Forestry Access Forestry Access

June July 2006 Vol. 8 issue 5 

Forestry 

Access 

Industrial 

Lifting & Access 

Loader 

Cranes 

2006 

UK/Ireland 

Dealer & Source Guide 

The LARGEST UK CIRCULATION of any lifting equipment magazine 

www.vertikal.net 

£8

On the 

cover: 

A Valla TX35 rubber tracked, 

pick and carry crawler crane, 

proves to be ideal for refinery 

maintenance tasks, such 

as replacing pumps and 

turbine fans. 

16 

23 

56 

Lorry Loaders 

Micro lifts 

Forestry Lifts 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Cranes & Access is published eight times a year 

and is available on payment of an annual subscription of £40.00. 

If you wish to subscribe, please send a crossed cheque made 

payable to The Vertikal Press Ltd to: Subscriptions, The Vertikal 

Press, PO Box 6998, Brackley, Northants NN13 5WY. Address 

changes should also be sent to this address. Please include the 

address label from a recent issue with all correspondence and allow 3 

months for changes to be effective. 

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT: 

www.vertikal.net/en/journal_subscription.php 

BULK DISCOUNTS: These are available to companies wishing to 

take out multiple subscriptions. Please contact the subscriptions 

manager for more details. 

Tel: +44 (0)8707 740436 Fax:+44 (0)1295 768223 

E-mail: info@vertikal.net 

Kran & Bühne: The Vertikal Press also publishes a German 

magazine which deals with the same issues as Cranes & Access, 

but is written for German users and buyers. Details available 

on request. 

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information 

published in Cranes & Access, the Editor and Publisher can accept 

no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. Views expressed in 

articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect 

those of the Editor or Publisher. Material published in Cranes & 

Access is protected under international copyright law and may not 

be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. 

Comment 5 

News 6 

Quigley becomes 

Quigley, UpRight to move 

production to the UK,Liebherr 

starts telehandler production, John 

Deere quits telehandler market, Fork Rent enters 

access market, Platform company place £30 

million order with Genie, Terex discloses spec 

on AC100-4 how does it stack up?, Liebherr 

to launch new 130 tonne five axle AT, Vanson 

launches trapezoidal topless tower crane, 

new mini cranes from Imai, Leith Docks fined 

£200,000, Allan Access introduces a 20 

metre boom on a Ford Transit. 

Lorry Loaders 16 

Mark Darwin finds out more about 

Travis Perkins and how it manages its fleet 

of over 1,000 cranes. Plus a roundup 

of what’s new on the market. 

Lighter, Smaller, 

Cheaper 23 

We look at the market for the smallest self 

propelled lifts, designed for work in the most 

compact areas and to travel in the smallest 

elevators. With mast type lift mechanisms 

which is best, aluminium or steel?. 

Its Plant Shutdown 

time 28 

Our annual review 

of access and lifting 

products and methods for 

the annual manufacturing 

plant shutdown period. We include job reports 

on some challenging machinery removals and 

installations in restricted headroom situations. 

The 2006 C&A 

UK/Ireland dealer 

and source guide 35 

Our eight page pull out dealer guide provides 

a comprehensive listing of suppliers of all 

types of access and lifting equipment. 

In the next C&A 

Top 20 yes it is our annual top 20 UK/Ireland crane, access 

and telehandler rental companies. Entry forms will be emailed 

and faxed out in late July. Alternative and heavy lifting and 

truck and van mounts, plus the 2006 Vertikal Check, this 

years 15/16m spider lifts. 

c&a 

contents 

Face to Face 43 

Pam Penny visits Bob 

Francis crane hire and talks 

to Bob and Mark Francis 

about the company’s new 

Manitowoc 8500E. 

SED 45 

This year the UK’s big equipment show, SED, 

opened the doors to its 40th show at a new 

location in Corby, We present some of the 

highlights in our three page review. 

Peter Oram 

1937 – 2006 52 

Access for 

Forestry work 56 

Mark Darwin talks to tree surgeons and 

learns how the increasing use of powered 

access is making the work faster and safer, 

but also how a lack of guidance is causing 

accidents with the equipment. 

For the Record 63 

How Bovis Lend Lease helped 

improve tower crane safety in the UK 

regulars 

Innovations 51 

ALLMI focus 53 

Training 55 

Letters 60 

IPAF Focus 61 

Web links 64 

What’s on/ 

event guide 65 

June July 2006 cranes & access 

3

cranes 

&access 

For users & buyers of lifting equipment 

The Vertikal Press 

PO box 6998 Brackley NN13 5WY. UK 

Tel: +44(0)8707 740436 Fax: +44(0)1295 768223 

email: info@vertikal.net 

web: www.vertikal.net 

In Germany: 

Vertikal Verlag 

Sundgaualle 15, D-79114, 

Freiburg, Germany 

Tel: 0761 8978660 Fax: 0761 8866814 

email: info.vertikal@t-online.de 

web: www.vertikal.net 

Germany, Scandinavia, 

Austria and Switzerland 

Karlheinz Kopp, Vertikal Verlag, 

Sundgaualle 15,D-79114, Freiburg, Germany 

Tel: +49 (0)761 89786615 

Fax:+49 (0)761 8866814 

email: khk@vertikal.net 

Italy 

Fabio Potestà, Mediapoint, 

Corte Lambruschini, 

Corso Buenos Aires 8, V Piano-Interno 7, 

I-16129 Genova, Italy 

Tel: 010 570 4948 Fax: 010 553 0088 

email: mediapointsrl.it 

The Netherlands 

Hans Aarse 

39 Seringenstraat, 3295 RN, 

S-Gravendeel, The Netherlands 

Tel:+31-78 673 4007 Mobile:+31(0) 630421042 

email: jfwaarse@planet.nl 

UK and all other areas 

Pam Penny 

PO box 6998 Brackley NN13 5WY. UK 

Tel: +44(0)8707 740436 

email: pp@vertikal.net 

Design & Artwork by: 

bp design Ltd. 

Tel: 01707 642141 Fax: 01707 646806 

email: studio@bpdesign.info 

ISSN: 1467-0852 

© Copyright The Vertikal Press Limited 2006 

The Vertikal Press also publishes: 

June July 2006 Vol. 8 issue 5 

Editors: 

Leigh Sparrow 

Mark Darwin 

Associate Editors: 

Ian Boughton 

Rüdiger Kopf 

Alexander Ochs 

Sales & customer support: 

Pam Penny 

Karlheinz Kopp 

Production: 

Nicole Engesser 

Publisher: 

Leigh Sparrow 

The Vertikal Press Ltd. 

MEMBERS OF 

Letters, emails, faxes and 

phone calls are welcome and 

should be sent to: 

The Editor, 

cranes & access, 

PO Box 6998, Brackley 

NN13 5WY, UK 

Tel: +44(0)8707 740436 

Fax: +44(0)1295 768223 

email: editor@vertikal.net 

Zealots are not helping 

Few in the lifting world would disagree with 

the notion that safety is far and away the 

most important aspect of what we do. 

Yet there are still way too many accidents 

that could be prevented and at the recent 

crane safety conference Bryan Cronie of 

Mammoet said: “Contractors are only interested in the cheapest price” and 

that “competitive tendering for work is the base of the evil”. 

Cranes & Access takes serious issue with this statement. No one wants an 

unsafe site because no contractor can afford the price of an accident. No matter 

how much is saved on a heavy lift contract or on the hire rates paid for equipment, 

it pales into utter insignificance compared with the cost of an accident. 

We believe that elements within the safety industry are now guilty of slowing 

up improvements in site safety in the western world. There are many passionate 

and effective people involved in safety; and make no mistake about it, it is a 

big business these days. However, it seems that among them are a good 

number of misguided zealots who are influential way beyond their number. 

Instead of encouraging the wider adoption of safe practices and working with 

contractors, rental companies and equipment manufacturers in a positive and 

practical way, the zealots seem driven by a mission to write new rules and 

catch people out. Rather like the policeman who hides in the bushes to catch 

a speeding car rather than making the road a safer place by slowing traffic 

at black spots. 

Some examples? 

• Excessive paperwork: Cronie referred to two identical lifts, one in Canada 

with a 12-page method statement, while the one in the UK was 

151 pages long. One was written for the zealots and rear-end cover, 

while the other, simpler one, was there to help ensure a safe lift. 

• Impractical lengths for basic operator courses, five or six days, when two or 

three might be more than sufficient, so fewer people receive proper training. 

• Slavish adoption of high-visibility “safety” measures such as fluorescent 

jackets and helmets, which can distract from higher risk issues. 

• Misguided regulators who consume valuable committee time to push 

non-issues such as drop bar gates on aerial lifts, rather than tackling real 

issues such as harness wearing on boom lifts or removing overload 

devices on scissor lifts. 

The zealots not only fail to make the world a safer place, but they can bring 

safety rules into disrepute and create an unholy alliance of employees and 

employers against safety officers. 

This is a subject way too big for this comment page, we will be covering 

this in more detail in future issues, please send us your views to 

“Stop the Zealots” c/o lws@vertikal.net 

Leigh W Sparrow 

c&a 

comment 


5

news c&a 

The first glimpse at the Liebherr 

TL435-13 telehandler to be 

launched at Bauma 2007 

First Liebherr 

Telehandlers shipped 

Following an extended test and 

evaluation period, Liebherr has started 

producing and shipping its first telescopic 

handlers within what it considers to be 

its domestic market area of Germany, 

Switzerland and Austria. Up to 60 

Liebherr TL4 series of telescopic 

handlers are currently at work. The TL4 

is the first model range or family, in 

what has been a long expected entry 

In an interview with a Japanese 

industrial magazine, the president 

of Aichi discussed future plans to 

significantly expand its overseas 

market shareing Include a five fold 

increase in European and North 

American sales, aiming to reach or 

exceed sales of 28.5 billion yen 

($250/€200/£135 million) by 2011. 

The company has also said that 

it will be looking to add production 

facilities in North America 

and Europe. 

Outside its home market Aichi, 

concentrates its efforts on selling its 

ultra high quality track and wheel 

mounted self propelled straight boom 

6 

cranes & access June July 2006 

by Liebherr into this market. The series 

will have three regular models with 

two 10 metre models and a 13 metre 

with capacities of 3,500 and 4,200 kgs. 

A 10 metre, 4,500 kg industrial model, 

the TL4 45/10, will also be available. 

The official international launch 

of the TL4 series is likely to be 

at Bauma, in Munich next spring. 

Aichi aims for 500% 

growth in USA and Europe 

lifts. While the company commands 

a premium price for its boom lifts, 

it has quietly secured a surprisingly 

large share of the market, thanks to 

a standard five year warranty and 

low ownership costs. 

Aichi’s scissor lifts in Japan, have 

largely not suited the European 

market and have been more 

expensive than the market will bear. 

However the interview indicates that 

the company is preparing to launch 

a new range of products, including 

articulated booms and scissor lifts, 

targeted at the European and North 

American markets. It says that the 

units will be priced competitively 

with local products. 

As part of its mid term plan which 

began this year, Aichi has opened a 

new sales office in the USA and it is 

relocating its European manger Yasua 

Saito from Japan to its European 

base, south of Breda in Holland. Aichi 

management declined to comment or 

add to the points raised in the interview. 

Aichi intends to break out into 

the wider aerial lift market. 

Quigley and Quigley 

On May 12th Quigley United 

Kingdom Ltd, the highly leveraged 

UK crane hirer, finally appointed 

an administrator following weeks 

of rumours. Within what might 

have been a mere nanosecond; 

the business was purchased by 

Quigley UK Lifting Services, with 

exactlt the same owners and 

directors, Shaun and Gary Quigley. 

The administrator, initially Mathew 

Colin Bowker and S Payne and then 

later Brendan Hogan all of Unity 

Business Services LLP of Bolton 

Lancashire, said in a letter to creditors 

“The purpose of the appointment is 

to achieve a better result for the 

company’s creditors as a whole 

than if the company were wound up” 

How an obviously pre-agreed sale 

works in any creditor’s favour has 

never been explained. 

The flagship of the Quigley fleet, the 700 tonne Terex Demag AC700SSL, dubbed 

the 850 tonne AC2100 by Quigley, is the last machine to be sold. As of the first 

week of July, Terex Demag was in discussions with a number of buyers. 

Lavendon adds A.M.P 

The Lavendon group, owner of Nationwide Access and Europe’s largest 

powered access rental company, added a third regional rental company 

to its portfolio in June, snapping up Taunton based A.M.P. The company 

was owned by chairman Mike Boyle and his family, Paul Onslow and 

managing director Andy Pearson. As with Panther platform rentals and 

Kestral were acquired in February, the managers will remain in place 

and continue to operate under the A.M.P brand. 

A.M.P has a fleet of 525 units, four locations, in Taunton, Liskeard, Gloucester 

and Poole - a location it acquired from Newlins - and 57 staff. 

Revenues through 31 August 2005 were £4.8 million with a pre tax profit of 

£1 million. It has gross assets of £6.3 million and net assets of £2.6 million. 

Revenues for the past 12 months are up to £4.9 million with a pre tax profit 

of £600,000. 

Lavendon paid £3 million in cash for the business with an extra £300,000 to 

£2.6 million in cash available dependent on A.M.P’s performance over the next 

two years. In addition Lavendon assumed A.M.P’s net debt of £2.8 million, 

making the deal worth £5.8 million up front and £7.4 million if the management 

team can achieve the pre agreed results over the next 24 months. 

A.M.P, like Panther, was a very active member of the Access Link, the association 

of regional access hirers that work together to provide a national coverage of 

consistent quality. 

Mike Boyle and Andy 

Pearson of AMP will 

manage the business 

under Lavendon 

ownership 

Most, if not all of Quigley’s cranes 

were heavily financed and were 

quickly repossessed thanks to the 

buoyant market for used cranes. 

This has left the new company 

struggling but still pressing on. 

Questions have since been raised 

concerning a number of transactions 

between the old Quigley and the new. 

The Quigley’s have a long boom and 

bust history in the crane business. 

Their father Jimmy Quigley ran 

Overmile Crane Hire, Jubilee Crane 

Hire, Dixons Crane Hire and then 

Dixons Universal Crane Hire which 

was acquired by Baldwins in the 

mid 90’s. The two sons initially 

joined Baldwins but did not stay 

long. Instead they teamed up with 

Roger Taylor and David Symon, 

where they honed their skills.

Kranlyft enters the rental market 

Kranlyft, the Maeda and Kato cranes distributor across Europe, has entered 

the UK mini crane rental market. The company is starting off with 10 or 11 

new cranes and has appointed Alan Peck as general manager of its hire 

division. Peck was previously with Speedy Hire’s, lifting division. 

Peck told C&A that the company hoped to have between 15 and 20 units in 

the fleet by the end of the year. The move into rental will coincide with the 

company’s move to a new purpose built,1,350 square metre facility in Avonmouth. 

Kranlyft has also appointed Caledonian Cranes of Glasgow and Aberdeen, 

as its distributor for Scotland. John Stalker of Caledonian said that it plans 

to follow Kranlyft's new strategy, both renting and selling mini cranes. 

Full story see www.vertikal.net 

Fork Rent, the Ipswich based 

telehandler rental company, 

that ordered 1,000 new JCB 

telehandlers in April, has 

purchased 25 Manitou rough 

terrain boom lifts for its fleet, 

through Russon access, the 

ManiAccess dealer. Most units 

are the 521ft platform height 

180ATJ, model fully equipped 

with articulating jib, four wheel 

drive and four wheel steer. 

Guy Nicholls managing director of 

Fork Rent said that it had frequent 

requests from its customers for 

aerial lifts and had decided that 

now was a good time to enter the 

market. He said that most of the 

company’s customers needed 

heavy duty rough terrain equipment. 

Chairman Trudi Nicholls told C&A 

that the company had found 

Russon Access to be an easy 

company to deal with a good 

attitude. She also said that the 

booms were going out on hire as 

fast as they were being delivered. 

Alan Peck 

and Terry 

Marnock of 

Kranlyft UK 

with John 

Stalker of 

Caledonian 

Cranes 

Fork Rent enters access market 

Alan Russon (R) with Guy 

Nicholls of Fork Rent, 

and one of 

its 180ATJ 

boom lifts 

......And the 

crane market. 

In addition to the access market, 

Fork Rent is dipping its toe in the 

self erecting tower crane market 

with the purchase of a single FB 

Gru self erector from Hos plant. 

The unit was on display at the 

recent SED show. 

c&a 

John Deere is to withdraw from 

the telehandler market and has 

announced that its Zweibrücken 

factory in Germany will discontinue 

the manufacture of telescopic 

handlers, at the end of October 2006. 

The company says that the 

Zweibrücken factory will continue 

its role as the company’s European 

centre for the design, manufacture 

and support of harvesting 

equipment. 

The company's decision, it says, 

follows a detailed assessment of 

worldwide market conditions and 

the business environment, as well 

as consideration of potential 

alternatives. It will not affect 

permanent employment at the 

Zweibrücken factory or at other 


news 

John Deere is 

quitting the 

telehandler market. 

John Deere pulls out of Telehandlers 

John Deere factories supplying 

telescopic handler components. 

John Deere and its dealers will 

continue to provide customers with 

full parts and product support for 

current and previous telescopic 

handlers, including both 3000 

and 4000 Series models. Further 

information on the decision has 

been limited, but it seems that the 

company has no plans to try and 

sell the product designs or to 

badge another manufacturer’s 

products as its own. John Deere 

failed to capture any significant 

share of the telehandler market, 

and is understood to have been 

loosing money on every one sold. 

Its greatest success was in the 

UK, but even here, market share 

percentages barely registered. 

7

news c&a 

James Ainscough (L) and Lorraine Lockie-Gorvins prepare to launch the balloon 

race for ‘Go Yellow’ day. 

Ainscough goes Yellow 

Ainscough Crane Hire’s Manchester depot was contacted by St Ann’s 

Hospice and Stockport based law firm Gorvins Solicitors to provide a crane 

for their yearly fund raising campaign ‘Go Yellow’. Every June the hospice 

encourages local businesses to ‘Go Yellow’ for the day to raise money to 

help fund the Manchester Hospice. This year, St Ann’s thought that a shiny 

yellow Ainscough Crane would be ideal for the launch of its balloon race. 

8 


Loxam takes on 

Spreeuwenberg 

Loxam the French based rental group, one of the largest two equipment 

rental companies in Europe, has purchased Rotterdam based 

access company, van Spreeuwenberg Hoogwerk Systemen B.V. 

Loxam declined to disclose how much it paid for the company. 

Spreeuwenberg, established in 1974 as a scaffold and ladder rental company 

know specialises in Alloy tower, ladder and aerial lift sales and rental. 

The company has six locations, four of which are sales and rental outlets, 

in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, Rotterdam and Zwolle. Its fleet is estimated to 

be around 800 to 900 units. 

Loxam now operates in eight countries, this will be its largest operation 

outside of France and replicates its UK/Irish business, where it is an 

access specialist rather than a general rental company. 

Certex to distribute Demag 

Certex UK has been appointed as a UK distributor for Demag Cranes 

and Components Ltd, (Overheads and hoists etc... not Terex-Demag 

mobiles) taking over the accounts of 300 smaller Demag customers. 

Certex will take over the supply of Demag products and spare parts 

to these customers. 

Demag will continue to supply its 

cranes, hoists and spares to its 

key account customers in the UK. 

See Vertikal.net for full story 

Tarik Alkhalil sales director of Demag 

UK.(L) with Charles Gillespie, sales 

and marketing director, Certex

Hiab’s Moffett Engineering has 

signed a license based cooperation 

agreement with Combilift Ltd, the 

fork lift company based in Clontibret, 

Ireland. The agreement covers 

‘know-how’ and gives Moffett the 

right to manufacture and sell a new 

telescopic ‘Telemount’ truck-mounted 

forklift developed by Combilift. 

Dubbed the ‘Moffett-Telemount’ it 

will be manufactured at Moffett’s 

Dundalk plant in Ireland and sold via 

Egi acquired 

Egi the specialist truck mounted aerial 

lift supplier, based in Northern France 

has been acquired by fire fighting 

vehicle specialist Gimaex. Gimaex owns 

Echelles Riffaud, the long-established 

manufacturer of fire ladders, along 

with Gicar which produces fire tender 

vehicles, largely for airport operations 

and Bemaex, a specialist producer of 

emergency vehicles and equipment. 

A Moffett rough terrain 

piggy-back fork lift 

Moffett to introduce piggy-back telescopic handler 

the Hiab-Moffett distribution network 

this autumn. 

The companies have also agreed 

on future Research & Development 

co-operation within the truck mounted 

forklift market. Hiab says that the 

agreement will strengthen its offering 

and know-how in truck-mounted forklifts. 

Moffett has also expanded production 

capacity with a new production facility 

at its Dundalk location. 

JCB doubles profits 

JCB has announced record sales and profits for its fiscal year 2005. The company 

produced 45,000 units, up 21 percent on 2004, while sales jumped by 23 percent 

to £1.42 billion. JCB says that during the year it moved up from fifth place, 

among the world’s construction equipment manufacturers, to fourth as its 

market share increased by a full percentage point to 9.6 percent. 

JCB is still a private company and as such does not release detailed financials, 

but it says that profits doubled, from £55 million in 2004 to £110 million in 2005. 

Demag IPO disappoints 

Demag Cranes initial public offering 

raised €235 million, substantially 

less than the €500 million that was 

predicted the week before its flotation. 

Just over half of the 16.9 million 

available shares were taken at €22 a 

share. It was thought they might reach 

€31. Demag’s owners, Kohlberg Kravis 

Roberts & Co. and Siemens AG planned 

to sell 70 percent of their shares. 

Ashtead achieves new records 

The Ashtead group, owner of Sunbelt Rentals and A-plant, and the world’s 

fourth largest rental company, has reported a record year in 2005/06. 

The company saw revenues rise by almost 22 percent, while pre-tax profits climbed 

by more than 250 percent to £81.7 million. The company says that if distortions and 

exceptionals are taken out of the equation ‘underlying profits’ more than tripled. 

…And George Burnett announces his retirement 

At the same time Ashtead CEO and joint founder of the Ashtead group, George 

Burnett (along with Peter Lewis) has announced that 

he will retire after his 60th birthday in September. 

His replacement has been named as Geoff Drabble, 

currently an executive director of The Laird Group. 

Burnett will work with Drabble until the end of the year. 

George Burnett, CEO of Ashtead 

will retire later this year 


9

news c&a 

MX19 Micro Scissor 

Superior Powered 

Access From The 

World’s Leading Experts 

The MX19 from UpRight Powered Access is the original microscissor 

lift and remains the professional’s choice the world over. 

This ultra-compact, self-propelled machine has an extremely 

tight turning circle - providing superb manoeuvrability, yet 

still offering a safe and effective working height of 8 metres. 

Standard features include non-marking tyres and a roll-out deck 

extension for extra platform space where it is really needed. 

Other features at no extra cost include: 

• One hand proportional controls 

for smooth operation 

• Power line to platform 

• Low battery voltage indicator 

• Warning horn 

Our commitment to innovation means the 

MX19 remains the original and still the best. 

10 

Sales: 

Tel: + 353 1 620 9343 

Fax: + 353 1 620 9301 


Spares & Parts: 

Tel +44 (0) 1952 685 200 

Fax +44 (0) 1952 685 255 

Headquarters: UpRight Powered Access, Tanfield Lea Industrial 

Estate North, Stanley, Co. Durham, DH9 9NX, U.K. 

Tel: +44 (0) 1207 521 111 Fax: +44 (0) 1207 523 355 

www.upright.com 

Platform Company 

spends £30 million 

on Genie 

The Platform Company 

has placed a £30 million 

order with Genie for 

new self propelled lifts. 

The order covers models 

from the GS1932, 19ft 

scissor lift up to the 

S125, 125ft straight boom. 

All diesel powered 

lifts will include on-board 

240v generators, 

providing users with a 

self-contained power 

source for tools and 

equipment. Deliveries 

under this ‘preferred 

supplier programme’ 

have already started. 

More big booms for 

Nationwide 

Nationwide has spent £1.3 million on 17 more big Genie booms. The 

machines which have already been delivered include three 85ft straight 

boom S85s, 10 number 80ft articulated boom Z80/60s and four Z135s - 

Genie’s largest self-propelled boom with a lift height of 135 feet. 

