Accountant

The Benson Weir footway closure on the River Thames is more than just an inconvenience for Thames Path walkers; it signals a major, necessary infrastructure renovation by the Environment Agency. When a critical structure like this needs serious repair—driven by corrosion and impact damage—the priority shifts entirely to safety, efficiency, and project continuity. At SafeSmart Access, we’re proud to have supported this vital UK project by providing the high-level, adaptable access equipment required to get the job done safely. The Access Challenge Repairing a weir is a complex operation. It involves working over water, on uneven banks, with constantly changing water levels, and around heavy construction plant. This environment demands access solutions that are quick to deploy, highly stable, and versatile enough to handle every stage of the renovation. To meet the site’s needs, SafeSmart delivered a suite of robust, UK-compliant systems: AdjustaStairs:  The riverbanks and excavations created constantly changing vertical access needs. Our self-levelling, AdjustaStairs provided instant, safe, 45-degree stairway access to and from different levels on the site. This eliminated the use of less-safe ladders, ensuring workers could carry tools and equipment with both hands securely. Safeloaders:  Heavy vehicles are essential for delivering materials and removing debris. Our SafeLoaders were deployed to provide secure, mobile access to the flatbeds of trucks. This eliminated the dangerous practice of climbing onto vehicles, protecting workers from falls during loading, unloading and inspection processes. Podium Platforms:  For lower-level, stationary work—from detailed inspections to light maintenance tasks—our Super Maintenance Podium Platforms provided a fully guarded. This collective protection ensures workers are safe, stable, and productive without needing to rely on time-consuming personal fall arrest systems for simple tasks. Pedestrian Bridges:  Crossing small excavations or gaps in temporary works can pose a major trip and fall hazard. Our Pedestrian Bridge solutions ensured a clearly

The project is a dynamic mixed-use hub, introducing 165 new residential units above the existing roofline while integrating retail and employment spaces on the lower levels. Alongside these structural additions, the development will enhance the public realm, improve accessibility, and strengthen community connections within the Bermondsey area. With such a complex, multi-level design, ensuring safe and efficient access at every stage became a critical challenge. When it comes to complex steel-frame structures, maintaining mobility across beams often poses significant on-site difficulties. This was precisely the case, where restricted space and a low, 5-foot working height rendered traditional access solutions unworkable. At first, the team attempted to navigate around the beams, but it quickly became clear that this approach wouldn’t be practical. They needed something smarter — a faster, safer, and more adaptable alternative. That’s where our modular stepovers made all the difference. The Challenge Traditionally, scaffold setups were used to access elevated steelwork. However, assembling scaffolding on site is time-consuming, requires significant space, and demands regular inspections and sign-offs. On this project, early design choices had already consumed more room than expected, leaving the team with little flexibility. With the site in constant progress , it became clear that a more adaptable and efficient solution was needed. The Solution : Modular Stepover with Wheel Adaptation Working with Severfield, one of the UK’s leading structural steel specialists, the team introduced Stepovers’ to streamline access across the steel frame. These lightweight, modular units are designed for quick installation and effortless movement across beams. The idea was simple yet effective: the team could lift the Stepover on one side and use fitted wheels to slide it smoothly across the beams. This eliminated the need to dismantle and rebuild traditional scaffolds every time work progressed along the structure.  *Our system complies with BS EN