AJ Access Platforms sends Genie's to Antartic

A J Access Platforms Ltd has supplied the British Antarctic Survey with two specially adapted Genie Z60/34 articulating booms for its Halley VI project located at the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica .

The machines were purchased by Morrison Construction, which has the contract to build the new accommodation pods and workstations at Halley. The booms are fitted with snow tracks, have hostile environment kits fitted and have specialist grade oils. The machines arrived mid-December on the RSS Ernest Shackleton from Cape Town. It was here in 1985 that scientists first found evidence of O-Zone depletion in the stratosphere above Antarctica and while atmospheric research is the primary focus, work in geology and glaciology is carried out as well.

There are 70 personnel living and working over the summer months and around 16 over winter. These include chefs, doctors, scientists and engineers. The machines are being put to use for up to 10 hours per day and are checked twice daily by the engineers.