Light Hire 

joins 

Access Link 

The Platform Company 

has ordered over a 1,000 

new Genie aerial lifts 

A new Genie Z135/70 

arrives at Nationwide 

The Access Link, the UK 

association of independent 

powered access rental 

companies has agreed 

that AMP will leave the 

Link, now that it is part 

of the Lavendon group 

(see page 6). Light Hire 

Ltd, the Exeter based access rental company will replace AMP in the 

South West region, while other applications are being considered to 

fill gaps left by Panther’s departure in February.

Scaffold replaced with 

mast climbers 

All of the façade scaffold has 

been removed from the site of 

the massive scaffold collapse in 

April. The incident at the Jurys Inn 

site, in central Milton Keynes, 

injured three, one of whom died 

later in hospital. With up to 200 

men on the premises it could 

have been much much worse. 

After months of disruption as 

the HSE conducted a detailed 

investigation and the debris 

was cleared, the contractor has 

removed all of the scaffold and 

was last week installing a series 

of mast climbing work platforms. 

The Tanfield Group, which completed 

its acquisition of the UpRight powered 

access business on June 12th, has 

secured a £1.95 million grant from 

regional development agency 

One North East, to help fund a new 

production plant in the north east. 

The company has signed a long-term 

lease on Vigo 250, the former LG 

Electronics plant in Washington, 

Tyne and Wear. The facility is 

expected to generate around 400 

new jobs over the next three years. 

The facility is one of the largest in 

the region, with over 23,000 square 

metres (250,000 sq ft) under cover 

on a 15 acre (6 ha) site. 

The contract was initially scheduled for 

completion by the end of June, but as 

our photos show, it is still well away 

from completion. The cause of the collapse 

has resulted in much finger pointing 

and muck raking, until the HSE report 

we will not know for sure what caused it. 

Mast climbers 

are installed in place 

of façade scaffold in 

Milton Keynes 

Higher Platforms add 

Manitou mast booms 

Higher Platforms has purchased 

seven, eight metre platform height 

Manitou 105VJR mast booms from 

Russon Access. 

Lee Farmer, managing director said: 

“The new working at height regulations 

made a significant impact in 2005, 

particularly with the lower work height platforms 

which are replacing aluminium towers and scaffolding 

resulting in greater end-user safety and cost savings”. 

The new lifts will be based at Higher Platforms’ four depots 

located at Cannock, Wellingborough, Thirsk and Basildon. 

One of the 8m Manitou mast booms 

inset: Lee Farmer of Higher Platforms 

UpRight Production to move to UK 

The The new new 23,000sqm 23,000sqm 

plant plant for UpRight UpRight 

and and Aerial Aerial 

Darren Kell, business development director 

at Tanfield, told C&A that UpRight products 

would initially be dual sourced from the current 

plant in Ireland and the new facility in the 

UK. He also said that ideally demand would be 

such that both plants would run alongside 

each other and be kept fully employed. The 

new UK facility however has enough space, 

once it is fully functional, to keep pace with 

UpRight’s likely capacity demands over the 

next few years. 

Ron Stanley, chief executive and chairman 

of the Tanfield Group, said: “Our vision has 

always been to build a global manufacturing 

business with the North East as its heartland. 

We are living proof that manufacturing 

in this region is not dead and buried. 

Companies can still be profitable and 

competitive, provided they continue to add 

value. This move will see the flagship 

Vigo 250 facility, one of the largest 

manufacturing sites in the region, brought 

back into use, thanks to the assistance 

we received from One North East.” 

• the original & the best 

• 50+ years experience 

• extensive product range 

• dedicated design team 

• ISO & EN certified 

• WHAR Compliant 

o n a l l r i b - g r i p j o i n t s 

y e a r g u a r a n t e e 

tel: +353 1 6209 324 

fax: +353 1 6209 301 

The Best Aluminium Tower 

Systems in the industry... 

www.uprighteuro.com 


11

working at height? 

Street 

lighting pack 

Telescopic 

Boom models 

12 cranes & access June July 2006 

Up to 23m Insulated 

models 

Jackless 

models 

360º 

continuous 

we’ve got it! 

van mounted 

access platforms 

www.versalift.co.uk 

1 Altendiez Way, Latimer Park, 

Burton Latimer, Northants. NN15 5YT. 

Tel: 01536 721010 Fax: 01536 721111 

email: sales@versalift.co.uk 

The new Liebherr LTM1300-5.1 

Crawler lifts the 110 tone LTR1100 

telescopic crawler with ease 

Liebherr to launch 

new 130 tonner 

Liebherr has announces that it is working on a new five axle 130 tonne 

All Terrain crane with a 60 metre main boom and 19m bi-fold 

swingaway extension. The LTM1300-5.1 will have a 12.26 metre 

long, 2.75 metre wide carrier and can travel with nine tonnes of 

counterweight within 12 tonne axle loadings. 

The news was released at a major series of open days held at its Ehingen 

plant to show off its big new crawler crane, the 1,350 tonne LR11350 with 

228 metre maximum tip height and relatively easy transportation capability 

with no single part being heavier than 45 tonnes or wider than 3.5 metres. 

Terex releases specs on AC100/4 

At Intermat, both Terex-Demag and Grove announced four axle, 100 tonner 

All Terrain cranes, joining Liebherr’s LTM1100-4.1. Terex has now 

announced the preliminary specifications for its new model which will begin 

shipping in 2007. The key attributes of the new crane are its narrow width 

of 2.55m and short overall length of 13.1m. Unlike the Liebherr and the new 

Grove, the Terex 50 metre main boom, while two metres short, will be a 

five section rather than six, making it faster to full height. Squeezing 50 

metres into a 13.1m length is quite an achievement, obviously saving 

weight and cost. The AC100-4 offers excellent duties on its full 50 metre 

boom, of 12 tonnes at a 10 metres radius. Leaving plenty in hand for tower 

crane erection work. Where the AC100/4 is really likely to score is on taxi 

crane work, it can carry six tonnes of counterweight, its 19 metre boom 

extension, blocks and equipment within 12 tonne axle loads. Add this to 

the 2.55m overall width, tight superstructure tail swing and four position 

outrigger settings and it looks like a handy crane for smaller fleets. 

"How does it stack up?" 

Make Model Main Boom Cap. Max Full Bm Length Length OAL 

Boom Ext 100t@ @10m @10m OAL Carrier Width 

Demag AC100-4 50m 19m 3m 30.3t 12t 13.1m 10.4m 2.55m 

Liebherr LTM1100-4.1 52m 19m 2.5m 28.7t 10.7t 13.05m 10.5m 2.75m 

Grove GMK4100 52m 17m 3m 29t 9.3t 13.2m 10.6m 2.75m 

A cad drawing of the new Demag AC100-4

Allan Access believe this is 

the first 20m boom on a Transit chassis 

First 20m boom on a Transit? 

Allan Access is set to deliver what it says is the first 20 metre platform 

to be mounted on a Ford Transit 350 chassis. The machine, fitted 

with a fully hydraulic Apache DA20 unit, has been sold to industrial 

maintenance company WB Services. It has an outreach of nine metres 

with 200kg in the basket. The outreach improves to 10 metres with 

120kg in the platform. 

"The customer has a fleet of Transits and asked if we could supply the 

platform on a Transit chassis," said managing director Phil Allan. "With help 

from the engineering department we have produced a vehicle that can also 

carry 250kg and still is under the unit's 3500kg gross vehicle weight. 

As far as I know, this is the first 20 metre platform on a Transit." 

Leith docks fined £200k 

The owner of Leith docks in 

Scotland, was fined £200,000 in 

June for breaching health and 

safety laws after a worker was 

hit by a crane. Robert Harrower, 

56, was left with injuries to his 

left shoulder, arm and right thigh 

and was off work for a week 

after he was struck by the crane 

he was inspecting. Forth Ports 

plc pleaded guilty to a breach of 

the Health and Safety at Work 

Regulations after the accident 

on December 16, 2004. 

The company admitted that it 

had failed to assess the risks to 

employees involved in the 

recommissioning of crane number 

42. Forth Ports had two previous 

convictions for breaches of the 

Health and Safety Act in the past 

four years, one of which was fatal. 

Harrower was hit by a bolt on the 

drive shaft, which was apparently 

not guarded. In handing down the 

£200,000 fine, judge Sherrif Poole 

said she had taken into account 

that the company had admitted 

its guilt, that the situation 

regarding the guard had been 

remedied and that Harrower had 

made a full recovery. 

New mini cranes from IMAI 

IMAI, the Italian producer of customised mini cranes, is launching what 

it is calling the Jekko range of mini cranes, with lift capacities ranging 

from 1.3 tonnes to 10.5 tonnes. The range will include five models. 

Further details will be available early next month. The mid-range models 

are likely to be based on the SPD260, but with improved lifting capacities. 

The new IMAI 

Jekko SPD265C 


13

UK Distributor: 

King Highway Products Ltd 

Riverside Market Harborough 

Leicestershire England LE16 7PX 

Tele: 01858 467361 

Fax: 01858 467161 

E-Mail: sales@skyking.co.uk 

14 


• Self-Propelled 

• Vehicle Mounts 

• Trailer Mounts 

• Specials: ATEX 

machines and 

Rail Mounts 

Holy orders 

Access Rentals Ltd has taken delivery of the first 

batch of Basket RQG12 and 15, 12 and 15metre 

working height spider type tracked booms, supplied 

by Promax Access Ltd. One of the first jobs 

involved cleaning and maintenance work within a 

church, where the light weight, narrow dimensions 

and quiet fume free power, proved ideal. 

120 attend first German safety day 

120 aerial lift users and professionals attended the first Tag der 

ArbeitsBühnenSicherheit, TABS for short, at the Frankfurt airport 

conference centre on June 13th. The day was organised by the 

Vertikal Press, publishers of Cranes & Access and IPAF. The wide 

variety of speakers ensured the event was a success to the point 

where it looks like becoming an annual event. 

Access Rentals has ordered 

a quantity of Basket RQG 

spider type lifts from dealer 

Promax Access. 

The lifts feature bi-energy power units in order to cover both the construction industrial and 

specialist market sectors that require narrow lightweight boom lifts. The machines will be held 

at key regional locations to enable effective coverage of the Access Rentals depot network. 

ABS 

First mobile folding tower crane in Denmark 

Spierings has delivered, what it claims is the first mobile folding tower crane in Denmark, and 

the first Spierings crane in Scandinavia, to Odense based BAS Kraner ApS, The model is an 

SK599-AT5 with 50 metre jib length and maximum hook height of 56.3 metres. BAS owner, 

Bo Anker Schou, says that the crane is ideal for the city of Odense, which has a good number 

of narrow city streets with medium rise buildings. 

Vanson Cranes has launched the Raimondi MRT243 topless tower crane which features a 

new trapezoidal profile jib and double jib joints for extra rigidity and reduced jib torsion 

due to reduced wind effect. 

The crane has a maximum free standing mast height of 95 metres and offers a jib length of up to 

80 metres. The erection procedure has been simplified, thanks to a modular concept that combines 

the back jib, slew ring, hoists, slew motors, electrics and operators cabin in one complete 

section. The jib can either be erected in one lift, or in individual sections when space is limited. 

l 

TAG DER ARBEITSBÜHNENSICHERHEIT 

Trapezoidal top 

slewer from Vanson 

The new Vanson Topless MRT243 

features a trapezoidal jib

News HIGHLIGHTS 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

HMF has appointed Richard 

Everist (40) as managing director 

of its UK distribution subsidiary, 

HMF (UK), with the objective to 

aggressively expand the company’s 

share of the British market. 

Richard 

Everist 

Aichi has opened a North American headquarters 

office in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Alan Dotts 

has been named as general manager of Aichi 

USA, with responsibility for sales and support 

throughout the United States and Canada. 

Manlift the Cork based access rental company 

owned by Frank Delaney has opened a new 

branch, its third, in Galway. 

Cranes UK the UK distributor for Tadano Faun 

is relocating to new premises on Wentworth 

Industrial Park in Tankersley, South Yorkshire. 

The Manitowoc crane group has appointed 

John Lanning as director of advanced 

engineering and products for the Americas 

region. He will report to John Wheeler 

executive vice president Americas. 

Speedy Hire, the UK tool and equipment rental 

company, has joined the Financial Times Stock 

Exchange top 250 shares index. The group’s market 

capitalisation has now reached £400 million. 

Manitowoc has increased its second quarter 

and full year profits forecasts, upgrading its 

top end earnings expectations for the year 

from $2.50 to $2.60 a share. 16 percent up 

on its initial expectations. 

The rescue of Effer Holding by CTE and the 

company it established to take over the loader 

crane and platform business, SOL-Ge spa, 

completed the process with creditors on June 

28th and will now move to the second phase 

of production rationalisation. 

A 50 year old lorry loader driver was killed on 

July 4th, when the boom of his crane struck an 

11,000 volt power cable in north Essex, while 

unloading a flat pack shed. 

This years Crane safety conference in 

London attracted over 140 delegates, the best 

attendance in at least three years. Delegates 

attended from as far afield as New Zealand. 

South African Port Operations, the terminal 

operating division of South Africa’s transportation 

conglomerate, Transnet, has ordered 

12 all-electric E-One cranes from Kalmar. 

Maxim Crane Works has announced that 

it is exploring alternatives which include a 

possible merger or sale of the business, having 

successfully exited chapter 11 in 2004. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Thomas Equipment has terminated its president 

and chief executive officer, Clifford Rhee “for 

cause”. The board of directors also approved 

“a broad-based restructuring to evaluate all 

corporate business activities, identify any 

operating and management deficiencies and 

immediately begin addressing all issues”. 

Gladedale Capital has purchased the first 50 

metre Teupen Leo 50GT in the UK from Ranger 

Equipment its UK/Ireland distributor. The lift 

will be used on a large, new office, retail and 

residential development, delivery is scheduled 

for next February. 

Holland-Lift expects to open its new 2,500 

square metre, sub assembly facility in Hoorn 

later this month. The company is planning to 

double its current capacity. 

Palazzani has formally appointed its long term 

UK sales partner, PASS as its dealer for the UK 

and Ireland for its Ragno/Mantis line of crawler 

mounted spider lifts and more recent mini crane 

line. cementing a relationship with PASS principal, 

Phil Lomax that dates back to the early 90’s. 

Insul 8 a leading player in harbour crane 

electrification and data transfer systems has 

changed its name to Conductix. 

A 30 ton Grove RT530 Rough Terrain crane 

tipped over onto its side blocking Interstate 25 

near Colorado Springs in early June. A similar 

incident with the same crane occurred eight 

weeks earlier on April 25th, when operator 

Humberto Rodriguez, 30 was killed. 

MEC Europe has appointed H.A.B. Service 

Centre GmbH as a dealer in Germany. 

Lloyds British Testing, the lifting equipment 

specialist is acquiring the goodwill and assets 

of Rota Handling of Dudley, from managing 

director Ian Payne, for an undisclosed sum. 

Bavarian based tower crane manufacturer, Jost 

Cranes GmbH, has agreed a deal with Dutch 

sales and rental company Kranenbouw to 

produce the Jost series JT 112.8 tower crane 

under an OEM licence. 

PAT has restructured its load moment indicator 

retrofit business. In future this business will be 

carried out by its international dealer network. 

JLG has promoted Israel Celli 

from vice president to senior vice 

president, international market 

development and sales, 

effective June first 

Israel Celli 

c&a 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

news 

Three men died in early June at a 

Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage, South Africa. 

When a tower crane collapsed while being 

dismantled by Crane Plant Services. 

Vertikal.net passed the 40,000 visitors a 

month level in May, with over 1.1 million hits. 

Scott McCall, previously the marketing 

manager at Nationwide Access has moved to 

the manufacturing sector, joining Van mounted 

aerial lift producer Gardner Denver. 

Neff Corp the Miami-based rental company 

the ninth largest in the USA, has filed plans to 

go public again, almost a year after it was 

acquired by Odyssey Investment Partners 

LLC, a New York based private equity firm. 

CRMS the Newton Abbot based distributor, 

which claims to be the largest Case dealer in 

Europe, appointed an administrator on June 1. 

The company has over 100 employees 

operating from six depots. 

AJ Access 

Platforms has 

appointed Neil 

Wilkinson and 

Mike Palmer to 

help step up the 

company’s new 

and used sales 

efforts in the UK. 

Neil Wilkinson (L) 

and Mike Palmer 

Favelle Favco Bhd, the crane maker that also 

owns Kroll tower cranes, currently a wholly 

owned subsidiary of Muhibbah Engineering 

(M) Bhd, is set to be listed on Bursa 

Malaysia’s ‘second board’ in August. 

The Irish Health and Safety Authority is 

investigating the death of a 55-year-old 

photographer employed by Roadbridge. 

He was using a Telescopic handler fitted 

with a five metre long home made basket 

to photograph construction on the new 

Mitchelstown relief road, when it overturned. 

23 employees died in the Irish construction 

industry in 2005, up from 15 in 2004 and 20 

in 2003. However the number of non fatal 

accidents dropped by over four percent in 

the same period. 

NES Rentals Holdings, Inc, (National 

Equipment Service) of the USA, one of the 

worlds largest aerial and general equipment 

rental companies has announced that it has 

signed a definitive agreement to be acquired 

by Diamond Castle Holdings, LLC, a New 

York-based private equity firm. 

See www.vertikal.net news archive for full versions of all these stories 


15

The fleet of a 

1,000 

cranes 

High profile companies such as Travis Perkins are under constant pressure 

to comply with every rule and regulation. Mark Darwin speaks with Graham 

Bellman on the pressures and challenges facing one of the UK’s largest 

lorry crane operators, where compliance is often just the starting point. 

Travis Perkins - TP - just keeps 

on expanding. One of the ‘big 

three’ building suppliers in the 

UK (along with Jewson and 

Wolseley UK), TP has recently 

opened its 1000th branch 

– a significant milestone for 

the company. 

Over the past five years the company 

has almost doubled its number of 

depots through acquisitions and 

brownfield development of 

new businesses. 

The size of the business is impressive 

- more than 15,000 employees and 

a fleet of 2000 vehicles, 2500 

forklifts and 1400 cars. TP also 

runs more than 1000 lorry mounted 

cranes – a significant proportion 

(85 percent) being Atlas units. 

“Over the last 10 years, Atlas 

has effectively been our sole 

lorry loader supplier,” said group 

transport manager Graham Bellman. 

“Due to the various company 

acquisitions, we have had many 

different marques. If in good 

working order, the machines are 

added to the fleet and evaluated 

over a period of time.” 

Bellman has purchased some 

Palfinger units for certain projects, 

but has also ‘acquired’ Fassi, Hiab 

and Bonfiglioni units. “It is hard to 

beat the overall Atlas package”, 

he says. 

As transport manager, Bellman has 

many years experience with lorry 

loaders and has a simplistic view 

of what he requires from a crane. 

“Lorry loaders are operated by 

truck drivers – so keep it simple 

and don’t complicate things,” 

c&a 

he said. “Basically our only 

stipulation is that the crane should 

not be able to slew over the cab 

roof. Maintenance of the unit and 

support from the manufacturer or 

supplier is also very important.” 

Having such a high profile within 

the industry, TP cannot afford not 

to comply with every rule and 

regulation. “If a local builder’s 

merchant has a problem with a 

delivery or a minor accident, it is 

probably not even reported and 

quickly forgotten. However if it 

involves Travis Perkins, then, as 

a publicly quoted company, it 

is much bigger news.” 

One of the older, lever operated 

Atlas 3008 units superseded by the 

3500/A11 and now the 92.2/A11 

lorry loaders 

Graham Bellman, Travis Perkins 

group transport manager 

over a trial period, we found that 

by operating the crane remotely 

it eradicated the falls. It also made 

the operator’s job much easier and 

gave a far better image to customers.” 

TP was the first major company 

to specify radio remote controls 

as standard on all new lorry loaders 

and now has more than 200 units 

in operation. 

“We have very few problems with 

the equipment and the operators 

find it much easier to unload,” said 

Bellman. “With 1050 lorry loaders 

in the current fleet, if there is a 

problem, we see it very quickly.” 

“We have more training 

videos than Blockbuster!” 

Always complying and often far 

exceeding what is required has 

resulted in TP leading the way in 

certain safety related areas. And 

it is currently looking to try and 

introduce more ‘logical thinking 

and cost saving’ in the near future. 

“One of the major health and safety 

problems we have had over the 

years with the lever operated lorry 

loaders was that the driver 

occasionally fell off the back of the 

vehicle,” said Bellman.“After testing 

more than 100 radio remote units 

“Obviously training drivers to operate 

the cranes is very important,” he said. 

“We have more training videos 

than Blockbuster! All employees 

are trained to a high level and the 

driver/crane operators have to sign 

to say they have watched and read 

all the relevant training information. 

We also outsource training to Eldon 

Training Services – the first ALLMI 

accredited training provider - to 

ensure that everyone is fully up 

to speed with operating the 

equipment and complying with 

all the latest legislation.” 

LOLER and PUWER regulations 

mean that forklifts and cranes have 

to be regularly inspected. 


17

New from Hitachi Sumitomo 

The New SCX400T, 40 Tonne 

Telescopic Crawler Crane 

•4 Stage 32 metre boom 

•Wylie 3000 series total 

moment limiter 

•Retractable undercarriage 

•Joystick controls 

•Air conditioned cab 

•Isuzu engine 

For further 

information 


Official UK 

Distributor for 

The New ZX160, 8 Tonne 

Telescopic Crawler Crane 

•4 Stage 13 metre boom 

•Wylie 2245 series total 

moment limiter 

•Joystick controls 

•Air conditioned cab 

•Isuzu engine 

Hitachi Construction Machinery Tel: +31 (0) 162 484 484 Fax: +31 (0) 162 484 601 web: www.hcme.com 

NRC Plant Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1375 361616 Fax: +44 (0) 1375 361818 e-mail: sales@nrcplant.co.uk web: www.nrcplant.co.uk

TP equipment has a total of five major 

inspections per year and this includes 

three maintenance inspections. 

“We have five, fully qualified 

engineers in the transport 

department, one of which is a 

specialist in lorry cranes and truck 

bodies,” said Bellman. “Any cranes 

the company acquires are fully 

inspected and tested to evaluate 

whether they are worth adding 

to the fleet.” 

Support is key 

According to Bellman, maintenance 

is the key with lorry loaders and, he 

says, probably the reason why he 

prefers Atlas loaders. Atlas claims 

to have 37 directly employed 

engineers in the UK, including 

four in Scotland, giving, it says, 

unrivalled support. 

All equipment will have a problem 

at some time or other and from the 

customer’s point of view, it is how 

quickly the supplier can send an 

engineer and how quickly parts can 

be sourced and fitted says Atlas. 

“Atlas builds its own cranes and so 

has the knowledge and expertise to 

identify the problem, source the 

parts and have the unit back in 

operation as soon as possible,” 

said Lee Maynard, general sales 

manager UK for Terex Atlas lorry 

cranes. “Even responding to problems 

Service in central London is just 35 minutes 

away using the Rapid Response motorbike 

in London has been sorted with 

the introduction of the Atlas rapid 

response motorbike that can be 

with a customer anywhere in the 

capital within 35 minutes.” 

This backup appeals to Bellman, 

but he also likes the ruggedness 

and reliability of the Atlas 

equipment helped, he says, by 

not being over complicated. 

“Of the other makes of equipment 

in the fleet, we have had faults, 

Radio remote controls 

improve safety, easy of 

operation and image 

often electronic or there is not good 

enough backup,” said Bellman. 

“Atlas currently has the best 

combination of performance, 

reliability and backup.” 

Current TP policy is to buy its lorry 

loaders and trucks (predominantly 

DAF) outright and run them over 

eight years. All new units have 

their PDI (pre delivery inspection) 

carried out by Atlas with the 

weight test carried out by the 

fitting specialist. 

Every effort is made to reduce the risk 

of an accident 

Its ‘bread and butter’ unit is the Atlas 

92.2/A11 fitted either to an 18 tonne 

GVW or 26 tonne with short body. 

This model superseded the 3500/A11 

and depending on the specification 

has a maximum load capacity of 

910 kg at a reach of 9.1 metres. 

Other units supplied include the 

45.2/A1 fitted to a 7.5 tonne, the 

85.2/A1 on a 15 tonner, the 105.2/A11 

on an 18 tonner timber specification 

truck, the 120.2/A2 fitted to a 26 

tonne long body and the 125.2/A2 

on a 32 tonne GVW. With the 

exception of the small 45.2, all 

are fitted with radio remote and 

Kinshofer brick grabs. 

c&a 

Specialising in heavy 

building products, Keyline 

joined the Travis Perkins group in 1999 

One of Bellman’s problems is the 

huge range and variety of products 

- in all shapes, sizes and weights - 

supplied by TP. This means that 

the cranes have to be specified 

to cover the ‘heaviest weight’ 

carried by the truck. 

