An existing customer contacted us as a work at height issue had been highlighted by a number of engineers. The production engineers needed to reach out, in between support pillars to attach strengthening spars to the skin of aircraft wings and they were struggling to get to where they needed to be. There were three main issues; the bed of the machine on which it needed to sit was approximately 400mm above floor level preventing the platform from being pulled back from between the pillars, the variation in heights required to reach all areas, and the need to avoid manual handling issues, including finger traps.
We conducted a survey and discussed where they needed to reach and what they needed to do so we had a better idea of what type of equipment would be most suitable. We thought about hinging the platform but it was considered to be too much of a finger trap with the potential to guillotine fingers if the operator lost his grip on the platform. It was suggested we have the platform retractable leaving the mast in position with just the platform rolling back and forth, but it would not have the support needed to allow the platform to cantilever out from the base over fresh air. After a couple of weeks of head scratching, a solution came to the fore. Keep the base where it is and have a rolling subframe attached to it holding the mast and platform. This retains the strength needed for the cantilever whilst allowing the base to remain still. Once retracted, the whole unit can be wheeled sideways along to the next working position then the subframe rolled forward placing the platform between the pillars for the next task.
The client took a little while to digest the concept but finally decided it seemed like a viable option and placed the order for two, one port and one starboard. Drawings were produced to ensure the dimensions would fit the machine and once approval was received, production began. When completed, we delivered the left and right-handed pair of special CHAMPs (Cantilevered Height Adjustable Mobile Platforms) and assisted with the alignment on the machine, then trained the Line Manager and the Health and Safety officer how to operate, inspect, and maintain the units to instructor status. Another job where we managed to put the engineers exactly where they needed to be. We left site with a happy customer who had a solution to a problem they had considered to be unsolvable.
Some months later I returned to the customer to look at another access issue with a similar problem. Whilst talking through the issues with the Line Manager and the Health and Safety officer, I asked if the platforms supplied previously were working as they had hoped and was told they were such a success they had been nominated for an “Innovation in Health and Safety Award”. I was a little shocked at the news and even more shocked when they said, “and it won!”. Our specially designed Cantilevered Height Adjustable Mobile Platform was the 2023 winner of the “Innovation in Health and Safety Award”. Sadly, this was an internal award, so no names can be published, but it’s still nice to have our efforts and innovative ideas recognised within such a large organisation. This had been a safety concern for several years and a number of manufacturers had been approached to provide a solution. We were the first to come up with a workable design, nobody else had any suggestions other than using a leaning ladder, which is far from ideal.
If you have similar issues in your production environment then please feel free to contact the experts at Ability International – just click here to fill out our enquiry form.
