Bespoke stepover platforms for a changing site

Location: Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
Products: Stepover platforms

Building 2 of Canterbury Christ Church University presents several large air conditioning units that require regular maintenance. Due to their size and number however, the units were difficult to access, making maintenance a tedious and potentially unsafe task. Our bespoke stepover platforms now ensure that workers can access, repair and service the units efficiently and, more importantly, safely.

The project involved the design, supply and installation of 9 custom step-ups.

Assessing the fall protection needs

We identified the following aspects:

Large AC units that would need servicing regularly

The site presented a series of very large air units that would need navigating around for maintenance purposes. The only way this could be achieved was through the design of an obstacle-free, walkable area. The 9 platforms we proposed would tackle large pipework and other obstructions present on the roof, allowing maintenance teams to do their job safely.

Platform installation needing completion on a working site

The roof of the Canterbury Christ Church University was a continuously changing site when the main contractors got in touch with us, as works for installing and servicing AC units were being carried out. This meant that the measurements of the stepovers needed revising a few times during the project. The platforms are not adjustable by design but, being modular, they can be modified to accommodate a change in requirements.

Addressing the fall protection requirements

Our team initially organised a remote site survey, given the Government restrictions on CoVID 19 at the time. We were also presented with a few drawings of the roof and some ‘before’ photos which helped us design the stepover units.

Before photo for one of the roof areas that needed a safe access solution

After photo for one of the roof areas that needed a safe access solution

Working with our technical team, we designed 9 bespoke platforms and, before production, sent over the drawings to our customer for approval.

The entire roof is now safe to work on and maintenance teams can access and service it anytime needed.

Each platform was specially designed to fit various areas of the roof.

Some would act as bridges over the AC units:

Others allowed for access to the top of the AC units:

Some platforms helped navigate over large pipes:

While others allowed access to various entrance points to the site:

On this busy site, the installation of platforms took less than 15 days. This timeframe also took into account the change in requirements that occurred for some of the units. Our team scheduled the installation being mindful of other works being carried out on the roof at the same time.

In the end, the servicing teams now have a safe and easy way of accessing the units, minimising the risks of falling or injuring themselves.

If you are looking for a bespoke roof step-over to ensure that all maintenance tasks are carried out safely, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.

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