With material supply now a global 

business, packaging is generally 

standardised – the result of positive 

communication between equipment 

and materials suppliers. 

Packaging of materials has changed 

enormously over the years. 

TP now no longer supplies loose 

aggregate – everything is delivered 

in bulk bags holding a minimum 

of 850kg (not 1 tonne!). Liaison 

between the materials and 

equipment manufacturers ensures 

that packs are of a manageable 

size and weight. However, there 

are occasionally a few problems. 

“About six years ago we noticed 

that some of our Atlas 3008 units 

were starting to struggle when 

unloading packs of plasterboard,” 

said Bellman. “Unknown to us, the 

manufacturer had made the packs 

bigger by adding a few extra sheets 

per pack. As a result we upped the 

capacity of the loaders, switching 

from the eight tonne metre 3008 

to the 9 tonne metre 3500”. 

Standardisation is important as 

suppliers from different countries 

enter the global market. More recently, 

bricks from a supplier in the Czech 

Republic were manufactured in 

imperial sizes resulting in a 

physically larger pack size that 

could not be lifted safely. 

Remote control 

is a big plus 

So is Bellman happy with his fleet 

of lorry loaders? Well yes and no. 

“Remote control is a big plus and 

the addition of steps at the back 

of the vehicles also helps reduce 

accidents on lever cranes,” he said. 

“Manufacturers have gone for the 

small round pads under the jack 

lorry loaders 

legs which in many situations are 

inadequate. We need large square 

pads for increased stability and 

reduced damage to drives etc.” 

TP is an active member of ALLMI 

and has joined the user group 

where it is in regular contact with 

other crane users in an effort to 

improve safety and efficiency. 

A change is needed 

“There is one area that applies 

to all major, national material 

suppliers that should be changed 

and will make a big difference to 

speed of delivery and the overall 

cost,” said Bellman. “As a high 

profile, major materials supplier 

in the UK, we cannot afford not 

to comply with every piece of 

legislation. It is therefore annoying 

when vehicles are refused entry 

onto sites if they do not have every 

single certificate to show, every 

time they enter”. 

“Why not use a recognised body 

such as ALLMI to carry out 

inspections on the larger, national 

suppliers to ensure they have the 

relevant certification, and issue 

a compliance disc that can be 

displayed in the cab window 

saving time and therefore money, 

when entering sites. There has 

to be some trust but TP and the 

other major suppliers cannot afford 

not to comply.” 

TP no longer delivers in bulk, just 

850kg minimum weight bags 


19

lorry loaders c&a 

Available on the XS111 

Hiab's Automatic Duty Control - 

ADC - aims to improve payloads 

and efficiency 

Hiab wrings 10% more 

capacity from its cranes 

Hiab’s Automatic Duty Control - ADC - aims to improve payloads 

and efficiency for brick and block suppliers as well as builders 

and roofing merchants. 

Available on its most popular models - the XS111, 122 and 144 models - 

ADC offers the customer the option of choosing a lighter, slimmer crane 

with the same capacity as a larger machine. 

The system works by recognising that brick and block 'grab' applications 

differ from more arduous tool applications such as digging, eliminating the 

need to press down and therefore creating less stress on the boom. 

Hiab says that 10 years’ experience with on-board computers has highlighted 

that in less arduous applications the crane boom is under utilized and can 

cope with an additional 10 percent lift capacity. ADC also enables the 

on-board computer to recognise if the operator is making any mistakes 

which might cause additional stresses to the boom system during operation. 

More new models from Fassi 

Fassi has added a five tonne/metre 

crane to its light duty range. 

Suited to 7.5 GVW vehicles the 

F50A.21 weighs 605kg and has 

an out reach of 4.9 metres with 

a 960kg lift capacity. Available 

with up to four extensions the 

unit has a reach of nine metres. 

Options include radio remote 

and winch. 

Suited to 7.5 GVW vehicles the F50A.21 

weighs 605kg and has a maximum 

radius of 4.9 metres and a 960kg lift. 

Fassi says that the F50A is 

extremely competitively priced 

and includes its new hydraulic 


overload protection system 

– HO – as standard equipment. 

Fassi has also further extended 

the Evolution series, that it 

launched at SAIE last year, to its 

24 – 45 tonne/metre range of 

loader cranes. All Evolution cranes 

feature radio remote control as 

standard along with the Fassi ADC 

(Automatic Dynamic Control) 

system which controls the crane 

speed relative to the load and 

claims Fassi, eliminates undesirable 

load bouncing. As with other 

Evolution models, the cranes are 

lighter than the outgoing models 

and in the case of the 

F290A/310AXP lifting capacity 

has been increased by 10 percent. 

The Evolution visual display on the 

standard remote controller. 

New rock drill 

quadruples speed 

The Rockmaster earth drill quietly 

slipped onto the market when 

four units were specifically 

designed and sold to British 

Telecom. Drilling using loader 

cranes can be a particularly 

tedious and time consuming 

process. The ‘Rockmaster’ 

however, claims to offer much 

higher output and reliability for 

concrete, tarmac or rocky 

conditions. Using a hydraulically 

driven percussion gearbox 

between the auger drive unit and 

special Rock Ripper auger, the 

penetration in concrete is 

increased from 220mm per hour 

with a standard unit to 800mm 

per hour on a standard BT Pole 

Erection Unit. 

Crane and body fitters Spenborough Engineering is keeping up with the 

advanced materials being used by loader crane manufacturers, by using 

ultra high yield crane steel on a new range of lightweight bodies. In addition 

to the lighter weight, critical on van chassis, Spenborough says the new 

steels offer increased longevity without compromising lift capacity. 

A recent contract for a local authority 

involved an Iveco 65C15 chassi fitted 

with a Palfinger PC1300A crane 

which has a maximum capacity 

of 1130kg at one metre radius. 

For increased stability, the vehicle 

was fitted with hydraulic stabilisers 

within the body width. Guarding 

around the crane base has been 

fitted for additional safety. 

Pesci has also introduced a 

13 tonne/metre, all hydraulic 

(no electronics) ‘old technology’ 

crane in response to customer 

requests. Geoff Hindle, managing 

director of Manchester-based 

distributor Crane Sales says 

that on cranes of up to 32 

tonne/metres, customers would 

rather have a simple unit, 

without complications such 

as sophisticated electronics. 

However, Pesci has also launched 

the SE435 with its new CSS safety 

monitoring system. The system, 

which will be fitted in all new 

Pesci has introduced new all 

hydraulics models and a new CSS 

safety monitoring system. 

The Rockmaster auger with 

persussion gearbox quadruples 

drilling speeds 

Rockmaster says that tests have 

verified that the system imposes no 

extra loading on the crane structure. 

Surprisingly, it has been shown 

that loads are normally lower with 

the percussion system engaged. 

For loader cranes, no additional 

hydraulic services are required. 

When activated, the percussion 

action works in the forward (drilling) 

rotation only and automatically 

switches the auger drive unit to 

low speed for maximum torque. 

Body builder uses ultra high yield steel 

Spenborough Engineering is now using 

the stronger and lighter ultra high yield 

steel in its new range of bodies 

Pesci goes back to basics 

models, including the SE405, 

SE765 and the SE815, monitors 

the extent the crane is out of level 

and automatically de-rates the 

lift capacity.


21

22 cranes & access June July 2006

Lower 

Lighter 

Smaller 

Cheaper 

The new Work at Height Rules have encouraged, or in some 

cases, forced, many ladder and staging users to reconsider 

the equipment they use to carry out routine work at height. 

This in turn is spurring on the development and use of a 

wide range of access equipment with lower heights, lighter 

weights, simpler construction and lower cost. 

The products that are beginning 

to come to the fore range from a 

wide array of podium steps up 

through portable push around 

lifts to self propelled lifts with 

mast type lift mechanisms, 

compact dimensions and lower 

gross vehicle weights. 

Micro Masts 

The market for the smallest of self 

propelled lifts first took off in Japan 

in the late 80’s and early 90’s. 

Space has always been at a 

premium in Japan and it seems 

that there was a good deal of pent 

up demand for such compact lifts 

with platform heights of between 

1.5 and four metres. 

The TL11 from the mid to late 80’s 

was well ahead of its time 

Demand in the early 90’s was so 

strong that a number of rental 

companies, including Tokyo 

Rentals, approached UpRight to 

design such a lift using the same 

technology as it used in its small 

scissor lifts. UpRight had tested 

this market some years before with 

a product it called the T11, which 

offered a 3.3 metre platform height. 

The TL11 was a flop, most likely 

due to being too far ahead of its 

time and too expensive. 

The TL11 was also unusual in that it had a 

seat...and a mechanical steering system 

Its mechanical tiller bar steering 

system would also not have 

helped. One feature it did sport 

that is yet to be repeated on a 

volume aerial lift was a fold down 

operator’s seat. 

c&a 

After a couple of prototypes 

UpRight launched the 3.8 metre 

platform height TM12 in 1994. The 

product, which it still produces in 

relatively high volume, has changed 

little since then, (it is now 3.6m). 

Shortly after the TM12 went into 

production, the aerial lift market in 

Japan went into a long period of 

decline. However the concept of 

a six metre working height self 

propelled lift, with a 630 kgs gross 

weight, 1.3 metre overall length 

and 760mm width, caught the 

imagination of a number of rental 

companies around the world. 

Many larger rental companies 

considered that it was better to 

carry on buying 20 ft full size 

scissors (19ft micro scissors had 

not yet caught on), thus covering 

both six and eight metre work 

height applications. However in 

Europe one company in particular, 

Kranab of Sweden, not only spotted 

the potential for the TM12, but 

owner Johnny Johansson was also 

prepared to put his money where 

personnel lifts 

his mouth was and purchase 

enough of them to create a small 

local market. 

The concept took off in a major 

way and today Sweden has the 

greatest penetration of this type of 

lift anywhere. The concept has 

spread but it is only recently that 

such platforms have started to gain 

a toe hold in the UK and Ireland. 

The UpRight 

TM12 started 

off the micro 

mast type lifts 


The JLG 

Toucan 

Junior is 

a solid 

machine 

23

The perfect spec 

We asked a number of users to 

forget, for a moment, the realities 

of what is available and practical 

and state what they considered to 

be the ideal self propelled mast lift. 

The following specifications are a 

result of that research: 

Platform height 15ft/5m 

(ideally two models, 

12ft/4m and 15ft/5m) 

Maximum weight 630- 680 kgs 

Overall length 1,300 – 1,380 mm 

Maximum width 760 mm 

Turning radius 0 

(or as small as possible) 

Given that this is sadly not a 

perfect world and that current 

regulations make the above 

specification a bit of a challenge 

(The old TL11 met it in full). Most 

agreed that they would prefer a 

specification as close to this as 

possible. If a unit is heavier or 

longer, then it would help if items 

such as entry steps and batteries 

could be removed to meet the above 

weight and length requirements for 

transport in small elevators, at 

least on a 12ft model. Once this 

type of lift exceeds a gross weight 

of 1,000kgs and a 1,500mm overall 

length it becomes far less attractive. 

It seems that after the 630/680kg 

elevator the next elevator size up 

for offices or small hotels tends to 

have a 1,000 kgs safe capacity, 

with a dimension of 1.6 metres 

wall to wall, or wall to door. 

The Genie Runabout 

GR20 is the top of the 

range of three, the 

12 and 15 are the 

best selling models 

Some time after the TM12 was 

launched, Genie introduced its 

Runabout range, which is now 

the top selling product by far. 

The fact that the Runabout uses an 

aluminium mast design from the 

Genie portable AWP range of lifts 

means that it has not been 

accepted as a TM12 alternative 

in some markets, such as 

Scandinavia. Saying this, it has 

outsold the UpRight many times 

over and offers the benefit of a 

15ft/4.5m version, the GR15. 

The complete range of three models 

runs from the GR12 to the GR20. 

In the UK, HSS originally 

championed the Runabout in its 

fleet and was more recently 

joined by Nationwide, which has 

added well over 100 units in the 

past nine months. 

The Runabout GR12 and 15 

presses all the right buttons, with 

a 1.35m overall length, 750mm 

width and 717kg gross weight 

for the 12. The 15 is at the top 

end of the weight limit at 995kgs 

but it can still ride a one tonne 

elevator so… 

The GR20 is well over 1,000kgs 

which is far from practical but it 

also has a high stowed height of 

1.98m, however if you need a 

short, relatively light 20ft machine 

the GR20 could be ideal. 

JLG also produces a range of 

aluminium masted self propelled 

lifts, including a first class French 

built product, the Toucan Junior, 

that it acquired with the Grove 

Manlift takeover. The first Toucan 

Juniors were not a success, due 

largely to their castor type steering 

axle. The axle was redesigned 

and existing units recalled and 

reworked. The lift was then 

relaunched with a heavy duty front 

axle. The latest version is a much 

better product than the market 

seems to appreciate. 

More recently the company has 

launched a version it calls the 

Toucan Duo, this unit has 

been designed with retail and 

warehousing applications in mind. 

Other JLG models contending this 

market include the DVL, DVSP and 

c&a 

The push around 

lifts like this Genie 

AWP range is still 

the most cost 

effective powered 

access for 

working at 25 to 

40ft heights 

SVP10 ranges, all of which are 

made in North America. The DVL 

and DVSP are clearly closer to the 

company’s portable push around 

lifts than they are to its scissor lift 

models. With castors on the front 

axle they lend themselves to 

institutional and industrial 

applications only. JLG has been 

working on a new product that 

resembles the UpRight TM12; units 

have been out with distributors for 

evaluation and testing for several 

months now. JLG would not be 

drawn on when we might expect 

the final production units to start 

shipping, but expect to see them 

early in the new year, at least in 

North America. (See box story) 

One major advantage of both the 

Genie and JLG aluminium mast 

units is that they offer 15ft and 

20ft platform height options. 

For many applications 12ft is 

marginally too short. The 15ft 

capability is a popular feature. 

The Star is steel 

Haulotte entered the market a few 

years back with its all steel Star 6. 

While it is a nice machine with 

personnel lifts 

smooth controls and a good sized 

basket, it has not sold quite as 

well as Haulotte might have hoped. 

One reason for this might be the 

fact that it has a centrally mounted 

mast. This makes it difficult to 

work over the front of the machine, 

although it this is known then the 

work can always be approached 

from the other direction, to give 

a full working frontage. The unit 

is also slightly on the long side 

at 1.65metres, the same as a 

10ft scissor lift keeping it out of 

some elevators. 

Haulotte is likely to “re-visit” this 

type of machine in the future, 

but are most likely fully absorbed 

at present, introducing more 

profitable larger booms and 

concentrating its industrial and 

institutional efforts on the larger 

Star products which fall into the 

mast boom category. 

The new Haulotte 

Quick Up range 

offer work heights 

up to 46ft 

At APEX the company introduced 

a full range of portable push 

around lifts, under the Quick Up 

name with platform heights of 

between 4.5 and 12 metres. 

As these units are assembled in 

Korea, it is possible that Haulotte 

will follow JLG and Genie’s lead, 

using the aluminium mast on a 

new self propelled model? 


25

RAGNO 

solves difficult access problems up to 48m height 

www.palazzani.it 


Italian flair 

A company that is beginning to do 

well in the UK and in Scandinavia, 

is Italian based Bravi. Represented 

by APS in the UK and Ireland, the 

company produces a range of compact 

lifts that use an aluminium box 

section mast. While it does not 

meet the heavy duty steel construction 

that some buyers prefer, 

each model offers phenomenal 

gradeability of up to 40 percent! 

And most models boast a large 

platform that thanks to dual extensions 

can retract into a compact 

package. The smallest model, the 

Lui Mini or Leonardo, as it is also 

known, with its 2.9 metre platform 

height, offers an overall length of 

just over 1.1 metres a width of 

750mm and best of all a gross 

weight of only 495 kgs. The platform 

features dual extensions 

which provide an extended length 

of almost 1.7 metres, plenty of 

room to move about in. 

The Bravi Mini is 

unusual in that its 

light weight and 

high gradeability 

allow it to climb 

steps and reach 

most indoor areas 

Bravi also produce 

a slim version 

at 450mm wide, 

however the 

laws of physics 

dictate that its 

weight rises to 

850kgs. 

The larger Lui 

400 offers a 

12ft/4.1 metre 

platform height, 

but is over 

1,000kgs, which 

for many users 

of these smaller 

lifts is simply 

too heavy. 

Another innovative 

Italian company 

in this area is 

Faraone, it builds 

a 13ft/4 metre 

platform height 

machine, the 

PKS 600, which 

weighs 643kgs 

and is 1.47 

metres long, 

more than 

JLG is currently going through an extended test and evaluation 

process for a new micro lift using a telescopic steel box section 

mast type lift mechanism. The new model is expected to carry the 

designation 1230ES, signifying Electric Scissor with 12ft platform 

height. The prototype features a 1,359mm 

overall length and 722mm overall width, 

with a gross weight of 725 kgs. 

The new model looks very much like a TM12 

clone, although JLG has introduced a number of 

significant differentials and improvements, such 

as direct electric drive, a multi-stage lift cylinder 

- avoiding the need for chains, excellent access 

to components, a two piece saloon style gate 

and a marginally lower overall weight. 

Having managed to achieve 12 ft with a three 

section mast( the TM12 is four section), JLG 

could add a fourth section in order to create a 

15ft version, in order to combat the most 

popular model in the Genie Runabout range. 

The lift is at a prototype stage of course and 

so may well change prior to launch, probably 

at the ARA in February. 

The Lui 400 

Slim is only 

450mm wide 

acceptable for larger elevators 

although a tad longer than ideal. 

JLG to launch new 12ft mast lift 

Unofficial pictures of the 

pre production JLG 1230ES

Something new 

something different 

Earlier this year at the London 

Rental show, NSG launched what it 

calls the Pop Up. The company has 

concentrated on driving down the 

cost of a powered lift for the lower 

working heights. Given that the 

HSE has identified that a very high 

percentage of serious injuries 

resulting from falls are from heights 

of under two metres (what it calls 

“head height”) the company is likely 

to have a winner on its hands. 

The Pop Up is essentially a small 

ultra compact, two man battery 

powered push around scissor lift 

with a platform height of just over 

5ft/1.63metres, 1.1 metres length, 

700mm width and best of all only 

weighs 270kgs. With a price for 

volume buyers as low as £3,500 it 

offers a real powered alternative to 

podium steps or staging. 

Something lower 

but lighter 

The smaller lifts, such as the Pop Up and the smallest Bravi, could well be 

the ideal lift for general rental and tool hire stores. Given their compact 

dimensions and low cost, they could also be the product that takes 

powered access into these locations. The European market for powered 

access still has a long way to go in terms of market penetration. One of 

the greatest drivers for increased usage is easy local availability. 

Slightly higher than 

the Pop Up, at 10ft/3 

metres platform height 

is the American made 

HyBrid from Custom 

lift. The company is 

looking to launch it on 

the European market 

later this year, it uses 

a standard scissor type 

structure, and is self 

propelled. With a gross 

weight of under 550kgs 

and a good sized deck 

with roll out extension 

is it attractive. 

However with an 

overall length of over 

1.6 metres it is a 

little long for some 

applications. 

The Pop Up takes powered access into 

new areas. 

The HyBrid offers a 

light weight, compact 

dimensions and a big 

deck with a work 

height of 16ft 


27

It’s Plant nt 

shutdown wn 

time again ain 

In the next three to four weeks many production facilities in the UK and Ireland 

will close for summer vacations. As soon as everyone heads off to the sun the 

majority of manufacturing companies will swing into a period of frantic activity 

with plants undergoing anything from the complete restructuring of production 

lines to two to three weeks of intensive maintenance and repair activity. 

In this short feature on industrial 

lifting and access we highlight 

some of the equipment and 

report on some examples of 

industrial moving, installation and 

lifting that we hope will provide 

the odd idea or two for the many 

readers who are responsible for 

industrial plant maintenance. 

An empty plant is an ideal period to 

replace older equipment and make 

annual repairs in areas that cannot 

normally be shut down. With the UK 

and Ireland manufacturing sector 

If you can source a big industrial pick and 

carry crane in the UK, like this 60 tonne Ormig, 

they are ideal for installing or moving heavy 

machinery from point to point. Not only can 

they pick and carry the load, but they are 

designed to work in low headroom situations. 


posting some of the largest 

increases in orders for many years, 

this year promises to be busy. 

Last year we reported how 

industrial pick and carry cranes, 

once highly popular in the UK, were 

beginning to make a comeback. 

That trend has continued at a slow 

but steady pace. Companies that 

offer pick and carry cranes for hire, 

such as Ainscough Industrial and 

Hird are expanding their fleets and 

doing well, but it is still difficult to 

find any of the larger models in the 

UK and availability of the smaller 

models can be limited during the 

busy shutdown period. 

Companies selling pick and carry 

cranes, principally Valla UK and 

more recently Crowland cranes of 

Peterborough, have also reported 

an increase in the number of 

production facilities buying their 

own cranes, some of them 

switching from forklifts. 

In addition to pick and carry cranes, 

rubber tracked spider type mini cranes 

are playing an increasing role in 

moving equipment. For simple 

loading and unloading machinery 

directly into its final resting point 

they can be ideal. Or when combined 

with skates, or transport trolleys 

they can also play a critical role 

in final positioning in extremely 

awkward locations. 

Riggers can do it 

For the most challenging machinery 

moving, there is often no option but 

to call in specialist riggers to find a 

solution. Companies like LGH or 

Ainscough Engineering/Vanguard, 

are rarely defeated and will usually 

find a solution using specialist jacking 

systems, chain blocks, small hoists 

and other equipment. In such situations 

much of their fee is taken up with 

engineering and planning the lift. 

(We cover two such applications 

later in this issue) 

For larger plants, where 

space is not critical, straight 

booms such as this 25 metre 

Haulotte are faster and more 

rigid than articulated booms, 

not to mention less 

expensive to hire. 

If you are using larger scissor lifts with 

black tyres and are concerned about 

your floor, insist that they are fitted with 

socks like these units, working on 

electrical installation at a new car 

parts manufacturing plant in Derbyshire. 

With all but the most straightforward 

of lifts, proper planning is critical, 

the cost of dropping a load can be 

mind boggling. Dropping an expensive 

piece of machinery or vessel, can so 

easily, cause serious injury or death, 

plus damage to the item being lifted, 

beyond repair. As if this was not 

bad enough, it can put a stop to 

all shutdown work while an 

investigation is conducted, plus 

prevent that part of the plant from 

reopening after the shutdown while 

a new component is made and 

delivered. When you look at it this 

way the importance of proper 

planning and meticulous checking 

is obvious.

Unforeseen changes to plan 

sort the men from the boys 

In his presentation at the recent 

crane safety conference, Derrick 

Bailes, chief executive of the Lifting 

Equipment Engineers Association 

highlighted a number of serious 

accidents, mostly caused by poor 

planning and the handling of 

unforeseen changes on the day of 

the lift. An example of this is when 

a rigging method has been planned, 

using prefabricated attachment 

points or holes for slings on the 

item to be lifted. Then when the 

item arrives on site, the attachment 

points have been let off. This is 

when the men are sorted from the 

boys, or should it be the professionals 

from the cowboys? 

The use of mini cranes 

with rubber tracks is 

proving ideal in certain 

petrochemical maintenance 

jobs thanks to compact 

dimensions and pick and 

carry capability. Here a two 

tonne Valla 20TX prepares 

to remove a pump. 

Clearly a plan B is needed, but all 

too often no planning goes into 

Plan B, it is an off-the-cuff, quick 

fire solution to get the load off the 

delivery vehicle and into place so 

that waiting engineers can begin 

installing it. The pressures to take 

short cuts are massive. But this is 

when it is most dangerous. This is 

where you need the services of a 

person or company who knows 

what they are doing, rather than 

simply following the instructions of 

a written plan. 

If this summer you are faced with 

such a situation Stop.. take time 

and make sure that Plan B is clearly 

thought out. If not, the effects of a 

panic solution could be with you 

for a lifetime. 

So what is new in access? 

This time last year the new Work 

At Height Rules had just come into 

effect in the UK, They are now well 

developed and a number of headline 

grabbing prosecutions have taken 

place. In many cases without an 

accident having occurred. A key 

aspect that the HSE is focusing on 

now is falls from lower heights. It 

is clear that if you are working 20 

metres up in steel works, you are 

unlikely to get away without using 

a serious piece of equipment such 

as a self propelled boom lift. Once 

using such a machine, safety is 

dramatically improved, regardless 

of anything else you might do. 

