The Challenge
The A14 A Road Project in South Cambridgeshire continues on, with engineering contractor joint Venture Costain Skanska (CSJV) having been awarded the job in 2015. And as it rolls on, CSJV are keeping an eye on efficiency and safety on the site daily.
To maintain the project’s delivery deadline, CSJV looked for more efficient ways for workers to gain access to heights onto machinery and into excavations. For this, they engaged with London-based work platform designer and manufacturer, SafeSmart Access.
The Solution
All along the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme, trucks and plant equipment are moving about frequently – shifting earth and making deliveries. And without the benefit of permanent loading docks and the like, SafeSmart provided a whole suite of loading and maintenance platforms over the last twelve months – 6-step portable truck access stairs (an adapted version of SafeSmart’s AdjustaStairs) for safe fall-proof unloading, as well as AdjustaStairs for safe and quick access to trenches and excavations.
In fact, many of SafeSmart’s ‘off the shelf’ products can be seen across the site, including their Super Maintenance Platforms in 6, 7 and 9-step models for access onto gantries and culverts. CSJV chose the models with the self-closing salon door to add more fall protection and to give workers a free hand for tools and the like.
The Result
SafeSmart’s Stefan Gould has seen their products add value to the project immediately.
“We’re getting great feedback from Costain and Skanska,” says Stefan, “and really, there was no custom platform manufacturing needed; based on their effectiveness in similar projects in the past, we keep making these products because they suit this type of project repeatedly; they are always on hand for delivery across the UK, Ireland and Europe.”
According to Highways England, completion date and full reopening to traffic on the A14 will occur sometime in 2020.
