13.01.2005

One of UK’s biggest scissors put to work

Nationwide Access has supplied one of the UK’s tallest scissor lift to Donkin Roofing for cladding work on a 25-metre high steel framed bay pallet storage warehouse at Tilbury Docks. Donkin Roofing hired-in the 28-metre reach, 16-tonne diesel powered Liftlux LL26X, after deciding against the use of scaffolding for the project.

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Liftlux LL26X.

“This method would have been costly and restricted site operations,” said site manager, Max Ristic. “Driven at crawling speed and stabilised by outriggers once lifting begins, the Liftlux machine coped easily with ground conditions around the Tilbury warehouse site – mainly compacted hardcore.”

“The Liftlux is strong enough to lift one tonne safely and we are working with gangs of three men and using the scissors to lift 10-15 seven metre-squared corrugated metal cladding panels at a time, which we load onto the working platform using a telescopic forklift,” said Mr Ristic. “We are using the Liftlux for any fixing above a height of 21 metres.” Below this height, Donkin Roofing is using a combination of shorter reach scissors lifts, the smallest of which is still capable of extending to a respectable 18 metres.

Nationwide Access is one of only a few UK hire firms to stock the LL26X, “but in this instance the premium was well worth it,” said Mr Ristic. “Using the Liftlux made the job cheaper in the long run especially in terms of saving time. If we had used scaffolding the job would have taken 25 per cent longer and we would have had to employ more people, so in terms of flexibility, cost and time the powered access solution earned its own keep.”