At heights of up to 2.5 metres 

though, people are far more likely 

to make-do and take risks. 

According to official HSE statistics, 

last year, over 3,700 major injuries 

were recorded from falls at 

An unsual application 

for a lorry loader, this 

big Fassi has been 

adapted for industrial 

machinery installation. 

Big knuckle booms are 

ideal for such work 

c&a 

German company Norbert Wienold, 

has introduced a modification 

kit for the Genie Superlift, which 

allows it to be used in a reversed 

position so that 

it can lift up close 

to walls and 

other obstacles. 

workplaces across the UK, with 

almost 70 percent of those injuries 

coming as a result of working at 

heights of two metres or less. 

In the preceding article we covered 

self propelled lifts designed for 

lower heights, such lifts are also 

ideal for getting into tight areas. 

In some large plants maintenance 

workers use such lifts as a form of 

transport, carrying their tools and 

equipment to the work area and 

should they need to work at height, 

a push of a lever will take them 

right there safely and at the ideal 

height for the work. 

Keep a lift or two on standby 

While it might seem extravagant it 

is worth-while hiring in a few aerial 

lifts that are suited to your buildings 

and having them on standby during 

the shutdown/refit period. You will 

be surprised how often they are 

used and how much time they will 

save. In addition, when you need 

to reach something, it will be done 

safely. Many accidents are caused 

when a very short job needs to be 

done at height. To call and arrange 

the hire of an aerial lift is seen as 

too time consuming, not to mention 

expensive. So corners are cut, 

someone stands on a forklift, or 

uses a ladder inappropriately. 

We have all done it… just think 

an accident will cost a great deal 

more and the court procedures that 

follow a serious accident don’t bear 

thinking about. Putting that aside, 

if you have not already used 

powered access, you will be 

amazed at how much time it 

will save. 

plant shutdown lifting 

A special self propelled cutting tool is 

lifted into an upper floor for refit work at 

a Gatwick airport pier. What crane is it? 

It’s a Hiab 600/7 hired 

from Gatwick Plant 

working with 

18 metres of main 

boom and a nine 

metre 135X jib. 

The crane is 

fitted with full 

remote controls 


29

SED c&a 

30 

cranes & access June July 2006

Second opinion 

pays dividends 

When Portasilo faced the challenge of installing two eight tonne silos 

over the top of two 85 metre chimney stacks at the Ferrybridge power 

station, it called in a major crane hire company to assess the job with 

its engineers. Due to the limited space available to position a crane 

close in, the hire company said that it could not be done, obliging the 

use of a much larger crane working at a long radius. 

The cost of using a much larger crane, possibly a big lattice boomed model, 

would have been far more than the client had banked on. Its engineers 

clearly felt that with very careful planning it might be possible to use a 

smaller telescopic crane. 

Crane Services/Nationwide crane hire, was called in for a second opinion. 

Its lift planning engineer, Andrew Clark, carried out a site evaluation and 

formulated the CAD drawings. The first impressions seemed to confirm the 

first crane hire company’s view, everything seemed to be against a smaller 

crane. The rigging space was very confined to say the least. The only 

position in which to place the crane looked impossible. In spite of this Clark 

was confident that the Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 could do the job. He planned 

the lift on the company’s CAD system and using an 84 metre luffing jib 

on a 26 metre main boom length with 135 tonnes of counterweight installed. 

He figured that the lift could be completed with a maximum radius of 74 

metres. With only millimetres to spare, boom deflection would be critical. 

In the end Clark was proved to be right and the lift worked perfectly to plan. 

Although literally with only millimetres to spare. 

Minimum 

headroom 

When Haas-Tek Services, a specialist machinery installation 

company, had to lift a 25 tonne ‘planing’ machine onto a high plinth, 

with very little headroom, it called in LGH Megalift to help. 

Two problems were highlighted by 

LGH, firstly the ‘planing’ machine 

had to be placed on a three metre 

high plinth and secondly there was 

a lack of available headroom 

within the premises, as the roof 

sloped significantly at one side 

of the building. 

c&a 

Following an engineering study 

it was decided that the machine 

would be installed from the side of 

the plinth, as the angle of the roof 

prevented an end on approach. 

Two lengths of rail track were 

placed running past either end of 

the plinth. As the machine was 

relatively narrow and because a 

second machine was situated in 

close proximity to the back of the 

plinth, only two of the lift cylinders 

from a 4400 jacking system 

were utilised. 

These cylinders were placed upon 

the rails and fitted with a 10 metre 

lifting beam, which had been offset 

upon the jacks in order to maximize 

the roof clearance. Once the jacking 

system had been put in place, the 

client positioned the machine 

alongside the plinth. 

The ‘planing’ machine was constructed 

with an upper control box section, 

containing all the electrical power 

LGH Megalift lowers the ‘planing’ 

machine onto the plinth. 

plant shutdown lifting 

The Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 

with 84 metre luffing jib 

and 26.4 metre main boom. 

cables, which ran along the top of 

the machine. It was essential that 

contact with this section was 

avoided. So lifting slings were 

passed over the top flange of the 

lifting beam and the sharp edges 

were “softened” with large semi 

circular tubes. 

Once the rigging had been 

successfully attached, the machine 

was lifted and temporary supports 

introduced underneath. This enabled 

the slings to be readjusted to 

accommodate the tight headroom 

before the final lift took place. 

The Megalift jacks then hoisted the 

machine above the plinth, before 

tracking along the rails to complete 

the operation by placing the ‘planer’ 

in its final position on the plinth. 

‘We were impressed with this solution 

which was selected in preference 

to other options for safety reasons 

and to minimise disruption to other 

site activities,’ said Jim Bell, 

managing director, Haas-Tek. 


31


How to remove over 300 tonnes 

of press in a closed building 

Lamberton Engineering, a 

specialist press manufacturer, 

was contracted to dismantle and 

remove a large press from the 

premises of Motherwell Bridge 

in Glasgow. 

The press comprised a machine 

bed situated within a concrete 

base. Four eight metres high “tie 

rods” or shafts, one at each 

corner, made the job particularly 

difficult. A 105 tonne press crown 

was fixed to the top of them, while 

an adjustable table, weighing 75 

tonnes, slid up and down. 

Lamberton sub-contracted the lift 

to LGH Megalift which then faced 

the challenge of lifting the crown 

off and lifting the table up and over 

the top of the rods. Following an 

engineering study LGH Megalift 

developed a cost effective solution. 

Two lengths of track were placed 

on either side of the press and 

Megalift jacking cylinder modules 

were installed upon them. The 

cylinders were connected across 

the rails by two 12 metre beams. 

Two additional beams were 

positioned on top of the 12 metre 

units, both passing under the 

crown. This allowed the Megalift 

jacks to extend sufficiently to push 

the crown clear of the tie rods 

by almost a metre. 

The crown was then tracked clear 

of the press body and lowered. 

However, as the jacks had lifted the 

crown from underneath, the crown 

was still 4.5 metres in the air when 

they were retracted. 

To overcome this, a second 

Megalift jacking system was 

pre-erected in front of the press 

to support the weight of the crown 

whilst the first system was re - 

rigged and positioned over the 

crown so that it could lift it from 

the top and then track it further into 

the building. At that point heavy 

transport was reversed under the 

crown allowing it to be lowered 

onto the vehicle and removed. 

The 75 tonne table was removed in a 

similar manner. As soon as Lamberton 

had removed the tie rods, the base 

could be freed from the concrete. 

The operation was then successfully 

completed by lifting the base and 

loading it onto the transport. 

‘We were impressed with the 

solution provided by LGH Megalift. 

The clever application and versatility 

of the Megalift system meant that 

we were able to overcome the 

problem of restricted access 

quickly, enabling the demolition 

works to be completed on schedule,’ 

said Colin Totten, project engineer 

for Lamberton Engineering. 

A forest of jacking cylinders and tie rods, the 

Megalift jacking systems proved to be a cost 

effect lifting solution to dismantle the press in 

spite of its limited height.

Mondi has installed two 50 tonne 

cranes with tandem hoists and full 

data overload and data display 

50 tonne cranes 

use tandem hoists 

Austrian paper company, Mondi, has taken delivery of two 50 tonne 

overhead cranes at its paper production site in Hungary. The cranes 

were installed by the Budapest based crane specialist ECO-Cranes 

and the Mannheim based hoisting specialist SWF Krantechnik GmbH. 

The cranes’ task is to transport finished paper rolls, which weigh up to 

40 tonnes from production to storage location. The two double girder cranes 

of spar box construction have a span of 24 metres each and a lift capacity 

of 50 tonnes. Each crane features two 25 tonne Nova NF electric wire 

rope hoists. The two hoists operate in tandem to transport the paper rolls. 

The hoists are equipped with an electronic hoist monitoring system, the 

Nova Master which, says the company, makes smooth lifting and stopping 

of the load easy. The system is similar to the standard frequency inverters 

for crane and trolley drive. The user can read all data concerning the hoist, 

such as current load on hook, current number of starts, operating hours 

logged, remaining safe working period, or the current temperature of the 

hoisting motors, via a display on the control panel or remote control box. 

World biggest bore 

An Alimak SE-450 lift has been 

installed in the world’s largest 

tunnel boring machine (TBM). As the 

worlds largest, the manufacturer 

expected it to have a large number 

of visitors, so the lift was installed 

to transport people and materials 

between the three floors within 

the massive machine. Apparently 

it is the first time that a lift has 

been installed in a TBM. 

The S-300 EPB Shield is 

manufactured by Herrenknecht AG 

and is going to work on a new, 

3.65km tunnel that is part of the 

re-routing of the M-30 motorway 

around Madrid. The TBM weighs 

The rack and 

pinion lift covers 

the three floors 

within the TBM 

4,364 tonnes and has an excavation 

diameter of 15.20 metres. It also 

possesses the highest torque ever 

installed in a TBM. 

The lift is a standard Alimak SE-450 

DOL with a capacity of 450kg and a 

lifting height of nine metres. 

A second 15 metre TBM weighing 

4,000 tonnes and manufactured by 

Mitsubishi/FCM of Japan, is being 

used on another part of the M-30. 

The manufacturer ordered an 

Alimak SE300 DOL lift for this 

tunneller following the news that 

the Herrenknecht was to be 

equipped with one. 

The S-300 EPB Shield, manufactured 

by Herrenknecht AG is fitted with an Alimak lift 


33

On the ball 

around the world 

SADDLE JIB CRANES | LUFFING JIB CRANES | SERVICE | MADE IN GERMANY 

Crane-sational WOLFFKRAN technology is in use throughout the world – like here, for example, 

for building the new Wembley Stadium in London. Whatever you want to build – stadium or 

WOLFFKRAN. Der Leitwolf 

city high-rise – as far as construction site efficiency is concerned WOLFFKRAN will take you 

into the lead. 

To find out more about WOLFFKRAN: Tel. +49 7131 9815-0 or www.wolffkran.com 

WOLFFKRAN. The leader of the pack.

Cranes 

Telescopic Handlers 

Lorry loaders 

Accessories 

and safety gear 

Access Equipment 


UK & 

Ireland 

2006 dealer guide

Our aim is to continue to build the guide into a highly useful reference tool, not only for end users based in 

the UK and Ireland, but also for manufacturers seeking to enter the UK/Irish market and as a useful source guide 

for our rapidly increasing readership in mainland Europe. 

Once again we would very much appreciate your input, informing us of any omissions or errors, of which 

there are certain to be a few. 

UK & Ireland dealer guide 

Last year we introduced our new format four page UK/Ireland dealer guide to such a positive 

response that we have added to it this year, by breaking it into subsections to make it more 

of a quick reference source guide. 

Mobile Cranes 

Manufacturer Production UK UK Ireland Ireland 

/ Brand Base Distributor Telephone Distributor Telephone 

Demag Germany Terex Demag UK 020-82317400 Terex Demag UK 004420-82317400 

Grove France Manitowoc UK 01895 430053 Manitowoc UK 00441895 430053 

Kato Japan Kranlyft UK 0117 9826661 Kranlyft UK 0044117 9826661 

Liebherr Germany Liebherr GB 01767 602167 Liebherr GB 0044117 9826661 

Locatelli Italy Valla UK 01482 227333 Valla UK 00441482 227333 

Luna Spain Not distributed 

Ormig Italy Crowland cranes 01733-210561 Crowland cranes 00441733-210561 

PPM France Terex Demag UK 0186-9232443 Terex Demag UK 0044186-9232443 

Sennebogen Germany EH Hassell & Sons 01782 644299 00441782 644299 

Spierings Holland Spierings Holland 0031-412626964 John Rome 0031-412626964 

Tadano-Faun Germany Cranes UK 01226-731500 Cranes UK 00441226-731500 

Terex Germany Terex Demag UK 020-82317400 Terex Demag UK 004420-82317400 

Valla Italy Valla UK 01482 227333 Valla UK 00441482 227333 

Crawler Cranes 



Demag Germany Terex Demag UK 020-82317400 Terex Demag UK 004420-82317400 

Hitachi-Sumitomo Japan NRC 01375 361616 NRC 00441375 361616 

IHI Japan AGD Equipment Ltd 01789 292227 AGD 00441789 292227 

Kobelco Japan Kobelco cranes Europe 01473 716302 00441473 716302 


Manitowoc USA Manitowoc UK 01895 430053 Manitowoc UK 00441895 430053 

Mini Cranes 



Benelli gru Italy no distribution No Distribution 

Imai Italy direct 00390 438430171 direct 00390 438430171 

Italmec Italy PowerLift 01480 407771 Powerlift UK 00441480 407771 

Kegiom Italy wanted 00390 143822031 wanted 00390 143822031 

Maeda Japan Kranlyft UK 0117 9826661 Kranlyft UK 0044117 9826661 

Palazzani Italy PASS 0845 230 0903 PASS 0044845 230 0903 

UNIC Japan Unic Cranes Europe 01844 202071 Unic Cranes Europe 00441844 202071 

Tower Cranes 



Arcomet Belgium Airtek cranes Ltd 01252 360550 Airtek Safety ( Ireland) Ltd 066 9152390 

Benazzato Italy Falcon Crane Hire 01362 821048 Quality Hire 01 4010111 

Cattaneo Italy Weaving Machinery 01386 49155 Weaving Machinery 00441386 49155 

Cobra Switzerland Not distributed 0041266 751530 Not distributed 0041266 751530 

Comansa Spain City Lifting 01708 805550 00441708 805550 

FB Gru Italy Dunham Crane Hire 01706 828285 Dunham Crane Hire 01706 828285 

FM Gru Italy wanted 00390 523510446 wanted 00390 523510446 

Jaso Spain Falcon Crane Hire 01362 821048 00441362 821048 

Jost Germany MTI-Lux SA 00352-26745480 MTI-Lux SA 00352-26745480 

Kroll cranes Denmark direct 00 454818 7400 direct 00 454818 7400 


Mantis UK Manits 00353 749149981 Manits 00353 749149981 

Peiner Germany Select Plant 01375 390666 Select 00441375 390666 

Potain France Manitowoc-Potain UK 01895 430053 00441895 430053 

Potain France Arcomet UK 00441767677511 Arcomet 00441767677511 

Potain S-E France Midland Crane 07799 824182 Midland Crane 00447799 824182 

Raymondi-SMIE Italy Vanson Cranes 01476 861011 Vanson Cranes 00441476 861011 

Spierings Holland Spierings Holland 0031-412626964 John Rome 0031-412626964 

SAEZ Spain London Tower Crane 020 83274060 London Tower Crane 004420 83274060 

Terex Comedil Italy Select Plant 013575 390666 Select 004413575 390666 

Vanson UK Vanson Cranes 01476 861011 Vanson Cranes 00441476 861011 

Wolffkran Germany HTC 0049-713198150 HTC 0049-713198150 

Zoom Lion China Zoom Lion UK 01795 425425 Zoom Lion UK 00441795 425425

Lorry Loaders 



Amco Veba Italy Tip N Lift 01473 747222 Tip N Lift 00441473 747222 

Atlas Terex Germany Atlas Terex UK 0870 0556700 TBF Thompson Plant Ltd 01 6715711 

Cormach Italy Earnest Doe 01245 380311 Doe 00441245 380311 

Effer Italy CTE UK 01924 2681103 CTE UK 00441924 2681103 

Effer Marine Italy Preffered Ltd. (marine) 01634-297733 Preffered Ltd. (marine) 00441634-297733 

Fassi Italy Fassi UK 01926 889779 Fassi UK 00441926 889779 

Hiab Sweden Hiab UK 01691 623100 Cahir House Machinery 052 41 300 

HMF Denmark HMF UK Ltd 01733 558145 HMF UK 00441733 558145 

Palfinger Austria TH White 01380 722381 Palfinger Ireland 0506-52525 

Palfinger Austria Outreach-Scotland 01324 888900 Palfinger Ireland 0506-52525 

Pesci Italy Crane Sales Ltd 0161 272 6699 056 31332 

PM autogru Italy Technocrane Ltd. 01246 856900 Looby Bros Johnston Ltd. 

Penny Hydraulics UK Penny Hydraulics 01246 811475 Penny Hydraulics 0044 1246 811475 

Self-Propelled Boom Lifts 



Aerial UK Tanfield 0191 4871311 Tanfield 0044191 4871311 

Aichi Japan Aichi Europe 0031-162431543 Achi Europe 0031-162431543 

Airo Italy No dealer 0039-0522977365 No dealer 0039-0522977365 

Basket Italy Promax 01226 716657 Promax 0044 1226 716657 

Dino Finland Promax 01226 716657 Promax 0044 1226 716657 

Genie USA Genie Europe 01476 584333 Genie Europe 0044 1476 584333 

Haulotte France Haulotte UK 01952 292753 Haulotte UK 01952 292753 

Iteco Italy SEV 0191 4871311 SEV 0044 191 4871311 

JLG USA-Belgium JLG UK 0870 2007700 Access Platform Sales 074 9721017 

Kesla Finland AJ Access Ltd 01291 423930 Height for Hire 01835 2835 

Leguan Finland APS 01480 891 251 APS 00441480 891 251 

Lehmann Germany Seeking 0049-4884903131 Seeking 0049-4884903131 

Manitou France Russon Access 01384 482492 NA 0044 1384 482492 

Manitou France Manitou Sitelift Ltd 01202 825331 Manitou Sitelift Ltd 0044 1202825331 

Matilsa Spain Seeking 0034-976535093 Seeking 0034-976535093 

Nifty UK Niftylift Ltd 01908-223456 Aerial 0044 1908 223456 

Skyhigh Belgium SkyKing 01536 403140 SkyKing 00441536 403140 

Skyjack Canada Skyjack UK 01691 676235 Skyjack UK 00441691 676235 

Snorkel Holland APS 01480 891251 APS 0044 1480 891251 

Tadano Japan direct 0049 9123 1850 direct 0049 9123 1850 

Toucan France JLG UK 0870 2007700 JLG UK 0044870 2007700 

UpRight UK-Tanfield UpRight UK 01925-685200 Upright Ireland 01 620 9300 

Scissor Lifts 



Access-Zipper UK Access Industries 01422874534 Access Industries 00441422874534 

Aichi Japan Aichi Europe 0031-162431543 Achi Europe 0031-162431543 

Airo Italy No dealer 0039-0522977365 No dealer 0039-0522977365 

Bravi Italy APS 01480 891251 wanted 0039-0717819090 

Faraone Italy Max Access 01865 373566 Max Access 00441865 373566 



Holland Lift Holland Russon Access 01384 482492 Russon Access 00441384 482492 

Iteco Italy SEV 0191 4871311 SEV 0044 191 4871311 


Kreitzler Germany No dealer 0049-2302698418 No dealer 0049-2302698418 

Liftlux Belgium JLG UK 0870 2007700 JLG UK 0044870 2007700 


MEC USA MEC Europe 0031-786521765 MEC Europe 0031-786521765 

Omega Holland direct 0031-174525998 direct 0031-174525998 

Oxley group Italy wanted 00390 171857036 wanted 00390 171857036 

PB Germany Materials Movement Ltd 00353 18241893 Materials Mov.Ltd 01 8241893 

Pop-Up UK Pop Up 01244 833 111 Pop Up 00441244 833 111 

Skyjack Canada Skyjack UK 01691 676235 Skyjack UK 00441691 676235 

Snorkel USA APS 01480 891251 APS 0044 1480 891251 

Tadano Germany direct 0049 9123 185-0 direct 0049 9123 185-0 


One Man Push Around Lifts 



Bil Jax USA wanted 001419445 8915 wanted 001 419445 8915 

Böcker Germany Pfaff Silverblue 0151-6090099 Pfaff Silverblue 0151-6090099 

Faraone Italy Max Access 01865 373566 Max Access 01865 373566 



JLG USA-France JLG UK 0870 2007700 Access Platform Sales 074 9721017

Trailer Lifts 



Aerial UK Tanfield 0191 4871311 Tanfield 0044191 4871311 

Bil Jax USA wanted 001 419445 8915 wanted 001 419445 8915 

Böcker Germany Pfaff Silverblue 0151-6090099 Pfaff Silverblue 0044151-6090099 

Custers Holland No dealer 0031478 553000 No dealer 0031478 553000 

Denka Denmark Facelift 01444 882127 Direct 0045-66131100 

Dino Finland Promax 01226 716657 Promax 0044 1226 716657 

Falck Schmidt Denmark direct 0045-66131100 direct 0045-66131100 

Genie Genie Europe Genie Europe 01476 584333 Genie Europe 0044 1476 584333 




Matilsa Spain Seeking 0034-976535093 Seeking 0034-976535093 

Nifty UK Niftylift Ltd 01908-223456 Aerial 0044 1908 223456 

Omme Denmark APS 01480 891 251 APS 0044 1480 891 251 

Paus Germany Not distributed Not Distributed 

SkyHigh Belgium SkyKing 01536 403140 SkyKing 00441536 403140 

Snorkel Holland APS 01480 891251 APS 0044 1480 891251 

Teupen Germany Ranger Equipment 0870 2255554 Ranger Equipment 0044870 2255554 

Thomas Belgium Not distributed Not distributed 


Crawler Spider Lifts 



Basket Italy Promax 01226 716657 Promax 00441226 716657 

BlueLift Italy Cherry Picker 00353 18354788 Cherry Picker 01 8354788 

Cela Italy Promax 01226 716657 Promax 00441226 716657 

CTE Italy CTE UK Ltd 01924 268103 CTE UK Ltd 0044 1924 268103 

Falck Schmidt Denmark direct 0045-66131100 direct 0045-66131100 

Hinowa Gold lift Italy APS 01480 891 251 APS 0044 1480 891251 

Imai Italy direct 00390 438430171 direct 00390 438430171 

Italmec Italy Powerlift UK Ltd 01480 407771 Powerlift UK 00441480 407771 

Leader Italy wanted 00390 522619270 wanted 00390 522619270 

Leguan Finland APS 01480 891 251 APS 00441480 891 251 

Lionlift Italy IJ Access 01788 510747 IJ Access 00441788 510747 

Nifty Niftylift Ltd Niftylift Ltd 01908-223456 Aerial 0044 1908 223456 

Oil&Steel Italy Oil&Steel UK Ltd 020 78712700 Oil&Steel UK Ltd 0044 20 78712700 

Oil&Steel - End Users Italy Panther platforms 0845 0611999 Cherry Picker 01 8354788 

Omme Denmark APS 01480 891 251 APS 0044 1480 891 251 

Palazzani Italy PASS 0845 230 0903 PASS 0044845 230 0903 

RAM Italy Gardner Denver 01274 683131 Gardner Denver 0039 0543 44947 

Socage Italy Allan Access 1858 469400 Allan Access 00441858 469400 


TrucK Mounted Lifts 



Access-Zipper UK Access Industries 01422874534 Access Industries 00441422874534 

Ascendant UK Blueline Access Ltd 01926-484173 Blueline Access Ltd 00441926-484173 

Altec USA Allen Access 01858 469400 Allen Access 00441858 469400 

Bison-Palfinger Germany TH White 01380 722381 Palfinger Ireland 0506-52525 

Bison-Palfinger Germany Outreach Scotland 01324 889000 

Bizzocchi Italy Allan Access 01858 469400 Allen Access 00441858 469400 

Bronto Finland Blueline Access Ltd 01926-484173 Blueline Access Ltd 00441926-484173 

