Press release

Bouygues Construction and Fein launch a very high-safety angle grinder developed under an exclusive partnership

28-03-2022

Bouygues Construction and the German company Fein, a manufacturer of superior quality power tools, introduce a new model of cordless 125 mm angle grinder offering exceptional safety. Its name: PROTAGO.

Jointly developed under an exclusive R&D partnership signed as part of Bouygues Construction's Zero Accident policy, the FEIN very high-safety cordless angle grinder aims to ensure that users on construction sites enjoy optimal use while avoiding all risks of accidents. After being tested by Bouygues Construction operators in the form of prototypes in 2021, the very high-safety angle grinder will go into production early in 2022 and rolled out on Bouygues Construction’s sites by the summer of 2022.

Two major innovations for safety: no starting without a disc guard and compulsory two-handed operation
Thanks to a unique operating concept, the risk of accidents due to incorrect handling has been eliminated. In addition to the best safety devices available on the market (kickback control, safety brake…), the 125 mm battery-powered high-safety angle grinder has benefited from two major safety innovations complying with the specifications stipulated by Bouygues Construction at the start of the partnership:
  • a two-handed operation concept, meaning that the angle grinder can only start up and then work if the operator holds it in two hands, thanks to a built-in “AutoStop” switch and a second tactile handle (also with a same switch), allowing it to be used in perfect safety;
  • design and development of protective housing that cannot be removed, but can be adjusted manually without tools.
 
Optimised design to guarantee the safety and well-being of construction site workers
The traditional 125 mm angle grinder, which is one of the world’s biggest selling hand-held power tools, also has one of the worst safety records. A practical and very versatile tool, it is often used in unsuitable conditions. As a result of this observation, the Bouygues Construction Group decided to ban angle grinders with a diameter of less than 230 mm from all of the Group's worksites worldwide back in 2017, and to work with Fein on a prototype that would meet the highest health and safety requirements and guarantee safe use.

Apart from the two major safety-inspired innovations, the grinder has also been the object of ergonomic studies to validate its design, which enables it to offer working comfort thanks to compact design, light weight and perfect balance. The design of the second handle was validated after a series of measurements of the forces generated on the fingers when operating the trigger, an unprecedented study using a special sensor glove.


In addition to the safety features, FEIN has paid great attention to the visual appearance of the machine, which has already convinced design experts. In March 2022, this PROTAGO grinder was awarded the "Best of the Best" in the "Tools" category by the Red Dot Design Award. The Red Dot is a seal of quality for products with outstanding design, awarded by an internationally renowned jury.

Mr. Philippe Fornage, Bouygues Construction Health & Safety director, said: “Bouygues Construction has had an ambitious health and safety prevention policy for 20 years. Our most precious asset is the men and women who work on our sites. We want to offer them the best working conditions and the best tools anywhere in the world.  I am very happy with this great cooperation between our R&D teams and Fein, because all our workers will soon be equipped with a very high safety angle grinder specially designed for them, offering optimal safety and comfort conditions.”

Laurent Schwarz, Managing Director France and Director Western Europe of Fein, said: “As a manufacturer of power tools for more than 150 years, the safety of our users has always been central to our developments and our innovations. As a specialist, the project presented by Bouygues Construction appealed to us from the outset, despite the very complex specifications, the technical challenge, and the target schedule. One of the complexities of the project was the combination of the criteria of safety and daily use while remaining within a budget almost equivalent to that of a standard machine.”

Bouygues Construction will have exclusive rights to purchase and use the Fein high-safety angle grinder until it is launched on the market in 2023. The group will work with its partner companies to get them to use this angle grinder.
Nearly 100,000 people (employees and partners) work on Bouygues Construction's production sites every day, and it is vital to prevent the risk of accidents for all those involved. This shared innovation in safety is a perfect illustration of the Group's health and safety prevention policy, which is geared towards zero accidents and has a strong slogan: "We love life, let's protect it".