Safe Access

Ajax Safe Access have been busy in Hartlepool this month installing a staircase, platform and Righthite Step Unit construction for OMYA.

A leading global producer of industrial minerals and a worldwide distributor of specialty chemical, OMYA need to have efficient equipment to aid their daily processing procedures.

With various top loading tankers travelling to and from their Hartlepool location, OMYA required a safe access platform to access their tankers for maintenance and other loading uses.

From the OMYA specification, the Ajax team chose the Ajax Righthite Pneumatic Step Unit MK2, which was installed onto a double flight staircase and working platform.

With space being a premium at this location, the staircase construction was formed with a half landing for it to ‘dog-leg’ back on itself – reducing the floor space coverage.

Once installed, the Step Unit was tested for performance and signed off. Today, it is working daily with various tanker heights providing all-round protection for operatives working at height.

OMYA were very happy with the service and quality of manufacture and installation they are already looking to use similar Ajax products at their Amsterdam location.

Ajax Safe Access have recently taken their standard Roll Over Pallet Gate Barrier and made an important modification to meet the clients bespoke specification.

With limited space between the opening of their mezzanine and the doorway where the loading and unloading of goods will be transported through, Ajax designed one side of their Pallet Gate construction to fold in on itself.

This unique space saving idea was tested in the Ajax manufacturing facility before being transported to the warehouse unit and installed.

Now installed, single pallet width loads can be easily loaded and unloaded onto the mezzanine with the confidence that every staff member working at height will be protected from falling.

After unloading the pallet, the operative can close the side gate to maximise their floor space to manoeuvre the pallet through the doorway while maintaining safety in the warehouse.

Standard Roll Over Pallet Gate in Action:

AJAX products are recognised globally for unparalleled British quality and precision so when Thor Quimicos of Mexico required a pneumatic actuator platform they knew where to turn to. Thor specialise in the production and supply of a wide range of biocides, flame retardants and personal care ingredients. They too are widely regarded as the market leader within their field and due to the nature of some of their products, safety is of the upmost importance during production.

AJAX have an ever increasing strong reputation for quality in supplying safe access systems for specialist industries. Here, our bespoke service allowed Thor to address a unique issue in their processing area. AJAX created a pneumatic lifting system to provide access to an industrial dyer in their facility in Mexico.

Once drawings were approved, the engineers at AJAX created a platform with two actuators ensuring a strong and smooth motion. The steel supports and platform underwent a hot dipped galvanising process, followed by pre treatment and white paint to ensure every surface was able to handle the potentially toxic exposure in the factory. A built-in control panel allows for simple and efficient operation of the pneumatic actuators.

>  Dimensions: 3m Wide x 1.8m Depth.

Location of the pneumatic actuator within platform

Here the video illustrates the smooth operation of the platform during testing in our Nottingham based factory, prior to galvanising.

Platforms for Warburton’s Bakery

With thousands of product units being produced and distributed across the country every day it is imperative that the connection between manufacture and distribution is on point.

AJAX Safe Access has been working with Warburton’s Bakery Company to provide the necessary connection needed to move their quality product into transport in the most efficient way. Having already purchased a vast amount of the AJAX Droprite Bridging Platform before, AJAX was chosen once again to manufacture and install 16 more access platforms for their largest bakery in West Yorkshire.

The industrial access platforms are manufactured and constructed out of galvanised steel with an aluminium durbar tread plate for long lasting durability and many years of maintenance free operation, which is ideal for busy food industry environments.

For simple operation, each safe access bridging platform has a gas strut fitted to assist the operative moving the platform to and from the commercial vehicles.

As Warburton’s continue to expand, AJAX will be on hand as an approved supplier providing the company with the necessary access for their distribution demands.

AJAX Safe Access has been busy manufacturing a number of Righthite Step Units for top loading tanker access with bespoke cage designs that are significantly larger than the standard AJAX safety cage. This new cage design is in place to protect workers in the hazardous and high level environments where they will be operating. The increased working area supplied by the cage allows the operator to move along the entire length of the tanker without the risk of falls from height.

The Step Units were constructed from mild steel and then galvanised for long lasting durability in harsh external environments. To compensate for the extra weight of the bespoke cages, AJAX fitted their pneumatics system to each Step Unit, which allowed the operator to have full control over the movement of the Units at all times.

The standard AJAX Righthite Step Units come in a range of sizes and tread widths to suit the variations of tanker and platform heights. The option of a Mobile Unit is also available for flexibility and increased manoeuvrability.

AJAX Safe Access has been busy manufacturing a number of bespoke mobile access units to protect workers in hazardous and high level environments operating around railway lines. The company Amey approached AJAX with the task of fabricating a giant mobile access platform and three smaller mobile maintenance platforms to assist with cement top loading into railway tankers and electrifications maintenance.