Barin Italy 0039-495971300 0039-495971300 

Cela Italy Promax 01226 716657 Promax 00441226 716657 

CTE Italy CTE UK Ltd 01924 268103 CTE UK Ltd 0044 1924 268103 

Dino lift Finland Promax 01226 716657 Promax 00441226 716657 

Esda Germany wanted 0049 55138590 wanted 0049 55138590 

Gardner Denver UK Gardner Denver UK 01274 683131 Gardner Denver UK 00441274 683131 

Gardner Denver UK Outreach Scotland 01324 889000 

GSR Italy SkyKing 01536 403140 SkyKing 0044 1536 403140 

Isoli Italy Manlift Ireland 0039-0499438611 Manlift Cork 021 4311332 

LionLift Italy IJ Access 01788 510747 IJ Access 00441788 510747 

Moog Germany direct 0049-755593327 direct 0049-755593327 

Multitel-Pagliero Italy Access Industries 01422874534 Access Industries 00441422874534 

Nifty UK Allan Access 01858 469 400 Allan Access 01858 469 400 

Oil&Steel Italy Panther platforms 0845 0611999 Cherry Picker 01 8354788 

Oil&Steel Italy Oil&Steel UK Ltd 020 78712700 Oil&Steel UK Ltd 0044 20 78712700 

Pagliero Italy Access Industries 01422874534 Access Industries 00441422874534 

Power Lift UK Powerlift UK Ltd 01480 407771 Powerlift UK 00441480 407771 

Powered Access UK See Gardner Denver 1274 683131 See Gardner Denver 00441274 683131 

Priestman UK See Gardner Denver 1274 683131 See Gardner Denver 00441274 683131 

RAM Italy Gardner Denver 01274 683131 Gardner Denver 0039 0543 44947 

Ruthmann Germany ASI 0871 8714284 ASI 0871 8714284 

Skyking UK SkyKing 01536 403140 Skyking 0044 1536 403140 

Socage Italy Allen Access 01858 469 400 Allen Access 00441858 469400 

Tecchio Italy wanted 00390 42990648 Mr Pietro Tecchio 00390 42990648 


Versalift Denmark Versalift UK 01536 721010 Versalift UK 00441536 721010 

Wumag Germany SkyKing 01536 403140 SkyKing 0044 1536 403140

Mast Climbers 



Alimak Sweden Alimak-Hek UK 01933 354700 Alimak-Hek UK 00441933 354700 

AS Climber Spain direct +34 91 84 143 25 direct +34 91 84 143 25 

Böcker Germany Pfaff-silberblau Ltd. 0151-6090099 Pfaff-silberblau Ltd. 0044 1516090099 

Camac Spain direct 0034 93 7771050 direct 0034 93 7771050 

Electroelsa Italy direct 0039-0577984364 direct 0039-0577984364 

Euroscaff Italy direct 0039 423 950 262 direct 0039 423 950 262 

Fraco Canada Universal Sky Platforms 020 88854442 Universal Sky platforms 0044 20 88854442 

Geda Germany Haki Ltd 01827 285525 Haki Ltd 0044 1827 285525 

Goian Spain wanted 0034 902 365284 wanted 0034 902 365284 

Haki Sweden Haki Machine Ltd 01827 25 90 00 Haki Machine Ltd 00441827 25 90 00 

Hek Holland Alimak-Hek UK 01933 354700 Alimak-Hek UK 0044 1933 354700 

Maber Italy Immer Direct UK 01902 353252 Maber 0039 0444660871 

MP-Haki Sweden Haki Machine Ltd 01 827 25 90 00 Haki Machine Ltd 00441827 25 90 00 

Patti Italy direct 0039 041 927824 direct 0039 041 927824 

Rovers Italy wanted 0039-0897724134 wanted 0039-0897724134 

Safi Italy Insa International +39 423 639 321 Insa International 0039 423 639 321 

Scanclimber Finland Scanclimber (UK) Ltd 01505 702600 Scanclimber (UK) Ltd 00441505 702600 

SMEA.N. 0039 081 281030-283030 

Telehandlers 



Bobcat Belgium Bobcat UK 01942 500030 Bobcat Europe 0032 208723 0161 

Caterpillar UK Finning UK 01543 461461 McCormick Macnaughton 01 464-3500 

Claas Germany Claas UK 01284-763100 Harvest Machinery 

Dieci Italy Dieci Ltd 028 30821230 Dieci Ltd 028 30821230 

Genie Italy Genie Europe 01476 584333 Genie Europe 0044 1476 584333 

Haulotte Italy Haulotte UK 01952 292753 Haulotte UK 01952 292753 

JCB UK JCB Ltd 01889 590312 Contact UK 01889 590312 

JLG Belgium JLG UK Ltd 0870 2007700 JLG UK 

Liebherr Austria Liebherr GB Ltd 01767 602167 Liebherr GB Ltd 01767 602167 

Lionlift Italy IJ Access 01788 510747 IJ Access 00441788 510747 

Manitou France Manitou sitelift ltd 01202 825331 Manitou sitelift ltd 00441202 825331 

Merlo Italy Merlo UK Ltd 01425 480806 Merlo UK Ltd 01425 480806 

Terex Italy Genie Europe 01476 584333 Genie Europe 01476 584333 

VHS Manirail Holland direct 00 31497 331033 direct 00 31497 331033 

Alloy Towers 



Aliscaff UK Aliscaff Ltd. 020 8808 5005 

Alto UK Alto Tower Systems Ltd 01527 596644 Carey Lifting Gear 01 4567773 

Altrex UK Not interested NI Not interested NI 

Euro Tower UK Euro Tower Ltd 01604 644774 Euro Tower Ltd 00441604 644774 

Frigerio Italy 0039-035525115 0039-035525115 

Haki Sweden Haki Machine Ltd 01 827 25 90 00 Haki Machine Ltd 00441827 25 90 00 

Layher Germany Layher Ltd 01462 475100 Layher Ltd 00441462 475100 

NSG-Eiger UK NSG 01244 833100 NSG 00441244 833100 

Svelt Italy wanted 00 39035681663 wanted 00 39035681663 

Turner Access UK Turner Access 0141 309 5555 Turner Access 0044141 309 5555 

UpRight Ireland UpRight UK 01925-685200 Upright Ireland 01 620 9300 

Youngman UK Youngman 01621745912 Youngman 00441621745912 

Zarges Germany Zarges UK Ltd 01908 641118 Zarges UK Ltd 0044 1908 641118 

Lifting Gear 



Al-Vac Al-Vac UK Ltd 0870 2418772 Al-Vac UK Ltd 0870 2418772 

Enerpac Enerpac Ltd 01527 598 900 Enerpac Ltd 00441 527 598 900 

Hydrospex direct 0031 742422045 direct 0031 742422045 

LGH LGH Megalift 01942 898068 LGH Megalift 00441942 898068 

Liftsystems CLAXTON Int'l 01244 661000 CLAXTON Int'l 0041244 661000 

Probst Probst UK 01939 235325 Probst UK 00441939 235325 

Scanlift Scanlift Ltd 01206 396111 Scanlift Ltd 00441206 396111 

Sumner Lift Sumner UK 01952 815730 Sumner UK 0044 1952815730

Components & Accessories 



3B6 3B6 UK 01482 227333 3B6 UK 00441482 227333 

Autec wanted 00390 444901000 00390 444901000 

Ascorel direct 0033 474576263 direct 0033 474576263 

Boscaro wanted 00390 444866520 wanted 00390 444866520 

BPE wanted 00390 522662357 wanted 00390 522662357 

Casar wanted 00 49 68418091350 IRE 00 49 68418091350 

Conquip Conquip 01420 488835 Conquip 00441420 488835 

Crosby Crosby UK 01226 290516 Crosby UK 00441226 290516 

Dakota Shine Future Products ltd 01935 863377 Future Products 00441935 863377 

Deutz Deutz UK Ltd 020 8781 7246 

Dyno Dyno Belgium 00 3256617977 Dyno Belgium 00 3256617977 

Eco Outrigger Pads PLC Sales 01449 674154 PLC Sales 00441449 674154 

G. Fluid Seeking 00390 59828543 Mr Mauro Guglielmi 00390 59828543 

Hatz Hatz GB Ltd 01455 622100 

HBC Radiomatic Crane Care Ltd 0121 333 39 95 Crane Care Ltd 0121 333 39 95 

Hetronic HQ Joysticks Ltd 01733 311997 JMG Systems Ltd. 0044 2882244-31 

Hirschmann PAT Kruger BV 31 7364433-66 PAT Kruger BV 31 7364433-66 

IGUS IGUS UK Ltd 01604 490000 IGUS UK Ltd 00441604 490000 

Imet Simal Ltd 01663 732496 Simal Ltd 00441663 732496 

Knott Knott Ltd 01283 531541 

Kubota Kubota UK 01844 268151 

Loadlift Loadlift ltd 01225 671187 Loadlift ltd 00441225 671187 

Lombardini Lombardini UK Ltd 01865 793299 

Moba direct 0049-643195770 direct 0049-643195770 

Nylacast Nylacast Ltd 0116 2768558 Nylacast Ltd 0044116 2768558 

Optima Batteries Four Leaf batteries 01953 881330 

PAT PAT Kruger BV 0031 7364433-66 PAT Kruger BV 0031 7364433-66 

Penny & Giles Penny & Giles Ltd 01495 202000 Penny & Giles Ltd 00441495 202000 

Rugged Solutions Rugged Solutions Ltd 0208 2625595 Rugged Solutions 0044208 2625595 

Sarum Mats Sarum Hardwood 01264 811005 Sarum Hardwood 00441264 811005 

Secatol Skips Whitney Engineering 01785 282811 

Sevcon Sevcon UK 0191 497 9000 Sevcon UK 0044191 497 9000 

Smie Cranesafe Ltd 01483 894 136 Cranesafe Ltd 0044 1483894136 

Span Set Span Set Ltd 01606 737494 Span Set Ltd 00441606 737494 

Tecsis direct 0049695 8060 direct 0049695 8060 

Tele radio Tele Radio UK Ltd 01663 732200 Tele Radio UK Ltd 00441663 732200 

Trojan Batteries Energy 01536 408901 Energy 00441536 408901 

US Batteries Manbat 01743 460790 Manbat 00441743 460790 

Welex outrigger mats direct 0031347 341215 direct 0031347 341215 

Discontinued Brands 



Condor TIME Versalift UK 0153-6721010 Versalift UK 0044 153-6721010 

Delta Now JLG JLG UK 0870 2007700 JLG UK 0044870 2007700 

Simon Genie Europe Genie UK 0147-65843350 Genie UK 0147-65843350 

ABM Haulotte Haulotte UK 01952 292753 Haulotte UK 01952 292753 

Grove Manlift JLG JLG UK 0870 2007700 JLG UK 0044870 2007700 

cranes 

&access 

The Vertikal Press 

PO box 6998 Brackley 

NN13 5WY. UK 

Tel: +44(0)8707 740436 

Fax: +44(0)1295 768223 

email: info@vertikal.net 

web: www.vertikal.net

Fish to 

the North, 

Sheep to 

the South 

In what we hope will become a 

regular feature that looks at local 

hire companies that are changing 

and evolving their businesses, 

Pam Penny visited North Wales 

based Bob Francis Crane Hire. 

Bob Francis entered the news 

recently when it purchased the 

first Kobelco built Manitowoc 

crawler crane in Europe. In the 

past two and half years the 

company has invested heavily in 

crawler cranes bucking the trend 

for mobile hirers to leave crawler 

crane hire to specialists. 

C&A joined three generations of 

the Bob Francis family at their 

Rhuddlan base as they proudly 

took delivery of the Manitowoc 80 

tonne 8500E. The new crane takes 

the crawler fleet to seven, ranging 

from the five tonne IHI CCH50T to 

the new 80 tonner. The 27 unit 

mobile fleet ranges from eight to 

100 tonnes. 

Bob Francis and Neil Roberts, Crane Operator with the company 

for 15 years, next to their beloved Hydrocon 8T Marksman 

bought in 1972 - “I want it refurbished” said Bob Francis. 

c&a 

face to face 

(L to R): Luke Francis, Mark Francis, Karl Kirkpatrick (Crane-Credit), Ross Wilson 

(Grove Europe) and Bob Francis 

A bit of history 

The Bob Francis Crane Hire company 

started in 1981 and expanded on 

the back of the A55 development 

starting with the five year Conwy 

Tunnel project. As the sole providers 

of cranes for the project, the work 

was guaranteed and introduced it 

to ‘blue chip’ companies, such as 

the British Nuclear Group. 

“The geography is not brilliant here 

- fish to the north and sheep to the 

south and neither want cranes!” 

says Bob Francis. In spite of this 

the company now employs 52 

people at three locations, Rhuddlan, 

Anglesey and Deeside. It is 

considering adding to its depot 

network to expand into new areas, 

particularly as the company is a 

member of the National Crane Hire 

Group, providing national coverage 

for its customers. 

Business predominantly comes 

from the construction sector, but 

the company is working hard to 

maintain a healthy mix across 

various industries, including the 

electrical and transformer markets. 

Growth areas for the company 

include air-conditioning and 

contract lifting plus specialist lifting 

frames for moving thousands of 

caravans every year which secures 

a steady flow of business from tourism. 

Why Crawlers? 

Ten to fifteen years ago the 

company had 30 tonne NCK 

Pennines which ‘reached their 

sell-by date and simply died off’. 

Then, spotting a niche in the market 

some two and a half years ago, the 

company decided to invest again 

in crawlers. The demand created 

justified further investment. 

The Francis family say that the 

crawlers are opening up new 

avenues with contractors, “the 

company is becoming a one-stop 

shop for mobiles and crawlers. 

For example we currently have 

three crawlers and four mobiles 

on a shopping centre site in the 

North West. 

Demand for smaller cranes 

has fallen, Hiab type cranes and 

telehandlers are now used for 

house-building, taking mobile 

cranes off of housing sites” 

says Mark Francis. 

What Next? 

The company has invested 

£2 million in new equipment this 

year and is planning to expand its 

transport division with specialist 

trailers. “We don’t want to stand 

still. If you want a successful 

business you have to keep it 

moving” continued Mark. It is also 

considering adding training services. 


43

face to face c&a 

The Head of the Family 

During our visit Bob Francis sat 

at the head of the table smoking 

his pipe, relaxed and happy to 

talk about the company, his 

family and even himself. 

“I’ve been told ‘I’m old fashioned’ 

and I don’t use email”. He has one 

of those faces that holds character 

and as he talks about his working 

life which included the police force 

and a spell as a private investigator, 

he recalls his first days in the 

crane business with 19 hour 

working days and few health and 

safety rules to adhere to. He 

speaks his native Welsh and is 

a firm believer in really knowing 

his customers. 

He refers to his wife Hefin of 49 

years as ‘she who must be obeyed’ 

and you get the distinct impression 

that this man, who has built his 

business on traditional family 

values, reputation and service is 

still doing just that 25 years on. 

44 


Ready for Change 

Bob’s son, Mark Francis, 39, has 

now taken over the commercial 

and operational reigns of the 

business and is implementing some 

fresh ideas, including a new logo, 

livery, and communication 

materials including a revamped 

website. He does however hold 

firm with the traditional company 

values of giving a good service, 

knowing people’s names and 

keeping personalities to the fore. 

He has worked with the company for 

twenty years and has just returned 

following a four-year absence. 

Luke Francis, Mark’s son, won’t be 

entering the crane hire world just 

yet. “I want him to learn the 

business ropes elsewhere first and 

get a trade so he is off to work as 

an apprentice carpenter” said Francis. 

Why Manitowoc? 

Getting back to the new 

Manitowoc 8500E we asked Mark 

Francis why the company had 

chosen to purchase this crane from 

Manitowoc, rather than Kobelco? 

Availability perhaps? 

“We have dealt with Grove for 

many years and they have always 

supported us very well. We have 

always had a good relationship 

with the management team. 

Having the machine and the 

credit facility supplied by the 

manufacturer was an obvious 

choice for us. The terms were 

excellent and the deal was good”, 

he replied. Karl Kirkpatrick of 

Crane Credit, (Bank of Scotland) 

The new 80 tonne Manitowoc 8500E. 

worked directly with the Francis 

family to secure the deal. 

Ross Wilson, of Grove/Manitowoc 

was keen to point out that “unlike 

most companies the Manitowoc 

group has local people on the 

ground with local knowledge”. 

There are no doubt many challenges 

for the Francis family business 

in the ever evolving crane hire 

industry but one thing is certain - 

they get to know their customers 

and it seems those customers keep 

coming back for more.

SED 

The 40th SED show held in mid May at its new 

location in Corby generated mixed reviews. 

In simple numbers, the show attracted 20,000 

visitors, down 10 percent or so on last years 

record. Still very respectable and one of the 

best three attendances ever. 

The majority of exhibitors were 

very pleased with the number 

and the quality of visitors. 

The tower crane companies in 

particular had a great show - 

all of them delighted with the 

results. This reflects the 

growing interest within the 

UK and Ireland in self erecting 

tower cranes. 

Everyone agreed that the new 

facility is first class and that the 

organisers had done a superb job. 

However….. The fact that Corby 

council in its infinite wisdom 

allowed a 100,000 capacity 

racetrack to be built without any 

additional road access boggles 

the mind, and as predicted 

caused dreadful traffic problems. 

This was however very predictable, 

and was raised when exhibitors 

were introduced to the site. The 

location managers dismissed the 

problem, stating that the site 

routinely handled 50,000 

attendances a day so 8,000 

would be ’a piece of cake’. Many 

visitors reported spending two to 

three hours to cover the last few 

miles to the showground. Some 

got so angry that they abandoned 

the effort. 

The organisers have said that they 

are working with the local council 

and the police to improve the 

situation next year. Why this was 

not done this year is anyone’s 

guess and a great shame, as it 

took the edge off of what was a 

good show. 

So once inside what 

were the highlights? 

We have already mentioned the 

encouraging forest of crane booms, 

a rare sight at SED in recent years. 

Most of the cranes were tower 

cranes, with City Lifting showing a 

Spierings mobile crane alongside a 

c&a 

generates 

mixed emotions otions 

The queues to get in were longest 

on Wednesday 

City Lifting's Trevor Jepson and son 

Sam on one of two Unic mini cranes 

they exhibited and then purchased 

at the show 

Comansa flat top crane. The unit, 

an LC5010, was one of several 

small rapid erection tower cranes 

on show. Trevor Jepson of City 

Lifting said that for many small 

sites, such cranes are more 

practical than self erectors. He 

pointed out that many builders 

overlook obstacles such as trees, 

which can block the slew circle of 

lower self erecting tower cranes 

with no opportunity to extend the 

tower to pass over the tree. City 

Lifting offers an economical delivery, 

set up and dismantle fee that, it 

says, makes the LC5010 a practical 

and more versatile alternative to 

folding self erectors for many sites. 

The company also announced its 

entry into the mini crane market 

with the purchase of two new 

UNIC cranes, the 200th and 201st 

sold in Europe. 

Vanson sold all three cranes off the stand 

Vanson, the Raimondi distributor 

had one of its best SED’s in a 

while, taking a number of new 

orders and selling all three cranes 

from the stand. 

Paul Phillips on the Potain-Arcomet 

stand, which was situated away 

from most of the other crane 

exhibitors, was delighted with the 

show and expected to close at 

least eight deals from the show. 

(In our last issue where we 

previewed SED we mistakenly said 

Ace Plant demonstrated its new dust 

suppression telehandler attachment 

that the Potain stand was a joint 

venture between Midland and 

Arcomet UK, it was in fact a joint 

Potain/Arcomet NV stand). 


SED 

FB was oddly highlighted on two 

stands - the UK dealer Dunham 

crane and also on the Hos Plant 

stand. It seems Hos Plant has 

sourced FB Gru direct for key 

customers such as Fork Rent 

which has purchased a unit to 

test the waters of this market. 

Oil&Steel shared its stand with 

sister company PM the lorry loader 

company. It was the first outing for 

new sales director Martin Davies, 

previously with Skyjack. It was 

also the first exhibition with 

Panther Platform rentals, its new 

end-user dealer for the UK. One of 

the busiest exhibits was the 17 

metre Octopussy 1765 and 

according to Davies a good 

number of orders were taken at 

the show.The company also had its 

new high tech Eagle truck mounts 

that it had unveiled at Intermat. 

Skyking showed Wumag, GSR and in 

the foreground the latest addition 

Skyhigh with its 10m pick up mount. 

Sky King had a number of new 

products, including the Sky High 

range, for which it is now the UK 

distributor, and truck mounted lift 

exhibits from Wumag and GSR. 

One of the busiest and most 

surprising stands was 

Aerial/UpRight, even though the 

takeover of the UpRight powered 

access range was nowhere near 

completion (that happened on June 

12th). All exhibits were painted 

UpRight blue and branded as 

UpRight. Darren Kell, Tanfield 

45

SED c&a 

An all new Aerial 13m Self propelled 

boom badged for the show as UpRight. 

business development director 

told C&A that the Aerial brand 

will remain, particularly in markets 

where it is strong. The emphasis 

though will be to leverage the 

UpRight name. Kell also said that 

the company had been ‘bowled 

over’ by the strength of goodwill 

towards the UpRight brand 

products and the positive response 

to the takeover. (See news for 

more information on Tanfield’s 

plans with UpRight). 

Italmec used SED as the first 

outing for its new mini crane, 

exhibiting the Heila 999 on the 

PowerLift stand. PowerLift took 

over the sales of Italmec platforms 

and now cranes, after last years 

SED. Powerlift said that the show 

was even better than last year. 

JLG and Genie, while not showing 

any major new products, had 

large and impressive stands and 

seemed relatively happy with the 

volume and the quality of the 

visitors. Versalift introduced a 

new lower cost basic non 

telescopic VRA-35 NF van 

mounted platform as well as 

relaunching an earlier pick up 

mounted lift. 

The show was reasonable for 

lorry loader manufacturers, 

although many said that it was 

not as good as last year. Hiab 

once again hosted the Hiab-Vertikal 

challenge with three skilled 

operators winning £100 each 

and a slew of other prizes not to 

mention the winners cup. 

46 

The Potain 

Igo 50 on the 

Arcomet stand 


The new Italmec/Heila 999 mini crane, 

in prototype form at SED 

The Allan Access stand probably sported the widest range and the 

smallest truck mount at the show, the Nifty V90 on a Piaggio carrier. 

The Huddig 1160D 

Utility platform, 

loader, backhoe… 

and crane? 

Mrs John Coldwell, 

the first lady entrant, 

receives training 

The UpRight stand was far busier than 

Tanfiled could have wished for. 

The Hiab Vertikal Challenge, 

a £100 prize each day 

Rod Abbot of Hitachi-Sumitomo dealer NRC, seals the deals for the first two 

Hitachi SCX 800 HD to be sold in Europe, one (R) to Graham Booth of BPH 

and the other to Clifford Spence of Farrans (Construction) Ltd. of Belfast.


47

SED c&a 

Martin Davies(L) with John Cusak and Pat Brown of Skylift hire after buying 

the first Oil&Steel Octopussy 1765 in Ireland 

Speedy took no time to rebrand 

LGH the generator hirer. 

(L-R) Nick and Ottie Whittle of new 

entrant Working At Height at SED. 

Effer showed its Easy power 30 for a 

3.5 tonne truck with 7.8m outreach 

(L-R) Alan Peck and Terry Marnock 

of Kranlyft UK with John Stalker 

of Caledonian Cranes 

48 


The first CTE Z32 truck mounted lift, sold in the UK 

- to AMP - demonstrates its excellent outreach

gives you 

mor 

more 

more 

specification 

more 

reliability 

Nifty build aerial lifts that offer you 

more than you expect: More outreach, 

More standard features, More choice, 

More reliability, More value for your 

money... and a little bit less with lower 

gross vehicle weights, narrower widths 

and lower operating costs. 

more 

performance 

Head Office: 

Fingle Drive, Stonebridge, 

Milton Keynes, MK13 0ER, England 

Tel: +44 (0)1908 223456 

Fax: +44 (0)1908 312733 

E-mail: sales@niftylift.com 

info@niftylift.com

the new POWER in ACCESS 

• Street Lighting 

• Property Maintenance 

• Amenity Lighting 

• Sign Installation 

• Tree Cutting 

• CCTV 

Van and chassis cab platforms, service, 

training, parts and refurbs - everything you 

need to work safely and efficiently at height. 

Gardner Denver’s expertise means high 

quality, reliable machines with an 

after-sales support second to 

none in the industry. 

Cross Lane, Tong, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD4 OSU. 

Tel: 01274 683131. Fax: 01274 651006. 

