There are a selection of tools available to journeymen working at Bouygues Construction sites, all of them in good condition and complying with regulations.      
The entire set of existing products in use are listed and the technical data and fieldwork feedback are analysed. Tests and measurements are performed to fill out a comparative database. The purpose of all this is to select the best tools on the market. And if no tools come up to the mark, then we invent them, in close collaboration with a manufacturer. That's the case for the 125 mm angle grinder: While it's one of the best-selling power tools in the world, it also has one of the highest accident rates. Springing from a partnership between Fein (manufacturer of portable power machines) and Bouygues Construction, this project aims to develop an ultra-safe 125 mm angle grinder in line with the requirements set by Bouygues Construction. This tool will be the only 125 mm grinder authorised at the group's sites.

What are the innovations?

This grinder features two major innovations designed to guarantee the safety of the operator: To avoid incidents, it can only start if it is held with two hands; and its protective casing is not removable. It is also equipped with a dead man-type main switch, a disc brake, a soft start, and a quick-tightening nut; and it has undergone ergonomic studies to approve the comfort of its design.

What stage is the project at?

In January 2021, the first prototypes underwent three weeks of trials at Bouygues Construction sites and workshops, carried out by twenty operators, in twenty-five situations, for the initial improvement phase. Next stages: Piloting a pre-production version of the grinder at the end of 2021, to start production in early 2022.