Large access platforms help to boost safety
October 1st 2004

Four large access platform lifts from Britannia form part of a rail carriage production line at the Derby site of Bombardier Transportation.

The lifts measure 11.5 by 1.2m and are housed in two parallel 23m long pits with a 3m gap between them creating two continuous workplatforms. Rail carriages are lowered into the gap by crane.

To ensure that workers have safe access to the extremities of each carriage, each lift has a stroke of 2m and a safe working load of 500kg UDL.

Dave Douglas, sales engineer, comments: ‘The lifts run end-to-end to enable workers to walk the full length of each carriage and can move independently as well as simultaneously. Several safety features have been incorporated.

‘For example, when two adjoining lifts are to be used as a single 23m long work platform, the safety barriers between them can only be removed if the lifts are safely aligned.’