E-mail:handusales@eu.gardnerdenver.com 

www.eu.gardnerdenver.com 


Crane Hire & Lifting Services 

•40, 50, and 60 

metre Mobile 

Self Erecting 

Tower Cranes 

•Coming Soon The 

New Spierings 

7 axle with a 5ton 

lifting capacity 

@ 42 metre radius 

•Full Contract 

Lift Services 

•Plant Hire 

•Site Visits with 

Qualified Appointed 

Persons, Accredited 

up to BS7121 

Standards 

•CPA Hires 

•Industrial 

Dismantling 

•Transport 

For further information please contact our Hire Desk On 

0800 389 5646 

Or visit our web site 

www.k-lift.co.uk

Broadband alarm provides 

better alert with less noise 

Brigade Electronics’ has introduced a multi-frequency broadband 

alarm- the BBS-Tek-which it claims alerts people immediately 

to imminent dangers such as reversing or motion alarms. 

According to the company, 

broadband sound is more 

effective as an alarm warning, 

while actively eliminating 

noise pollution. It instantly 

The new 

BBS–Tek promises to 

provide a more effective alert, with less noise. 

pin-points the direction of 

danger because it is only 

heard in and around the 

immediate danger area. 

BBS-tek’s multi-frequency 

range spans from 400 Hz to 

more than 10,000 Hz, avoiding 

the hazard and irritation 

resulting from the current 

shrill narrowband sirens. 

This technology is already in 

place in a variety of high 

security applications, including 

the Pentagon, and U.K. 

airport terminals. 

The fitting of such an alarm 

to cranes, telehandlers and 

Aerial lifts could stop the 

current tendency to 

disconnect the irritating 

alarms currently in use. 

New visual safety 

tagging system 

Ladder Log Safety Tagging System is a simple way to ensure 

that ladders and access equipment is inspected regularly and 

that those inspections are recorded – a requirement of the 

Working at Height Directive 2005. Ladder Log Inspection Tags 

provide a clear visual record of the ladder's inspection history 

and provide an inspection audit trail as required by many 

ISO9000 companies. 

The new 

Ladder Log 

tags come in a 

comprehensive 

starter kit 

The Set Up Pack retails for £19.95 

and includes durable, all weather 

inspection tag holders and high 

visibility orange inspection tags; 

Ladder Log ladder and asset registers 

and detailed inspection checklists; file 

for all documentation and an indelible 

pen for marking tags; It also includes a 

comprehensive guide to inspecting 

ladders and access equipment and a 

simple easy-to-understand guide to 

the legislation and a Ladder Angle to 

check that ladders are being used at the correct angle. 

Refill tags and holders are available from £1.50 each, and both 

bulk orders and bespoke tag design orders can be accommodated. 

c&a 

New 

ladder 

stabiliser 

Since the Work at Height 

Regulations in 2005 employers 

and the self-employed have 

been required by law to 

ensure that additional safeguards 

are used to prevent ladders 

slipping during use. 

Sussex-based Ladder Safety 

Devices (LSD) has developed 

a new ladder system for 

securing leaning ladders. 

Based on Loughborough 

University research, it claims 

to be the only product to pass 

in each of the four identified 

portable ladder ‘failure’ modes. 

The HSE has agreed that a 

ladder stabiliser that complies 

with the Loughborough Test 

procedures can be considered 

‘effective’ and thus meet its 

innovations 

Ladder Ladder Safety Safety 

devices devices has 

introduced introduced new new 

ladder ladder stabilizing stabilizing 

equipment equipment 

requirements as a valid 

means of compliance. LSD 

has also designed a new ladder 

leveller with up to 75mm leveling 

ability in increments of 3mm. 

This provides sufficient 

adjustment to cope with the 

maximum recommended 

slope of 16 degrees. 

The Levellers are fitted with 

sticky rubber feet to cope 

with back-slip far exceeding 

the requirements of the 

Loughborough Test. 

New Safety shop idea 

Facelift, the UK based access rental specialist, has opened the 

first in what it hopes will be a series of ‘safety shops’ starting 

at locations within its Hickstead and Southampton depots. 

The shops will stock a wide 

range of safety equipment 

ranging from boots to harnesses 

to ladders and towers, 

complementing, the company 

says, its hire, training and 

equipment sales. It is also 

guaranteeing its customers 

extremely competitive prices. 

Facelift says that the shops 

inventory and interiors have 

been carefully chosen to 

ensure that people who visit 

Facelift has introduced a new safety shop concept 

have a very different experience 

from normal retail outfits, with 

enhanced staff knowledge 

and expertise, so customers 

are sure they go away with 

the right piece of safety equipment. 

e nquiries 

To contact any of these companies simply visit the “Industry Links” section 

of www.vertikal.net, where you will find direct links to the companies’ web 

sites for up to five weeks after publication. 

To have your company’s new product or service displayed in the 

“Innovations” section of C&A, please send in all information along with 

images to either; Innovations, Cranes & Access, PO Box 6998, Brackley 

NN13 5WY, or alternatively by e-mail to: info@vertikal.net with 

“Innovations” typed in the subject box. 


➜ 

51

Peter Oram passes on 

Peter Oram, a leading light within the 

HSE and the crane industry died on 

Sunday June 25th after struggling with 

cancer for some time. 

No matter what people thought of Peter 

Oram’s various positions on aspects of 

crane safety they all respected him. 

Most liked him, even those who did not 

like some of his decisions. He had a great 

sense of humour and sound judgement, 

something that helped implement safety 

rules, some of which were not always 

popular at the time. 

Those who knew him well say that he had 

a way of making the meetings he chaired, or 

attended, fun. He had a knack for resolving 

tricky regulatory issues on the wider 

European stage and for pushing through 

a pragmatic approach against all the odds. 

His passing is a loss to the industry, his 

funeral was held on Tuesday July 4th at 

14:00, at the Longcroft Christian Fellowship, 

on Merseyside and was followed by a short 

committal at the Landican Crematorium. 

His youngest daughter Alison, speaking 

for the family, said “As a family we are 

very aware of how Peter valued the 

people he met through his work and the 

friendships that developed”. With that in 

mind his funeral was open to anyone 

who was able to make it. 

Do you need 

a top seat 

for your 

application? 

52 

Nationwide 

T H WHITE 

Contact: David Ottaway 01380 722381 

Email: cranes@thwhite.co.uk 

www.thwhite.co.uk 

Nursteed Road Devizes 

Wilts SN10 3EA 

Nationwide 

Wharfedale Road, Euro Way Ind. Est. Bradford. BD4 6SL 

Tel: 0870 017 0606 

Web: www.atlascranes.co.uk 

ALLMI accredited Lorry Loader 

Operator Training Providers 

East 

HMF (UK) Ltd. 

Empson Road, Peterborough. PE1 5UP 

Tel: 01733 558145 Fax: 01733 565869 

Nationwide 

Hiab Ltd 

Cargotec Industrial Park, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9JW 

Tel:01691 626427 Fax: 01691 626472 

e-mail: training.uk@hiab.com • Web: www.hiab.co.uk 

Are your Lorry Loader Operators properly trained? Call a certified ALLMI training provider and Insist on the ALLMI card. 

The training accreditation service of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers 

ALLMI Second Floor Suite, 9 Avon Reach, Monkton Hill, Chippenham, Wiltshire. SN15 1EE 

TEL:01249 659150 email: enquiries@allmi.com web: www.allmi.com 


Peter Oram 1937 – 2006 

Peter Oram was born in London in 

1937, and was educated at Dartford 

County Technical School for Boys; 

he began his career in 1954 as an 

apprentice with the Ministry of 

Supply's Aeronautical Inspection 

Directorate (AID) laboratories in 

Harefield, Middlesex. After completing 

his apprenticeship in 1959, with 

Higher National Certificates in 

Mechanical Engineering and Electrical 

Engineering, he started work as 

an AID inspector monitoring the 

production of military aircraft. 

He spent a year at the Royal Aircraft 

Establishment in Farnborough, where 

he worked on the provision of test 

facilities for Concord, but returned to 

AID, remaining there until 1967, when 

he moved to the Factory Inspectorate 

which later became known as the 

Health and Safety Executive. 

He soon began to specialise in 

cranes, and soon tuned in to industry 

practice and the risks that the sector 

faces. He became well known 

throughout the crane industry, even 

today you will be hard pressed to find 

a person in the UK or International 

crane industry that do not either know 

him well or at least know his name. 

In the 1970’s he was appointed as 

chairman of the British Standards 

Committee for cranes. In this position 

he took on leadership of the 

development of BS7121, the British 

Standards for the Safe Use of Cranes, 

and revolutionised the industry’s 

approach to safety. 

Oram’s contribution to the industry 

continued beyond BS7121, he worked 

on LOLER and standards such as 

BS466. He remained as chairman of 

the British Standards Committee for 

cranes for the rest of his life. 

His growing influence in the crane 

world was reflected in his appointment 

as chairman of the European Crane 

Standards Committee CEN TC 147, 

and then as a key participant in the 

International Standards Committee 

for Cranes, ISO TC 96. 

After leaving his position at the HSE 

in 1994, Oram went on to work as 

an independent consultant and 

Peter Oram accepts his lifetime 

achievement award from Vertikal’s 

Tim Whiteman in 2002 

expert witness, both in the UK and 

internationally. In 2002 he received a 

Lifetime Achievement Award, for his 

promotion of the importance of safety 

in the crane industry. 

He was always very helpful and 

approachable. Whenever we needed 

some background, expertise or input 

at the Vertikal Press on a tricky article, 

Peter would be happy to listen 

and advise and provide as much help 

as we needed. 

He was, what is becoming increasingly 

unusual within the regulatory 

world, or even, to an extent the 

industry as a whole, a ‘Character’’.... 

a big character. 

The crane world is a poorer 

place without him.

Lorry Loader Hire 

The object of the following guidance is to clarify the obligations and duties of both 

parties in a hire/lease contract. This guidance deals with the loader crane only 

and further information should be sought for the vehicle. Before entering into any 

hire agreement, it is important to read and fully understand the contract details. 

Vehicle 

Hire terms and conditions relating to 

the vehicle may be of general industry 

type and may not cover the use of the 

loader crane. It is important to be 

aware of this. 

Loader Crane 

The loader crane must be in good 

working order and have a valid certificate 

of Test and Thorough Examination (this 

may be a copy). The required maintenance 

schedule to be adhered to must be 

provided and you should ensure that 

every lorry loader is checked and 

serviced before each new hire. An 

operator’s manual must also be provided 

with the loader crane and must be read 

and understood by the operator. 

It is important that both parties must 

have a full working knowledge of the 

crane being hired. For the user this 

will allow them to utilise the crane to 

its full potential and ensure it is suitable 

for the job to be performed. In the case 

of the crane hirer, this will allow it to 

sell its service more effectively, and take 

full advantage of any technology which 

might be installed on the crane. 

For example, data acquisition (data 

monitoring) systems are available, 

which store information about the lifting 

duties that the crane has been subjected 

to. This information can be invaluable 

for hire companies, as they can examine 

the usage to which the crane has been 

put by any customer, including any 

overloading. These systems also 

enable the remaining life of the crane 

to be calculated more accurately and 

so obviously provide additional safety. 

Operator 

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting 

Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and 

‘The Health and Safety at Work Act’, 

operators have a legal duty to operate 

loader cranes safely. In order for the 

operator to be fully conversant with the 

operation of the lorry loader, he/she 

must have not only undergone the 

appropriate basic training, but also 

received familiarisation training at the 

point of handover. It is important that 

the operator is familiar with the controls 

and safety systems that are specific to 

that particular lorry loader. Experience 

of operating one make/model of crane 

does not imply an operator will be 

conversant with others, as loader 

crane manufacturers are constantly 

improving their designs. 

In fact, lack of product familiarisation is 

one of the biggest problems facing lorry 

loader hirers. Anthony 

Fensom, workshop manager 

for Leeds Commercial 

Vehicle Hire says “one of 

our biggest problems is 

operators not understanding 

the systems which are 

specific to the crane that 

has been hired. Although 

we offer familiarisation 

training, all too often we 

are told that this won’t be required. 

Unfortunately this can result in damage 

to the equipment or customers not 

getting the most out of the crane.” 

Insurance 

It is important to ensure that adequate 

insurance is held to cover the crane as 

well as the vehicle, the agreement with 

the hire company, the operator of the 

equipment and for third party liability. 

Maintenance 

Ask for details of the maintenance 

arrangements for the lorry loader, 

especially for longer-term hires. The 

Certificate of Thorough Examination will 

show when the next examination is 

due. If this falls within the hire period, 

confirm what the arrangements are for 

having the examination carried out and 

what the procedure is for dealing with 

any corrective action resulting from it. 

Also, establish the requirements of the 

daily and weekly maintenance tasks 

and ensure that these are carried out 

as per the manufacturer’s instructions. 

c&a 

Inspections 

Any damage or fault found with the 

equipment should be immediately 

reported back to the hire company. 

If requested, take the equipment out 

of service until the damage or fault 

has been repaired and tested. It is 

also important to ask for details of the 

required daily pre-use checks and 

weekly inspections. The loader crane 

operator can make these checks and 

inspections provided they have 

received the correct training and are 

qualified as competent. 

Breakdown 

What happens in the event of a 

breakdown? Most rental vehicles are 

covered by roadside assistance. 

Check that the loader crane is included 

in this cover, which provider is used 

by the hire company and that you 

have its telephone number. 

Collection/Return of 

Lorry Loader 

Inspect the vehicle and crane carefully 

on collection. Look for any signs of 

damage. Make sure that any damage 

is noted in full on the rental agreement 

before you sign it. If any damage to 

the loader crane 

affects its operation 

and safe use, then 

it should be refused. 

Allow plenty of time, 

particularly at busy 

rental sites, to 

check the vehicle in 

on return. 

Make sure that it is 

inspected by the 

hire company and 

that you both agree. 

ALLMI focus 

Even trained operators should receive familiarisation training on hand over. 

Note and sign for any damage on all 

copies of the rental agreement. 

Planning of the lifting 

operations 

All lifting operations should be 

planned to ensure that they are carried 

out safely and that all foreseeable 

risks have been taken into account. 

Irrespective of the type of contract 

and/or terms and conditions of hire, 

it must be agreed who is responsible 

for the planning and risk assessment 

of lifting operations. 

Freight Transport 

Association (FTA) 

offers ALLMI Training 

The Freight Transport Association 

(FTA) has put four of its instructors 

through an ALLMI Instructor course. 

Tony Mann, Thomas Manning, Susan 

Squires and Kevin Hardwick are now 

accredited to offer ALLMI operator 

training to the FTA’s membership. 

FTA Training Manager, Chris MacRae 

said “Our Instructors are all very 

experienced in the field of lorry 

loaders, but still found the course to 

be challenging and informative. We 

are now looking forward to providing 

ALLMI training to our members.” 

Clear instructions on remote controls can be helpful. 


53

Are your staff properly trained ? 

Don’t risk it call a certified local company today 

National 

Wakefield 

Tel: 01924 383833 • Fax: 01924 383832 

Email: info@upliftplatforms.co.uk 

www.upliftplatforms.co.uk 

National 

Tel: 08707 787 1511 

Email: info@afi-platforms.co.uk 

www.afi-platforms.co.uk 

England & Wales 

Tel: 01793 766744 

Email: training@hi-reach.co.uk 

www.hi-reach.co.uk 

National 

Tel: +44 (0) 1291 421155 • Fax: +44 (0) 1291 423236 

Mike Fenn Mobile: +44 (0) 7980 764021 

Email: training@accessplatforms.com 

www.accessplatforms.com 

Scotland 

Tel: 0845 27 ACTIVE(228483) • Fax: 01698 281 735 

Email: andrewmccusker@activesafetytraining.co.uk 

www.activerentals.co.uk 

National 

Tel: 01623 750 500 • Fax: 01623 750 400 

Email: training@central-access.co.uk 

www.central-access.co.uk 

All training centres above offer IPAF approved and audited courses for Operators of Mobile 

aerial work platforms, European directives require that all staff are fully and adequately 

trained in the safe use of the equipment they operate. 

North East 

Hull 

Tel: 01482 227333 • Fax: 01482 587710 

Email: enquiries@peter-hird.co.uk 

www.peter-hird.co.uk 

National 

Tel: 0845 601 1032 • Fax: 0116 286 9038 

Email: training@nationwideaccess.co.uk 

www.nationwideaccess.co.uk 

National 

Tel: 0141 309 5555 Fax: 0141 309 5436 

Email: enquiries@turner-access.co.uk 

www.turner-access.co.uk 

National 

Access Platform Sales 

Tel:+44 (0) 1480 891251 • Fax:+44 (0) 1480 891162 

Email: sales@accessplatforms.co.uk 

www.accessplatforms.co.uk 

National 

the 

Platform 

company 

Freephone: 0800 0 28 18 00 

Unit 22/23, Progress Business Park, Whittle Parkway, 

Slough, Berkshire. SL1 6DQ. 

www.platformcompany.co.uk 

National 

Tel: 0845 600 8573 

Email: accesstrainingcentre@aplant.com 

www.aplant.com 

See www.ipaf.org for full listing

Peter Duffy 

hit for £7,000 

for lack of training 

Peter Duffy Ltd, the Wakefield based civil engineering 

company was fined £5,000 plus £2,111 costs at York 

magistrate’s court in June, following a lifting accident 

with an excavator. 

The incident, which occurred in 

March 2005, involved a full sized 

excavator lifting a muck-skip out of 

a large shaft that the company was 

digging for Yorkshire Water's flood 

management programme at 

Fairways, Tadcaster. The skip was 

twice the excavator’s safe lifting 

capacity and as a result it toppled 

into the 10 metre hole, landing on 

the muck skip and a mini excavator 

in the shaft. Miraculously none of 

the three people involved were killed 

and only the excavator’s operator, 

Joseph Kilroy, was injured. 

The magistrate decided that the 

accident had been caused by Kilroy’s 

actions in trying to lift a load twice 

the machines safe maximum. 

He was experienced but had never 

This man was spotted in Telford 

recently working on the roof of an 

old mill. We wonder if he had been 

properly trained? To be fair to him, 

the ladder did have a proper roof 

hook, but as if walking the plank 

from the scissor lift had not been 

bad enough, he also carries out 

work near the edge of the roof 

over the three storey void. 

received proper training and the 

company had neither checked on 

this, nor given him refresher training. 

It also failed to draw up a lifting plan 

and the banksman slinger was not 

trained either. 

Whilst local media reports at the 

time homed in on the untrained 

operator, there were several failings 

from the company that were the 

ultimate cause of the accident 

said the magistrate. 

The recovery of the excavators and 

skip from the shaft was the subject 

of our March/April 2005 issue, it 

involved a contract lift by Crane 

Services using a 500 tonne Liebherr 

LTM1500YHL and a 400 tonne 

Demag AC400. 

Was he trained? 

National 

Tel: 0845 06 11 999 Fax: 01582 842590 

Email: simon@panther.uk.com 

www.platform-rentals.co.uk 

We have an aerial lift but….. 

All training centres above offer IPAF approved and audited courses for Operators of Mobile 

aerial work platforms, European directives require that all staff are fully and adequately 

trained in the safe use of the equipment they operate. 

c&a 

On the 19th June construction 

inspectors from the UK Health and 

Safety Executive visited 19 sites in 

the Grimsby and Cleethorpes 

areas, and instructed work to be 

stopped on 17 occasions because 

people were at risk of falling and 

sustaining serious, if not fatal, 

injuries. 

Recurring problems encountered 

included the use of incomplete 

scaffolding, and the failure to 

provide any form of scaffolding 

on some sites even though it 

was clearly required. 

The focus of the ‘initiative’ was 

on smaller contractors typically 

engaged in refurbishment and 

maintenance work on projects 

such as schools, small industrial 

units and domestic properties, 

rather than the larger construction 

projects already required to notify 

their work to the HSE. 

Scotland 

training 

The lack of training 

cost Peter Duffy a fortun 

HSE orders 17 work stoppages 

out of 19 site visits 

It was designed to coincide with 

the HSE’S national campaign - 

Height Aware - which aims to 

reduce the number of fatal and 

major injuries from falls at work. 

HSE Inspector Dave Bradley, 

who was involved in the 

inspections, commented: 

"I am both disappointed and 

disturbed at the amount of work 

inspectors had to stop because 

there was a clear risk to people's 

safety. Falls from height continue 

to be the most common cause of 

injuries to people at work with, 

53 deaths and almost 3,800 serious 

injuries occurring in 2004/05 alone. 

It is essential that all work at 

height is properly planned to ensure 

that the correct equipment is selected 

and used, and that the people 

required to carry out the work are 

trained and competent to do so”. 

As if walking the plank was 

not bad enough, here he 

removes and hands tiles to 

his colleague 

Thanks to Jonathan Carter at Marketing at the Mill in Telford for capturing this job on film and supplying these photographs 

Tel: 01324 889000 Fax: 01324 888901 

e-mail: mailbox@outreach.plc.uk 

Web: www.outreach.plc.uk 

See www.ipaf.org for full listing

Growth 

in tree 

sector 

exposes 

lack of guidance uidance 

Tree work is dangerous. Falling from height, chainsaws, overhead power lines, falling trees and branches all 

contribute to making it one of the most dangerous of all industry sectors. The recent boom in the use of aerial 

work platforms in tree work should improve safety. But through the lack of specific industry experience, 

training and guidance, platforms are contributing to the accident statistics. 

A Google news search illustrates 

the problem graphically. Reports of 

accidents and fatalities resulting 

from platform misuse are reported 

almost daily, many of them in the 

tree sector. 

Most agree that the use of powered 

access in the arboriculture sector is 

set to boom over the next few years - 

The 30m Teupen is proving 

popular on larger trees 

says Ranger 


driven by increasing health and safety 

legislation. The growth of the platform 

mirrors that of another item of 

equipment, now viewed as ‘essential’ 

by the arborists – the brush chipper. 

15 years ago relatively few owned a 

chipper. Now every man and his dog 

has one. Is the aerial lift the next 

chipper? If it is, it could result in 

sales of several thousand units a year. 

Accident figures for forestry and 

arboriculture workers are poor. The 

odds of sustaining a major or fatal 

injury in any one year are estimated 

to be worse than 1 in 120. In the ten 

years between 1992/3 and 2001/2, 

there have been 48 deaths in the UK 

alone A number of specialists we 

spoke with were not convinced that 

the use of powered access had 

helped these numbers. 

“The problem is not with the work 

platform, but the lack of knowledge and 

experience of the hirers and operators 

which often leads to choosing the 

wrong platform and incorrect method of 

work for the job,” said Paul Hanson of 

Arboretum International, and a member 

of the steering committee in the early 

stages of producing a new, detailed 

guide specifically dealing with the use 

of powered access in the tree industry. 

The new – yet to be named – document 

is still about a year away, but should 

address the surprising gap in specific 

information that currently exists. 

Training on different types of platform 

is available from IPAF of course, but 

nothing deals with the specific and 

unique nature of using a platform for 

tree work, such as dropping material 

and leaving and re-entering the basket at 

height. Hirers are generally experienced 

in renting machines to the construction 

and industrial industries. However a lack 

of knowledge in specific tree applications 

is the major cause for concern. 

Tree workers and mechanical equipment 

– such as chippers, stump cutters and 

access platforms – generally do not 

mix. Like most skilled workers, they 

expect their tools of the trade to 

perform faultlessly, with minimum 

input from themselves. 

Within the industry, powered access has 

received a mixed reception. In general 

experienced but still relatively young, 

climbers tend to oppose the use of the 

equipment. The younger, less experienced 

workers, are more willing to adapt to 

change, while the platform allows the 

‘more mature’ arborists to continue to 

work longer than if they have to climb. 

Climbing is physically exhausting and 

the platform allows more production each 

day – offsetting the cost of the platform. 

Generally once a climber has used a 

platform, they quickly see the benefits. 

Research has shown that using a platform 

can be three times quicker than traditional 

methods. As well as being faster, it is 

less tiring and workers require more 

easily acquired skills to compete the 

same task efficiently and safely. 

The document primarily responsible 

for the growth in the use of powered 

access is The Work At Height 

Regulations 2005. Addressing safety is 

particularly important in arboriculture 

where falls from height continue to be 

a regular occurance and where the 

result is often death or major injury. 

The new Regulations consolidate 

previous legislation on working at height 

A 17m Italmec working 

on the removal of an 

avenue of Poplars

Teupen’s rotating platform provides handy outreach when taking a tree down piece by piece. 

and implement EU directive 2001/45/EC 

concerning minimum safety and health 

requirements for the use of equipment 

for work at height (the Temporary Work 

at Height Directive). 

