12.06.2007

More on the slippery slope?

Further to our story of June 5th ‘Chill out when working on slopes’ we have received further information from Higher Access another rental company which supplied tracked access machines to the job along with Ranger equipment.

The ‘Chill Factor’ project – a new indoor ski slope at Trafford Park being built by Sir Alfred McAlpine - has two slopes with different gradients. The nursery slope with a gradient of 10 degrees and the steeper main slope at just over 15 degrees.

Working on slopes with platforms can obviously be a problem, the five machines supplied by Higher Access included two Omme tracked spider-lift type machines which are able to work on slopes of up to 21 degrees in their standard configuration – more than enough to work safety on both slopes.

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One of two Omme 2200RBD platforms working on the slope

The company also supplied three Teupen tracked spider lifts but as these units did not have quite the same leveling capability, they needed the additional wedge shaped outrigger mats/blocks that Ranger fitted to its units in order to set up safely on the steeper slope.

The other factor complicating the operation of machines on the slope was the concrete surface. Due to the insulated floor to be laid on top the concrete, it had an extremely smooth and almost slippery finish. This meant that any machine on the slope had to set its outriggers (or wedges) on non-slip rubber mats as well as be fitted with an anchor safety line attached to specially installed eye-bolts.

“We have been working closely with Shane Paver from APS and Carsten Poulson from Omme and the guys at Ranger for the Teupens, to specify a safe method of working for all five machines” said Lucy Ashburner of Higher Access, “in particular the extra leveling capability of the Omme machines allowed them to work throughout their full slew range of 450 degrees meaning less set up positions to cover the same working area.”