Nationwide Platforms chosen for Heathrow project

The £750 million project to build a new satellite pier (T2B) at London's Heathrow airport will see Nationwide Platforms, the UK rental division of the Lavendon Group, providing all equipment for working at height.

Nationwide will initially supply more than 150 access platforms and will continue to provide equipment to both Balfour Beatty and its subcontractors for the two years remaining of the project. This will include a broad range of access equipment for working at height between 5m and 45m.

Balfour Beatty chose Nationwide to provide powered access and a range of additional safety equipment. This includes the SkySiren anti-entrapment solution, which will be fitted to the majority of on-site boom lifts.

Nationwide will also be supply its range of CE marked material handling attachments (MHAs). These are designed to promote safe and effective material handling at height by removing manual handling risks and also avoiding materials being rested on the handrails.

PIN activated key pads designed to prevent unauthorised users gaining access to the equipment will also be fitted where required.

Nationwide Platforms will also be providing an on-site facility where equipment will be accessible for immediate use. This is designed to reduce transport costs and improve on-site efficiency. There will also be an on-site management team, including full time engineers, to ensure best use of the equipment and on-site specialist training, including "Toolbox Talks" dealing with any site specific working at height issues.

As part of Lavendon's own corporate responsibility goals, Nationwide Platforms will be working to reduce the environmental impact of the project, with transport targets designed to help make the work as environmentally friendly as possible.

Balfour Beatty project director, Keith Cannin said, "At Balfour Beatty we do all we can to ensure that safe working is the main priority on all of our projects. Nationwide Platforms will help us achieve this by providing a range of innovative answers to our working at height challenges. This includes the SkySiren anti-entrapment solution being fitted to appropriate machines, Material handling attachments (MHAs) being made available to ourselves and our sub-contractors, onsite IPAF training delivery for powered access operators and managers, and the unique SkySentry system for preventing unauthorised machine usage.

"Nationwide Platforms are also helping us reach the highest levels in productivity, with on-site management to help manage our powered access requirements, as well as offering 24/7 engineering support. Overall, Nationwide Platforms has taken major steps to help us reach the demands that a project of this stature requires, with a tailored approach to finding the best practice methods for all the work at height taking place on this site."