The HSE wants to see ‘all work at 

height properly planned, appropriately 

supervised and carried out in a manner 

which is – so far as reasonably 

practicable – safe’. Where possible, 

work at height should be avoided 

completely by using tools such as 

pole pruners. If work at height cannot 

be avoided equipment such as an 

aerial lift should be considered. 

For certain applications – dangerous 

trees for example – there is no alternative 

but to use a lift. But more common tasks 

such as the trimming of large hedges, 

also benefit from using a platform. 

“On numerous occasions we have hired 

machines for hedge trimming jobs that 

would normally take a week using 

ladders or static platforms, and have 

completed the job in half the time.” 

said Keith Irvine of Lionlift distributor 

IJ Access. “There is an increased cost 

for the platform, but new legislation is 

forcing tree workers to consider the 

machine. They then realise the speed 

and safety benefits.” 

Irvine is unusual in that he has been 

selling and hiring tree equipment – 

chippers and stump cutters – since 

1992 before taking on access platforms 

in September of last year. He is 

therefore more knowledgeable than 

most about the tree sector. 

“Potential hirers often under specify 

the platform, probably to keep the hire 

costs to a minimum,” he said. “A 15 

metre high tree cannot be worked on 

correctly with a 15 metre high platform. 

There needs to be more education, 

particularly on the positioning of the 

machine, the site including access and 

gradients, setting the machine correctly 

and personal protection equipment. If we 

don’t think the customer is competent, 

we will not hire out the machine.” 

“Platforms are mechanically very reliable,” 

said Irvine, “every problem we have 

had has been caused by the operator 

either failing to listen or understand 

how to operate the machine correctly 

or by not applying common sense to 

the job.” 

Machines for tree work need good 

outreach, and the major growth has 

been in the tracked crawler or ‘spider’ 

type machines. In transport mode, they 

are narrow enough to access back 

gardens, yet larger units offer working 

heights up to 50 metres. Popular lifts 

combine good working height, outreach, 

compact dimensions and price. 

“Our most popular machine is the 15 

metre tracked unit,” said Irvine, “as 

well as having an 8.7metre outreach, 

A 15m Lionlift 

standing off from 

the work. 

it weighs less than two tonnes, making 

it easy to tow. Machines with this 

working height and outreach have a 

purchase price about £25-30,000, 

while they can be hired, including 

trailer, for between £450-600 per week.” 

German-based Teupen claims to be 

world leader in tracked platforms, in 

the UK the machines are distributed by 

Ranger Equipment which is probably the 

market leader, at least for larger units. 

“Arborists are looking for machines that 

are compact, have good outreach and 

are stable in operation,” said Ranger 

director Steve Hatfield. “14-16 metre 

machines are currently the most 

popular as well as the 20-25 metre 

units. These larger machines have an 

outreach of between 10-12 metres. 

c&a 

Teupen units go up to 50metres, but 

the 30metre unit appeals because of 

its light weight - just 4.2 tonnes. 

The growth in the market over the 

last few years is plain to see. 

“In 2004 about 10 percent of our 

sales went into the tree sector,” said 

Hatfield. “Even though our turnover 

had almost doubled, last year this 

had grown to 25 percent and tree 

related sales look set to double 

again over the next three years.” 

So with a year before any new, MEWP 

specific information and guidance is 

generally available, what are the major 

areas that tree users must take note of? 

According to Hanson the key fundamental 

issues for hiring and operating an aerial 

lift are qualifications of users, machine 

selection and insurance. 

“Make sure you have the correct 

amount of insurance cover – both for 

the job and also the platform which can 

cost more than £150k,” said Hanson. 

“Ensure that anyone operating the 

equipment has the appropriate 

qualifications to operate that specific 

type of platform. And finally, use the 

right machine for the job which allows 

the platform to be positioned at a safe 

distance from the tree with a clear 

cutting and drop space. Although there 

is currently no specific guidance, 

common sense goes a long way.” 

The new ‘Guide to Good Powered 

Access Practice with Trees’ (or whatever 

it will be called) will be a hefty 50-60 

page, A5 document looking at all 

aspects of using platforms in tree work. 

Areas currently being looked at include 

platform design; the use of chainsaws 

with particular reference to securing 

the saws, stability and internal 

scabbards; pole and hand saws; 

movement causing instability; safe 

working loads with reference to tools; 

the effect of weather conditions 

including wind; work restraint lanyards; 

full body harnesses; climbing out of the 

basket into the 

tree and aerial 

rescue. Quite 

a list! 

Suggestions have 

already been made 

to manufacturers 

to design ‘tree 

friendly’ machines. 

This might include 

features such as 

a smaller round 

basket allowing 

easier movement 

in the crown of 

the tree. 

forestry 

A pole mounted trimmer used to a tackle 

Leylandii at Stratford Hospital. 

Hirer Nationwide has machines with 

a steel screen across the basket, 

allowing a platform operator to be 

within the normal minimum distance 

of a working chainsaw. 

Most accidents involve platforms that 

are either too short for the job and 

therefore incorrectly positioned – for 

example cutting a branch above the 

platform which subsequently falls into 

the basket, or booms toppling due to 

incorrect set-up or exceeding the 

maximum capacity of the basket. 

In the long-term, powered access will 

improve safety in tree work. However 

to achieve this there needs to be an 

awareness campaign so that users, 

hirers, manufacturers and distributors 

all understand the applications, types 

of equipment needed, specific 

requirements in set up and Personal 

Protective Equipment so that obvious 

errors and accidents can be eradicated. 

If platforms do follow the chipper 

route, we have several more years of 

familiarisation and legislation to deal 

with, But the end result will be well 

worth it! 

Crawshaw Arborcare use the Hinowa 

Goldlift from APS on a crown thin and dead 

wooding job in Leamington Spa. 


57

Visit: www.wl-industries.com 

Quality Innovation Reliability 


The perfect 

combination 

DENKA LIFT AND FALCK SCHMIDT 

WORLDLIFT INDUSTRIES AS 

is the result of the merger of 

Denka Lift A/S and E. Falck 

Schmidt A/S. Both companies 

have always been known for their 

high quality products. Together 

they are the perfect combination. 

FALCON SPIDER/NARROW 

Compact track or wheeled 

lifts developed for indoor and 

outdoor use. Down to 0.79m 

wide you can access everywhere. 

Working height from 19 to 55m. 

DENKA TRAILERS 

Working height from 12 to 30m. 

The new DLX15 is the only trailer 

mounted lift with jib-arm, thus 

combining the best of articulating 

and telescoping principles. 

FALCK SCHMIDT SERIES 

Truck mounted, total weight 

3500kg with working heights up 

to 21m, as well as highly 

sophisticated utility platforms 

mounted on truck or van. 

Odense + 45 66 13 11 00 Holbæk + 45 59 45 55 00

Versalift introduce tree platform 

Vehicle mounted lift producer, Versalift, has 

developed a dedicated arborist’s access platform 

with the collaboration of Nottinghamshire 

County Council. 

The machine features a two cubic metre steel roller 

shutter locker for storage of lightweight signs, personal 

protective equipment, harnesses, brushes, cones and 

barriers. It is also designed to tow a brush chipper and 

ducts chippings into a three cubic metres (1.5 tonnes) 

capacity on-board storage cage with hydraulic tipping. 

Versalift's tree work unit is equipped with an ET38NF 

telescopic platform offering 14.2m working height and 

7.3m horizontal outreach. It has been mounted on a 

7.5 tonnes Isuzu flat bed truck previously used by 

Nottingham County Council’s highways department 

for ‘hot box’ reinstatement work. 

Consideration had to be given to overall payload needs, 

including the range of equipment to be stored in the 

locker, the weight of the chippings cage when full and 

the towing weight of the chipper. Versalift engineering 

manager, Bryn Barker, said: “Loads have to be carefully 

distributed to ensure there is no overloading on the 

front or rear axles. We also moved the position of the 

vehicle stabilisers to suit load configurations. 

The machine also has auxiliary remote control from 

ground level on a ‘wander lead’, a chainsaw protection 

bar on the basket, and on-board first aid and hand 

wash facilities. It has a rear-facing CCTV camera for 

reversing safety and high visibility features including 

four front strobes, four rear strobes, lights on the 

platform and multiple striping.” 

Viewing the machine at its launch, David Butter, HM 

Truck mount just the ticket 

Late last year a heavy storm damaged a number of trees that loomed over the historic school house in Settle. 

Treetops Forestry was called in to make the trees safe, given the height and outreach it was clear that a 

A 35 metre Bronto helps 

remove dangerous limbs 

c&a 

inspector of health and safety with the HSE, said: 

“The unknown quantity for a tree climber is the 

strength of the branch. Nottinghamshire County 

Council’s solution removes the risks associated with 

this unknown variable. Other features like the chainsaw 

bar and chippings box add value to the unit. We 

haven’t seen anything else like it yet for the industry.” 

The new Tree platform from Versalift. 

specialist lift was required. 

Nationwide was called in to 

recommend a suitable lift. It 

provided a 35 metre Bronto 

Skylift truck mounted telescopic 

platform due to its 23.8 metres 

outreach as much as its height. Its 

compact dimensions also helped. 

Tree surgeon Jonathan Strange 

said: “One very heavy branch 

had come completely adrift and 

was stuck in the fork of an 

adjoining tree. The whole thing 

was very unstable. Using this 

machine was the only way we 

could reach out over the roof of 

the building and dismantle the 

trees safely. The Bronto that 

Skylift provided proved to be 

the perfect choice. 

forestry 

Removing a 

rotten tree 

When one of the oldest trees at 

the National Trust Belton House, 

near Grantham, Lincolnshire, was 

found to be decaying and unsafe, it 

had little option but to cut it down. 

The 320 year old, 20 metres high 

tree stood near a children’s 

adventure playground. SRF Tree 

Specialists of Grantham, decided 

that dismantling it bit-by-bit was 

the only option, to prevent damage 

to the surrounding area. To do this 

SRF hired a 22 metre telescopic 

boom on a 4x4 Volvo chassis. 

“If the tree’s sound we don’t need 

an access platform”, says managing 

director of SRF Sean Ritchie. “But 

when a tree is rotten like this one, 

you cannot climb it or put any 

weight on it” The removal of the 

tree took less than a day. 

SRF used a 22m truck mount to 

‘dismantle’ the 320 year old tree. 


59

eaders letters c&a 

I met Mark Paradies at a safety conference earlier this year, and in conversation he related his personal 

experience of a fatal accident caused from a fall at height. He mentioned that he had written a letter after 

the funeral, when he was still upset and angry which he placed in his company’s newsletter. It is a powerful 

and personal expression of someone who has seen the results of a fall first hand. 

Leigh W.Sparrow 

I have just returned from the funeral for a young man. He died at 23. He was 

sacrificed to appease the Gods of Construction. What? Surely human sacrifices 

ended a millennium ago. Yes, they did. Except in certain industries where 

needless deaths are still offered up for no reason. 

A needless fatality 

This sacrifice starts on a clear day in Texas. Two men were trying to complete 

a job that was overdue. They had been working 10 hours a day for 21 days. 

If they worked quickly, they could complete the job and get home to their 

families for Thanksgiving. They were working on a scaffold 100 feet above the 

ground. They had worked on the scaffold for most of the 21 days. They were 

confident that it was safe but both men wore full fall protection gear. 

They were secured to a ladder that was welded to the tank that they were 

working to complete. 

The younger of the men needed to move around the other to hammer out a 

pin. He unhooked his harness so that he would not get tangled in the other 

man's harness. He decided that a single solid swing of the sledgehammer 

would knock the pin loose. He didn't hook back up because it would only 

take a second and the harness would get in the way. 

He swung. Despite his youth and strength, his muscles were tired. Instead 

of a solid blow to the pin, the sledge glanced off the pin at an angle and 

continued on. It struck a two inch bracket that secured the floor of the 

scaffold to the tank. The bracket, never having been tested by a blow of 

such force, yielded. When it gave way, the floor gave way. The young 

man felt the security of the flooring vanish. Gravity took control. He fell. 

After about 20 feet, he hit some supports. The impact shattered his legs. 

In the wild ride with boards and sledge, he missed any handholds and 

continued an additional 80 feet to the ground. 

After the fall, he was still alive. The Emergency services arrived, collected 

his fractured body, and delivered it to an emergency room. Despite his 

youth, strength, and will to live, he died while the surgeons tried to repair 

the massive damage that the fall of 100 feet caused. 

The Funeral 

It was at the funeral that I met his 21-year-old wife. They were just 

starting out in life. They had been married for only 23 months when he 

was sacrificed. They had so much more of life to live. The sadness in her 

eyes was immeasurable. 

His father was there too. This was his only son - his pride and joy. He had 

taught his son to weld. Now his son had died on the job. Why? Why 

did he not tie off? Why did the other man not say something to him? 

(He had survived because he was tied off.) Why wasn't the bracket 

able to withstand a single blow from a sledge? Didn't they previously use 

five inch brackets? Would a five inch bracket have prevented the accident? 

What if they had taken their normal days off? If his son was rested would he 


Stop the 

perhaps have decided to hook up first before swinging the sledgehammer? 

Or maybe he would have struck the pin squarely? What of the shortcuts they 

sometimes took to get the job done quickly? How many others had worked 

for short periods without tying off? Although they didn't think of these shortcuts as 

reckless, could this have led to additional shortcuts that finally led to his son's death? 

These are the kind of questions people ask you when you are an expert in the 

investigation of accidents. But all I could think about was the young man who 

looked so peaceful in his casket and the sadness in the eyes of his young widow. 

Atone for managements sins 

Why must this needless sacrifice continue? Surely we must be wise enough to build 

structures without needless sacrifice of young men to the Gods of Construction? The 

answers don't require rocket science. They do require good, concerned management. 

Management that makes sure that shortcuts are completely unacceptable. 

To get management's attention I have a suggestion. Make them look into the eyes of 

the young widow. Not for a second. They should take a good, hard look. Imagine that 

she was their daughter. And the grief that she feels would not go away when they 

turned their back. It would haunt them, as it will her, for the rest of their lives. 

The company's Chairman, board members, and every manager and supervisor in 

the chain of command should be in the receiving line. They should look into the 

widow's eyes. And explain to the young man's father how they had failed to keep his 

son safe and alive. Then they should leave and sacrifice their first born to atone for 

their sin - because no sacrifice of money is sufficient to atone for the life of another. 

I have a feeling that the attitude across the construction industry would change 

when deaths become personal to those at the top. The sacrifices would stop when 

the company president's children are at risk. I think that all of the rules would be 

taken much more seriously. After one or two sacrifices, short-cuts would become 

an unforgivable sin. 

Many industries with better safety records than that of the construction industry 

are doing much more to improve performance. Isn't it time that the needless 

sacrifices stop? Isn't it time for manage-ment to look deeply into the mistakes that 

are being made and stop the practices that cost lives? To start change it takes 

concerned management willing to commit to end the needless sacrifice. 

This is an account of an actual fatality. I took the liberty to assume some details 

that aren't known for sure. But the details of the accident aren't important. We must 

stop the tragic, needless loss of life. I hope my brief recounting of the grief can help 

prevent some future tragedy and stand as a memorial to the young man who died. 

Mark Paradies 

Partner & President 

System Improvements, Inc. 

Knoxville Tennessee

IPAF attended the SED construction 

equipment show in May, joining 

forces with the HSE and PASMA to 

promote safe work at height. 

Facelift Access Hire became the latest 

company to gain the IPAF Rental+ 

status. Companies awarded the IPAF 

Rental+ quality mark have been 

audited to meet defined standards 

in customer service, safety, staff 

training, contract terms and 

machine inspection. 

The 3rd Amendment of the 

Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) 

was published in the Official 

Journal of the European Union on 

9th June 2006. Copies of the 

Directive can be obtained from the 

Eur-Lex website, a link to which is 

at www.ipaf.org 

The new Directive comes into 

force on 29th June 2006. Member 

states’ regulations should then be 

in place by the 29th June 2008, 

coming into force no later than 

29th December 2009. At the 

Machinery WG meeting in 

Brussels on the 8th June 2006, 

the Commission stated that “there 

is no transitional period” for the 

new version of the Directive. 

“The right equipment properly used” 

was the message of the IPAF sketch 

performed at the HSE’s demo area. 

Hands-on at SED 

Amendment of Machinery Directive 

published: IPAF seeks manufacturers’ 

comments to develop guidance 

This means that manufacturers will 

have to comply with the Directive 

by the 29th December 2009 at the 

latest. The lack of a transition 

period was supported by member 

states negotiating the Directive, 

on the basis that a transitional 

period is not necessary because 

the essential requirements of the 

revised Directive simply advance 

the standards of the existing 

Directive. It is assumed therefore 

that manufacturers who comply 

with the old Directive (98/37/EC) 

will have few problems in adapting 

and complying fully with the new 

Directive by 2009. 

See full story at www.ipaf.org 

IPAF international 

•More than 120 people attended TABS, the first German-language event 

dedicated to platform safety held on 13th June in Frankfurt. 

TABS was jointly organised by IPAF and the Vertikal Press. 

•AWPT, IPAF’s North American subsidiary, has met with senators in Boston 

to discuss safety issues, following an accident involving a mast climber. 

•The first Italian Professional Development Seminar (PDS) held in 

Bologna on 1 June went down very well, with all Italian-language 

training centres attending. 

c&a 

IPAF conforms to the new BS8454 Delivery 

of training for work at height, confirmed 

Managing Director Tim Whiteman at the 

Access Industry Forum (AIF) conference in May. 

“We welcome the standard,” said Whiteman. 

“IPAF has done an internal audit and we are 

confident that we meet the requirements, 

which increases the benefits of our 

internationally recognised training programme 

for platform operators. We plan to have this 

also audited by a third, independent party.” 

IPAF focus 

1,000 Minimax employees 

to be IPAF-trained 

Minimax, worldwide provider of fire protection solutions with 

headquarters in Bad Oldesloe, Germany, is investing in high-quality and 

standardised training for its employees and will use the IPAF training 

programme for its platform operators. 

“The IPAF training enables us to carry out installation work at height with 

maximum effectiveness and safety,” said Stephan Boock, manager of 

installation services. “About 1,000 of our employees will be trained in the 

safe and effective use of platforms. Minimax will also promote the 

benefits of IPAF training among its suppliers.” 

PAL Card goes international 

The PAL Card (Powered Access 

Licence) is helping to facilitate 

cross-border working and is now 

recognised by the safety authorities 

in many countries, including: the 

Berufsgenossenschaften in 

Germany, Assodimi in Italy, the 

SSVV in the Netherlands, the 

Scaffold Industry Association in 

the USA, Asociace ZZ-CR in the 

Czech Republic and the Major 

Contractors Group in the UK. 

Tim Whiteman, managing director 

of IPAF, said: “If you have migrant 

workers on site and they show you a 

PAL Card issued in another language, 

you can be sure that they have 

received 95 percent of the same 

top quality training certified 

as conforming to ISO 18878. The five 

percent difference lies in the language 

and country-specific health and 

safety legislation. This means that 

a worker who has done PAL Card 

training in Czech will be able to use 

platforms safely and effectively on a 

UK site, although he or she will need 

to be made aware of relevant 

national regulations and site rules.” 

IPAF meets BS8454 

The conference was opened by Lord Hunt, Health and Safety Minister, 

who praised the access industry for its efforts to improve safety for work at height. 

Upcoming events 

The PDS for UK instructors will be held on 

14 September at the Hilton Manchester Airport. 

IPAF member manufacturers will next meet on 

25 October at 14.00 hours in Bologna, in 

conjunction with SAIE. 

The telehandler committee will also meet at SAIE, 

on 26 October at 10.00 hours. 

SAIE will be the backdrop of the 4th IPAF 

Convention of the Italian Powered Access 

Industry on the afternoon of 26 October. 

Back by popular demand: The next IPAF AGM 

and Access Summit will be held on 27 March 

2007 at Whittlebury Hall in Northamptonshire. 

Health and Safety Minister Lord 

Hunt takes control of a scissor lift, 

under the guidance of IPAFcertified 

instructor Ewan Smith. 

IPAF Bridge End Business Park, 

Milnthorpe, LA7 7RH, UK 

Tel: 015395 62444 

Fax: 015395 64686 

www.ipaf.org 

info@ipaf.org 

Offices in France, Germany, 

Italy, the Netherlands, 

Switzerland and the USA. 


61

Tower 

crane 

safety 

In late 2004 Bovis Lend Lease launched a 

detailed inspection of the tower cranes on 

its sites in the UK. Its findings, while 

shocking have been a major catalyst in 

raising the game of UK tower crane hirers. 

In 2004 a man was killed after falling 

from a tower crane on a Bovis Lend- 

Lease site in New York. As a result 

of the accident Bovis ordered a full 

and detailed inspection of all similar 

tower cranes on its UK sites. Ian 

Wallace, supply chain solutions 

safety manager at Bovis Lend Lease, 

UK, inspected 33 tower cranes on its 

sites in February 2005 and meticulously 

documented what he found. His report 

showed shockingly poor practices 

and numerous failings in basic safety 

systems by those that supplied and 

operated the cranes. 

He found: 

• Materials such as pins, bolts, grease 

buckets and timber lying around on 

the cranes superstructure, vulnerable 

to falling or being blown over the side. 

• Supermarket carrier bags used to lift 

materials from the ground up to the 

top of the crane. 

• Hoists and cables left 

completely unguarded. 

• A hoist rope not laying properly 

• Operators access ladders with 

inconsistent rung spacings, including 

huge gaps between tower sections. 

• No lightning protection, even though 

the crane was often the highest point 

on the site. 

• Components from different cranes 

and even different manufacturers 

mixed on the same crane. 

• Holes and gaps in decking on 

the upper-structure. 

• Fall arrest harnesses being used by 

operators, a dangerous practice if he 

needed to escape quickly. 

• Cabs with broken windscreens and 

no wiper blades 

• Access to the base of the crane 

that resembled an obstacle course. 

• Fire extinguishers in cabs- often 

foam type, which in an enclosed 

cab is dangerous and there is no 

real need for one. 

• Anti Collision systems switched off 

or not working and operators who 

had no clue how to use them anyway. 

• Duty boards were not maintained 

and in deplorable condition 

• Large illuminated signs and lights 

placed on jibs and back jibs with no 

consideration of how to reach them 

or their affect on the crane. 

He found that when it came to erection 

teams there appeared to be literally 

no pre-erection inspections. 

Incorrect components or broken 

items (such as cab screens) were 

often not discovered until they were 

30 metres in the air. The level of 

weather monitoring prior to erecting, 

dismantling or using the crane 

was inconsistent. 

• Risk assessments were “pretty 

ropey at best” 

• No plans in place for evacuating 

people from the top of the crane in 

the case of an emergency. 

When Wallace had completed his 

inspections he began to approach individual 

tower crane companies with his findings. 

A few in the industry, including Paul 

Phillips who was with HTC at the time 

c&a 

and chairman of the CPA Tower Crane 

Interest Group, and other members, 

quickly agreed that the best way to 

face up to the Bovis findings was to 

form a working group within the Tower 

Crane Interest Group. The working 

group met four times and presented 

its findings earlier this year. 

The industry responds 

They accepted most of the findings 

from Bovis and developed a set of 

16 Technical Information Notes which 

form part of a comprehensive set of 

practices and guidance to overcome 

the failings that Bovis identified. 

In general terms the responses 

addressed the Bovis list as follows: 

• Access to the tower crane, some 

of the Bovis issues, assumed open 

access to the upper areas of the 

crane, whereas the group felt that 

access should be controlled with 

access permits required and only 

granted to essential visitors who are 

appropriately trained or accompanied 

by someone who is. 

• Only bags or containers designed for 

the purpose should be used to raise 

materials to the top of the crane, or 

a chest type rucksack. 

• If access to the back jib is restricted 

the level of guarding might well be 

more open than if the hoist was 

located in a more public area. 

• On the improperly fitted rope, tensioners 

should be fitted and guidance issued for 

for the record 

properly installing cable issued. (TIN 004) 

• Storage of items at height, only items 

required should be kept on the top of 

the crane and those should be kept 

in properly installed boxes or chests. 

• Harnesses should not be required for 

the operator, as he has no need to 

go out on the jib. 

• Fixed ladders should be fitted 

properly, hoops are not required if 

the structure provides protection. 

• Mixing components should only be 

done where manufacturers have 

agreed and approved the application. 