Amey works with public and regulated sector clients to help create better places to live, work, and travel. With the same working outlook, AJAX accepted the project and began fabricating the units at their UK manufacturing site in Nottingham. Once built, the main platform stood a huge 4.5m tall becoming the largest mobile access platform fabricated by AJAX to date. All of the platforms on the units were tested to 200kg and specially manufactured toeing hitches installed for forklift trucks or other operating vehicles to manoeuvre the mobile units with ease.

Due to the size of the main unit, it was constructed in sections for better transportation. The mild steel units were sent to be fully galvanised protecting them in harsh environments and then transported to the railway site where they were fully assembled ready for use.

Photograph (left) demonstrating the size of the mobile platform compared to the size of our male workshop fabricator

This month, AJAX Safe Access has launched their brand new Safe Access Technical Brochure. Hosted on our website, the brochure can be viewed in our turn page software or downloaded to your device to use on the move.

The new brochure features the latest innovations in safe access systems within a variety of industries providing safer working environments to eliminate falls from height.

The standard AJAX Safe Access range consists of fall prevention measures that assist operatives in their daily working environments.

Mezzanine floors with various heights can benefit from the AJAX roll over pallet gates and heavy duty, swing arm, platform safety gates. These provide the operative with all-round protection when loading and unloading.

Road and rail tankers can benefit from the AJAX tanker access platforms and mobile access platforms, which provide safe working environments at various heights.

AJAX has the knowledge and expertise to provide a solution to your problem, utilising their design and fabrication resources, and meeting your bespoke requirements.

Safety is a priority in the marine travel industry and daily maintenance of ferry components is crucial. Recently, AJAX got called up to produce a double platform access unit for the docks in Dover. The platform will be installed underneath the ferry drive-on ramps to maintain the ramp hydraulics of every ferry that comes into port.

Surrounded by the daily rigors of a harsh marine environment, the logical choice was to construct the access unit out of aluminium. Along with its corrosive resistant properties, the aluminium construction reduces the overall weight of the unit significantly whilst maintaining a substantial amount of structural strength. As the double platforms of the access unit are to be operated manually by the maintenance team, the reduced weight allows each platform to be moved with ease without the need of pneumatics that, in the harsh conditions, could cause maintenance issues.

The secret of the success of the access unit is the custom-made wheels that assist the platform sliders, these were fabricated with stainless steel bearings and polyurethane wheels. Together, these two components create a wheel ideally suited to the harsh environment; specifically designed to resist corrosion. To complete the construction of the access unit, the moving platforms and the stationary base have glass reinforced plastic (GRP) floor gratings; these provide the operator with a solid, impact resistant surface from which to carry out all maintenance procedures.

AJAX Safe Access has now produced many manual and pneumatic moving platforms with all-round protection providing bespoke safe access solutions for specific situations.

The AJAX Safe Access team has been busy this month manufacturing four bespoke pneumatic linear moving drop platforms for a company that will use them in a recycling area that is part of their new Greener Energy Policy.

The new pneumatic safety platforms will be positioned in-line with their ‘Discharge Booth’, where large screw feeds operate taking disposed recycled waste away. The platforms will provide the operator with a safe working zone over the screw feeds, allowing access the rear doors of vehicles parked in the ‘Discharge Booth’.

View new Bespoke Pneumatic Linear Moving Drop Platform in Operation

When a vehicle is stationary in the ‘Discharge Booth’ an air-curtain seals the rear of the vehicle preventing dust exposure to surrounding workers. The ‘Discharge Booth’ doors can then be opened, allowing the pneumatic platform to be extracted into the booth area and dropped down with assisted gas struts allowing safe access to the rear of the vehicle. Once the vehicle doors are open, the platform is retracted and the booth doors shut. The disposal of the recycled waste from the vehicle is assisted by a conveyor belt. Whilst the recycled waste is being emptied into the screw feeds, the ‘Discharge Booth’ remains sealed, protecting surrounding workers from dust and debris. On completion of the task, the pneumatic platform can be used to inspect the vehicle and close its doors.

The Pneumatic Drop Platform in stationary position (left) and in operation inside the ‘Discharge Booth’ (right) creating a platform over the screw feeds.

As part of the company’s Greener Energy Policy, the recycled waste will be used to help fuel their current operations and reduce their use of non-renewable energy sources.

The AJAX Team has been busy producing its safe access products for many clients this month, in particular the AJAX Mobile Steps. The Mobile Unit is lightweight and designed for tanker loading areas where floor space is restricted.

To help demonstrate the operation and capability of the AJAX Mobile Step Unit we have produced a simple video of it in action.