential for injuries.

“It's been a great project working with Backsafe to come up with such an amazing mechanical aid for executing roller changeouts … Awesome outcome for continuous improvement at BHP.”

Bobby W, Line Engineer at BHP

As a vendor for Mining companies such as BHP, Rio Tinto, FMG, Woodside, Mineral Resources, Karara Mining and more, we are proud to deliver another sucessful project that strengthen both workplace safety and efficiency.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact us. We'd like to hear from you.