Other Technical Information notes cover:lighting, 

weather reports, permitted 

gaps in the upper structure, cab screen 

condition, anti collision and other 

security aids. The fitting of illuminated 

signs, rescue from height, risk 

assessments, pre and post erection 

checks, signage and sanitary issues. 

The 16 Technical Information Notes are 

intended as guidance and to become “best 

practice”. As such they can be referenced 

in court, in the case of an accident. 

In a presentation earlier this year, Paul 

Phillips said “the Bovis audit has been 

a wake up call to the industry” and has 

helped with the revision of BS7121 part 5. 

All 16 Technical Information Notes are 

available for free downloading from the 

CPA web site, www.cpa.uk.net for both 

members and non members. A link is 

also available on www.Vertikal.net in 

the Lifting and Access directory. 

TOWER CRANE TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOTES 

001 Access to Tower Cranes After Commissioning 

002 Raising and Lowering of Small Material 

003 Tower Crane Access Procedures 

004 Installing Wire Ropes on Winch Drums and Storage Reels 

005 Housekeeping on Tower Cranes 

006 Tower Crane Access Ladders 

007 Duty Boards 

008 Tower Crane Edge Protection 

009 Security of Access to the Crane Base 

010 Tower Crane Anti-Collision Systems 

011 Attachment of Floodlights, Illuminated Signs and Christmas Decorations 

012 Tower Crane Access Signage 

013 Rescue of Personnel From Height on Tower Cranes 

014 Pre-Erection Component Checks 

015 Risk Assessment – General Access to Tower Cranes (incl. maintenance) 

016 Fall Protection Equipment For Tower Crane Operators 


63

marketplace c&a 

• USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED • USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED • 


• USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED •

Whats on? 

Conet 2006 

Japanese Construction exhibition 

July 13-16, 2006 

Tokyo, Japan 

Phone: 03 3433 1501 

Fax: 03 3432 0289 

E-mail: info@jcmanet.or.jp 

Platformers days 

German access equipment meeting 

August 25-26, 2006 

Hohenroda, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0)5031972923 

Fax: +49 (0)5031972838 

E-mail: info@platformer-days.de 

Vertikal Check 2006 

15/16m Spider type boom lifts 

August 26 at Platformers days 

SAIE 2006 

Bologna Fair, Italian Building 

products exhibition 

October 25-29, 2006 

Bologna, Italy 

Phone: +39 051 282111 

Fax: +39 051 6374013 

E-mail: saie@bolognafiere.it 

Bauma China 

Bauma in Shanghai 

November 14-17, 2006 

Shanghai, China 

Phone: +49(0)89 51070 

Fax: +49 (0)89 5107506 

The Middle East International 

Commercial Vehicle Show’ 

UAE based CV show 

November 27-30, 2006 Dubai, Dubai 

Phone: +9714 2686010 

Fax: +9714 2686026 

E-mail: vehiclesme@globallinksdubai.com 

The Hire Show 

Exhibition for Rental Proffessionals 

January 24-25, 2007 London, UK 

Phone: +44 (0)2083871244 

Fax: +44(0)8451276113 

E-mail: thehireshow@btopenworld.com 

The Rental Show 

ARA convention and rental show 

February 7-10, 2007 Atlanta, USA 

Phone: +1800 334 2177 

Fax: +1309 764 1533 

E-mail: info@therentalshow.com 

Bauma 2007 

Munich, 23-29 April 2007 

Tel:+49 (0) 89 51070 

Fax:+49 (0) 89 5107506 

SED 2007 

UK's premier construction 

equipment exhibition 

May 22-24, 2007 

Rockinham Speedway, Corby, UK 

Phone: [44] 020 8652 4810 

Fax: [44] 020 8652 4804 

E-mail: jackie.hanford@rbi.co.uk 

Visit www.Vertikal.net/en/events for a full listing of events with direct links to the organisers. 

A D V E R T I S E M E N T 

Hillhead 2007 

International Quarrying 

and Recycling Show 

June 26-28, 2007 

Buxton, Derbyshire, UK 

Phone: +44 (0)115 945 3890 

Fax: +44 (0)115 958 2651 

E-mail: penny.lewin@qmj.co.uk 

ICUEE 

ICUEE—International Construction 

& Utility Equipment Exposition 

October 16-19, 2007 

Louisville , Kentucky., USA 

Phone: +1 866-236-0442 

Fax: +1 414-298-4141 

E-mail: e-mail info@icuee.com 

Batimat 2007 

French building and construction show 

November 5-10, 2007 

Paris, France 

Phone: + 33.1.47.56.51.84 

Fax: +33 1 47 56 51 93 

E-mail: info@batimat.com 

Conexpo-Con/Agg 2008 

The leading US construction show. 

March 11-15, 2008 

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 

Tel: +1 414-298-4133 

Fax: +1 414-272-2672 

e-mail: international@conexpoconagg.com 

Marketplace 

USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED 

cranes 

&access 

FOR UK USERS & BUYERS OF LIFTING EQUIPMENT 

reaches over six times as many 

UK/Irish buyers of lifts and lifting 

equipment than any other lifting 

magazine 

ADVERTISING: 

The Vertikal Press Ltd. 

PO Box 6998, Brackley, 

NN13 5WY UK. 

Tel: +44 (0)8707 740436 

Fax: +44 (0)1295 768223 

E-mail: info@vertikal.net


on line Access&Lifting directory – Visit these companies in one click- 

ACCESS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS 

Aichi www.aichi.de 

AIRO by Tigieffe S.r.l www.airo.it 

Alimak www.alimak.co.uk 

A Ruthmann www.ruthmann.de 

Barin www.barin.it 

Basket www.basket-platforms.com 

Bison - Palfinger www.bisonpalfinger.com 

CTE www.ctelift.com 

Denka Lift www.denka.dk 

Dino Lift www.dinolift.com 

Esda www.esda-fahrzeugwerke.de 

Genie www.genieindustries.com 

GSR Spa www.gsrspa.it 

Haulotte www.haulotte.com 

Holland Lift www.hollandlift.com 

Iteco www.itecolift.it 

JLG www.jlgeurope.com 

Leguan Lifts www.leguanlifts.com 

Matilsa www.matilsa.es 

MEC www.mec-awp.com 

Nifty Lift www.niftylift.com 

Omega Lift www.omegaaccess.com 

Omme Lift www.ommelift.dk 

Ranger tracked access www.tracked-access.co.uk 

Safi www.safi.it 

Skyhigh ww.skyhigh.be 

Snorkel www.snorkelusa.com 

Teupen www.teupen.info 

Turner Access www.turner-access.co.uk 

Upright International www.uprighteuro.com 

MAST CLIMBERS AND HOISTS 

Alimak-HEK www.alimakhek.com 

Universal Sky Platforms www.uspuk.com 

PLATFORM RENTAL 

Easi up Lifts www.easiuplifts.com 

Hi-reach www.hi-reach.co.uk 

Nationwide Access www.nationwideaccess.co.uk 

Rapid Platforms www.rapidplatforms.co.uk 

Panther Platform Rentals www.platform-rentals.co.uk 

NEW & USED PLATFORMS 

Access business www.accessbusiness.nl 

Access Platform Sales www.accessplatforms.co.uk 

Access Sales International www.accesssalesint.co.uk 

AFI Resale www.afi-platforms.co.uk 

A.J. Access Platforms www.accessplatforms.com 

Baulift www.baulift.de 

Easi-uplifts www.easiuplifts.com 

Flesch www.Flesch-Arbeitsbuehnen.de 



Kunze GmbH www.KUNZEgmbh.de 

Nationwide Access www.nationwideaccess.co.uk 

Peter-Hird Ltd www.peter-hird.co.uk 

PASS www.poweredaccess.com 

Promax Access www.promaxaccess.com 


Ritchie Bros auctions www.rbauction.com 

Safe2Reach www.safe2reach.co.uk 

Take Over Platforms www.takeoverplatforms.com 

Thanner www.USED-Worklift.com 


TVH - Group Thermote & Vanhalst www.tvh.be 

ALLOY SCAFFOLD TOWERS/ECHAFAUDAGE 

Instant www.upright.com 


Svelt www.svelt.it 


SPECIAL/BESPOKE ACCESS AND LIFTING SOLUTIONS 


Skyreach Access www.skyreachaccess.com 

SPECIAL AND NICHE PLATFORM RENTAL 

BAC Verhuur www.bachoogwerkers.nl 

Powered Access Sales & Services www.poweredaccess.com 


Universal Sky Platforms www.uspuk.com 

TRAINING CENTRES AND TRAINERS 

Access Platform Sales www.accessplatforms.co.uk 

Active Safety www.activerentals.co.uk 

AFI www.afi-platforms.co.uk 

Ainscough www.ainscoughtraining.co.uk 

AJ Access www.accessplatforms.com 

Avon Crane www.avoncrane.co.uk 

Central Access www.central-access.co.uk 


HCS www.hydrauliccraneservices.co.uk 

Heightmaster www.drivemaster.uk.com 

Hi-Reach www.hi-reach.co.uk 

Hiab www.hiab.com 

Hird www.peter-hird.co.uk 

JLG Training www.jlgeurope.com 

Kingfisher Access www.kingfisheraccess.co.uk 

L&B Transport www.lbtransport.co.uk 

Lifting Equipment Training www.letltd.co.uk 

Nationwide www.nationwideaccess.co.uk 

Norfolk Training Services www.norfolktraining.co.uk 



Southern Crane & Access www.southerncranes.co.uk 

TH White www.thwhite.co.uk 

TRAINING CENTRES AND TRAINERS (continued) 

Terex Atlas (UK) Ltd. www.atlascranes.co.uk 

The Platform Company www.platformcompany.co.uk 


Uplift Platforms www.Upliftplatforms.co.uk 

TRAINING ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS 

Allmi www.allmitraining.co.uk 

AWPT www.awpt.org 

IPAF www.ipaf.org 

CRANE MANUFACTURERS 

Grove www.groveworldwide.com 

Tadano Faun www.tadanofaun.de 

Terex-Demag www.terex-cranes.com 

Unic Cranes www.unic-cranes.co.uk 

Valla www.valla-cranes.co.uk 

Vanson www.vansoncranes.com 

CRANE HIRE 

Ainscough www.ainscough.co.uk 

Hewden www.hewden.co.uk 

Ladybird tower crane hire www.ladybirdcranehire.co.uk 

McNally crane hire www.cranehire-ireland.com 

NEW & USED CRANES 

AGD Equipment Ltd www.agd-equipment.co.uk 

Crowland Cranes www.crowlandcranes.co.uk 

Kobelco www.kobelco.nl 

M. Stemick www.stemick-krane.de 

P.V. Adrighem BV www.adrighem.com 

Terex Demag www.terex-cranes.com 

Used Cranes CCK www.used-cranes.de 

Valla UK Ltd www.valla-cranes.co.uk 

Verschoor www.verschoor-cranes.com 

SELF ERECTING TOWER CRANES 

Ladybird tower crane hire www.ladybirdcranehire.co.uk 

Vanson www.vansoncranes.com 

LORRY/TRUCK LOADER CRANES 

Effer www.effer.it 

Palfinger www.palfinger.com 

TELESCOPIC HANDLERS 



Mec Telehandlers www.mecawp.com 

Merlo www.merlo.co.uk 

OUTRIGGER PADS 

Eco power pads www.outriggerpads.co.uk 

TMC lifting supplies www.crowlandcranes.co.uk 

USA DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS 

Pacific Equipment Logistic www.pacificlogistic.com 

NEW AND USED TELEHANDLERS 

VHS Vissers Heftruck Service www.vhsbladel.nl 

PARTS AND SERVICE SUPPLIERS 

Crowland Cranes www.crowlandcranes.co.uk 

IPS www.ips-ltd.biz 


TVH - Group Thermote & Vanhalst www.tvh.be 

STRUCTURAL REPAIRS 

Avezaat Cranes www.avezaat.com 

WIRE ROPE 

Bridon Ropes www.bridon.com/cranerope 

Casar www.casar.de 

BATTERY MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS 

Optima Batteries www.optimabatteries.com 

Trojan Battery www.trojanbattery.com 

CONTROL SYSTEMS 

Intercontrol www.intercontrol.de 

EQUIPMENT AUCTION HOUSES 

Ritchie Brothers www.rbauction.com 

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 

ALLMI www.allmitraining.co.uk 

IPAF www.ipaf.org 

OSHA www.osha.gov 

RENTAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

Insphire www.insphire.com 

OVER a million Hits a Month 

OVER 40,000 Visitors a Month 

To arrange your listing in the ACCESS and LIFTING EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY: Tel: 08707 740436 Fax: 01295 768223 Email: info@vertikal.net 

An entry costs from £175/€280 for a full year

• USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED • 

c&a 

marketplace 

www.accessbusiness.nl 

GROVE MANLIFT T 86 J 

Contact - 

GROVE MANLIFT A 125 J JLG 3369 E 

GSR 269 P 

GROVE MANLIFT T 86 J 4x4x4 

Year 2001 – 2.100 hours, Almost new machine. 

Call on price. 

GROVE MANLIFT A 125 J 4x4x4 

Year 2001 – 2.400 hours, Excellent condition. 


GSR 269 P on M.A.N. 8163 chassis 

Year 1999 – 2.750 hours, Perfect. 


JLG 3369 E - electric scissor lifts 

Year 1996/97/98 – Choice of three – 

All in good working order. Call on price. 

info@accessbusiness.nl Tel: (+31) 6 33 726 056 

platforms@planet.nl - Tel:(+31) 6 53 205 371 

Fax: (+31) 84 710 0518 - Fax: (+31) 72 520 5353 

June July 2006 cranes & access 67 

• USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED • USED EQUIPMENT • SPARE PARTS • RECRUITMENT • RECONDITIONING • HIRE • WANTED •



68 

not to be missed 

40 

Anyone who has 

been involved in 

selling cranes or 

plant will love 

this book. 

Stacked full of 

photographs 

and printed on 

high-quality paper. 

This is a book 

not to be missed. 

£20 £20 

Years a 

Salesman 

Tel: 01548 531068 




c&a 

marketplace 

June July 2006 cranes & access 69 




70 

Subscribe to 

cranes 

&access 

The only way to 

guarantee 

that you 

receive 

every 

issue. 

Subscribe online at www.vertikal.net 



Subscription 

Application Form 

Please complete this form and either fax back on 

+44 (0) 1295 768223 or +49 (0) 7618 866814 or 

post to The Vertikal Press, PO Box 6998, 

Brackley. NN13 5WY, UK. Tel: +44 (0)8707 740436 

Name 

Company 

Job Title 

Telephone 

Address 

Country 

Telefax 

Email 

Please start my one year subscription to Cranes & Access at the rate of: 

£40.00/€60 (UK and Irish addresses only) 

€75.00 (Rest of Europe) 

$110.00 / £60.00 (Other regions) 

I enclose a cheque made payable to The Vertikal Press 

Please invoice me 

I enclose an international money order 

Suppliers of used Access Platforms 

SELF PROPELLED SCISSOR 

1999 UpRight SL20 

8m Working Height (26ft) 

Non-marking tyres, Dual voltage charger. 

SELF PROPELLED SCISSOR 

1997 SKYJACK 8841 

14m. working height (47ft.). 

2WD, Twin Extending Decks. 

A. J. ACCESS PLATFORMS LTD. 

TRAILER MOUNTED PLATFORM 

1999 NIFTYLIFT N120T. 

12m. working height (40ft.). 

Narrow 1.1m chassis, Telescopic Upper Boom. 

SELF PROPELLED TELESCOPIC 

2001 JLG M45J. 

15.5m working height (51ft). 

Fly Jib, Bi-Energy. 


1999 JLG 600AJ 

20m. working height (66ft.) 

Articulated Jib. 

PERSONNEL PLATFORM 

2005 GENIE GR12. 

5.58m. working height (18ft.). 

Compact design, Dual voltage charger. 

PERSONNEL PLATFORM 

2003 UPRIGHT MB26 

10m working height (33ft). 

Fly Jib, Battery electric with built in charger. 


2001 GENIE Z45/25J 4X4 

15.9m. working height (51.6ft) 

4WD Rough terrain, Fly jib, Foam tyres 

Tel +44 (0) 1291 421155 Fax +44 (0) 1291 423930 

PILL WAY, SEVERN BRIDGE IND. ESTATE, CALDICOT, GWENT NP26 5PU UK 

E-Mail: sales@accessplatforms.com 

www.accessplatforms.com


c&a 

marketplace 

Access Platform Sales 

NEW•USED•TRAINING•SERVICE 

Library picture 

GENIE RUNABOUT GR12 (2005) 

Self propelled personnel lift. 

18’ working height. Battery. 

New old stock. 


SNORKEL S1930 (2006) 

Self propelled scissor lift. 


Ex-demonstrator. c.w 12 months warranty 


NIFTYLIFT 120T (2000) 

Trailer mounted platform. Telescopic. 

40’ working height. Battery/petrol. 

Repainted, serviced & tested. 

GROVE AMZ50 (1998) 

Self propelled boom. 

50’ working height. Diesel. 



UPRIGHT X32N (1999) 





GENIE AWP24 (1995) 

Personnel lift. 


Serviced & tested. 


SNORKEL S2033 (2001) 




UPRIGHT SL30 (2001) 


36’ working height. Bi-energy 



SNORKEL AB50J (2001) 





GENIE Z45-22 DRT (1990) 





GENIE DPL35 (1997) 

Dual personnel lift. 


Serviced & tested. 

SKYJACK SJKB33C (1996) 




Leewood Business Park, Upton, Huntingdon, PE28 5YQ 

Tel: +44 (0) 1480 891251 Fax: +44 (0) 1480 891162 

e-mail: sales@accessplatforms.co.uk 

www.accessplatforms.co.uk 


71 




72 

BuyOnline 

Visit our new on-line store @ www.spanset.co.uk 

....simply click on the on-line button to the left of the page. 

• Instant Ordering, saves time 

• Guaranteed delivery dates 

• Easy Access, no log on or password 

• Open to existing and new account 

holders 

• Credit Card Payment 

• Nationwide service 

SpanSet Manufacturers and Designers of 

• Webbing Lifting Slings 

• Cargo Control Systems 

• Height Safety Equipment 

• Training 

Watch out for regular updates! 

Also new to SpanSet’s website – news and future exhibitions page. 

SpanSet Limited Telford Way, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0HX, U.K. 

Tel: +44 (0)1606 737494 Fax: +44 (0)1606 737502 

Email: BuyOnline @spanset.co.uk 

www.spanset.co.uk 

We are the National 

Distributor for 

Palfinger Lorry 

Loaders and have 

vacancies for a: 

Training Officer 

and a Field Support 

Engineer 



HEWDEN 

EUROPE’S LARGEST DIRECT FROM USER 

AUCTION 

SATURDAY 15TH JULY 2006 

HERTS COUNTY SHOWGROUND 

REDBOURN – UK – JUNCTION 9 M1 

EVERYTHING FROM DIY TOOLS TO 50 TONNE CRANES 

CHOICE OF TWO 1997 LEIBHERR 120 TONNE ALL TERRAIN CRANES 

PLUS TWO ADDITONAL 50 TONNE LEIBHERR UNITS 5 CRANES – LEIBHERR 

LTM 10/50, KATO NK250E, 200E AND 160E, IRON FAIRY IF15 

60+ ACCESS ELECTRIC and DIESEL SCISSORS & BOOMS incl AB46, G45 

SKYJACK 9250, SL26/30 SCISSORS, HR12 BOOM, JLG 3969, Z45/22, JLG 

80HX+6, AMX68, JLG 500 • 60+ TELEHANDLERS • 40+ FORKLIFTS • 130+ 

DUMPERS & DUMP TRUCKS • 50+ ROLLERS • 35+ WHEELED DIGGERS 

100+ EXCAVATORS • 100+ COMPRESSORS • 20+ TRACTAIRES 

50+ ROLLERS • MIXERS • BOWSERS • TRAILERS • GENERATORS 

WELDERS • TOWER LIGHTS • CARS • VANS • COMMERCIALS 

PLUS 1000+ LOTS OF SMALL TOOLS and EQUIPMENT 

2500 ITEMS IN ONE DAY 

NOT TO BE MISSED 

TH WHITE 

In more fields than you can possibly imagine 

TRAINING OFFICER 

FIELD SUPPORT ENGINEER 

Both posts will be based in Northern England. 

These are key roles in our growing business and 

previous lorry loader experience is essential. 

Customer relationships, computer literacy, and 

the ability to deal with all levels of industry are 

further skills that we seek. 

We offer an attractive package, including a 

non-contributory Pension Scheme and Share 

Incentive Scheme. If you would like to become 

part of an expanding team in a successful, privately 

owned company, please write in confidence to: 

Mark Rigby, T H White Ltd, 

Nursteed Road, Devizes, 

Wiltshire SN10 3EA 

(No Agencies please) 

www.thwhite.co.uk


For the latest news read Vertikal.net 


40,000 visitors/month! 

c&a 

marketplace 

LOOKING FOR OUTRIGGER PADS? 

TAKE A LOOK AT 

ECO POWER PADS! 

Recycled high quality 

Polyethylene materials 

No splintering 

No water absorption 

High resistance to impact 

Safe and durable, 

returns to original shape 

Unbreakable & lightweight 

Options include: Custom sizes, 

Engraving, Recessed centres, Chain handles 

Mobile Cranes, Mobile Tower Cranes, 

Loader Cranes, Aerial Work Platforms, 

Concrete Pumps LOAD BEARING 

5 to 300 tonnes 

Contact Bill Green at PLC Sales 

tel: +44 (0)1449 674154 mobile: +44 (0)7885 020582 

fax: +44 (0)1449 674173 e-mail: sales@outriggerpads.co.uk 

www.outriggerpads.co.uk 


73 







c&a 

marketplace 

machinery for sale 

Genie GS3384 

Genie GS5390 

Spec: 4wd Kubota diesel 

scissors, 39ft work height 

(12m) Deck extension, hyd. 

Outriggers, choice 

Price: 2005– POA 

Spec: 4wd Kubota diesel 

scissors, 59ft work height 

(18m) Deck extension, hyd. 

Outriggers, choice 

Price: 2004 – POA 

2005 – POA 

Manitou MT1335 

Spec: 4wd teleporter. Perkins 

diesel. 13m work height. 3.5 

tonnes max lift capacity. 

Jacks. Excellent condition 

Price: 2003–POA 

Manitou MT1740 

Spec: 4wd teleporter. Perkins 

diesel. 17m work height. 4 

tonnes max lift capacity. 

Jacks. Excellent condition 

Price: 2003–POA 

Manitou MRT2150 

Spec: 4wd ‘Rotator’ teleporter. 

Perkins diesel. 21m work height. 

5 tonnes max lift capacity. 

Basket control. 4 x Jacks 

Price: 2004– POA 

Scanlift SL185 

Spec: 4wd all terrain hoist. Crab steer. 60ft work height (18.5m) 

Hyd. Jacks. Kubota diesel. Choice 

Price: 1999 - £ 15,000 (€21,750) 2000 - £ 19,500 (€28,000) 

Scanlift SL240 

Spec: all terrain hoist, crab steer, 79ft work height. Kubota diesel. 

Hyd. Jacks. Choice 

Price: 2000 - £ 27,000 (€38,750) 2001 - £ 29,000 - (€ 41,750) 

Denka DL22 

Spec: 4Narrow access hoist. 72ft work height. 

Hyd. Jacks. Choice 

Price: 2001 - £ 29,500 (€42,500) 2002 - £ 34,000 (€39,000) 

Denka DL28 

Spec: trailer mounted hoist. 90ft work height (28m) Hatz diesel. 

Basket rotate. Good fresh machine 

Price: 1999 - £ 25,000 (€36,000) 2000 - £ 27,750 (€39,500) 

Spec: – Specialised Hoist. 90ft work height (29m) Battery & 

diesel. Hyd. Outriggers. Fully spec’d 

Price: 2003 - POA 

Spider FS290 

Spec: Specialised Hoist. 122ft work height (37m) Battery & 

diesel. Hyd. Outriggers. Fully spec’d 

Price: 2003 - POA 

Spider FS370 

All machines sold direct from 

our fleet. Please visit our 

website for further details 


75 


A platform between its equals... 

MEC Europe 

Maxwellstraat 50,P.O.Box 3121 

3301 DC Dordrecht,The Netherlands 

Tel.+31 78 65 217 65 Fax.+31 78 65 217 60 

www.meceurope.net 

MEC Europe is Part of

Forestry Access Forestry Access

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?