Executive Hire News › Archives › May 2009 › Market Report : Upwardly mobile
Market Report : Upwardly mobile
Hirers have been quick to show interest in an innovative mobile tower system from Turner Access. Alan Guthrie reports from the manufacturers' Glasgow headquarters.
The introduction of the Work at Height Regulations in 2005 led to the design of appropriate products for safer working, a process that has been on-going. As has been well documented in EHN, manufacturers developed two methods of assembling and dismantling mobile access towers that were approved by PASMA (the Prefabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers’ Association), in conjunction with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), namely the 3T (through the trap) system and the advance guardrail procedure.
The advance guardrail method makes use of temporary guardrail units, which are locked in place from the level below and are moved up to the platform level, ensuring that the operator is never exposed to the risk of falling from an unguarded platform. Advance guardrails represent a form of ‘collective’ protection, safeguarding all persons at a working position, which the HSE says should be considered ahead of personal protection methods, for individual workers.
“Our first advance guardrail was incorporated on our Omegadeck 250, a low-level access platform,” says Dougie McCombie, Sales Manager of Turner Access. “We then explored its possible use for aluminium towers. This led to our Safeguard, and then the PlusGard, which can be used on most aluminium towers, system scaffolding and traditional tube and fittings. It was specified for the erection of towers at the Heathrow Terminal 5 site.”
Using the PlusGard, or any other advance guardrail, obviously means that more components have to be used for a mobile tower. Turner Access has now developed what it believes to be the first tower system with frames shaped so as to effectively have an integral advance guardrail. Called the BetaGuard, it was officially launched at the Executive Hire Show in February, and was a finalist in the New Product Zone at the exhibition. The patented design also eliminates the need for horizontal and diagonal braces, reducing the main components required to just three, and meaning that tower erection and disassembly can be quicker.
Some hirers have been quick to add the BetaGuard to their fleets. Supply UK finalised a deal at the Show for the first three months of full-scale production and the system will be rolled out throughout the company’s depot network. The product has been specified by Bovis for work at the BBC Media City site in Salford, and will also be supplied to BAM Construct for the Granary Building redevelopment at London’s King’s Cross.
“We have also been actively contacting Health & Safety managers of contractors and their clients to tell them about safer working methods. ASDA has now stated that all contractors working with alloy towers over the height of 2m must use collective protection, for example. Decisions like this will, in turn, create demand for appropriate products from hirers,” says Dougie McCombie.
As we reported in our March issue, Bathgate Hire Centre has also added the BetaGuard tower to its fleet. Partner John Cranston believes it is easy to assemble, eliminates the risk of poor handling or of shortcuts being taken, and that the possibility of bending or overstretching that can be associated with the 3T method is eliminated.
The product is being made by Turner Access at its Glasgow factory. “This gives us complete control over manufacture and, in particular, quality. “We can also ramp up production easily to meet peaks in demand, which would be much more difficult if we were having to import the components.” Indeed, the company has already added extra production capacity to cope.
0141 309 5555
www.turner-access.co.uk
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