Churches and the grounds around them are such common sights across Britain that most people would not think they are among the most difficult spaces for working at height.
The challenges and sensitivities associated with working on church buildings, both inside and out, and in church yards can create real headaches for work teams.
This is why many of them choose to use Hinowa spider lifts to work at height in these environments – to overcome these challenges and to carry our important tasks productively and safely.
Here are 6 reasons why Hinowa tracked boom lifts are the go-to platforms for surveyors, conservation specialists, engineers, builders, tree surgeons, and maintenance teams alike.
1. Hinowa spider lifts have multiple uses
Hinowa spider lifts are just as useful for working inside and outside church buildings. Whether they are used to inspect hammer beam roofs inside ancient churches or for repairing leadwork and slate tiles on their exteriors, they are excellent, stable and flexible work platforms.
Exceptional outreach is as much a trait of Hinowa spider lifts as working height. For example, the Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 Performance IIIS has a maximum outreach of 9.7m and a maximum working height of 20.1m.
This creates an impressive working envelope, allowing an operator to reach large areas of concern from just one set-up position.
The same capability is often essential in outdoor areas. For example, if the ground falls away sharply close to an exterior church wall that needs to be repaired, and there are gravestones nearby, a Hinowa spider lift can be set up well away from the area for the basket to be boomed out over these obstacles.
These capabilities also makes them perfect platforms for working on trees in churchyards. Many of these are very old, even many Centuries old. Some will have tree preservation orders on them.
Both these factors can prevent tree surgeons from using standard rope climbing techniques to work on them. Working from spider lifts keeps contact with trees to an essential minimum and ensures work done is optimised for both their future development and health.
2. Hinowa spider lifts are exceptional at working in confined spaces
We have touched on this point already. Hinowa spider lifts are designed to be used both indoors and outdoors, and to be moved through the most challenging spaces.
When stowed for tracking, the Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 is just 790mm wide, with the basket removed (a quick-release mechanism makes this a simple process). It is also just 1998mm high and 4396mm long.
This allows the spider booms to be moved through gates, along church paths, around grave stones and through narrow doors into church buildings. They can also be tracked along nave aisles, usually over protective matting, before being set up for operations.
Hinowa spider lifts can also be set up on uneven ground – which is not uncommon in churchyards. For example, they can still be levelled for operation on slopes up to 15%.
Variable outrigger set-up
Their outrigger pads can also be placed on ground at four different heights and the platform can still be levelled for operations.
Larger Hinowa spider lift models also have variable outriggers. This means one side can be set up in what is called ‘narrow jack’ format if space is particularly limited.
In this set up, for the latest models, operators can still work at height over the narrow jacked outriggers. For example, variable outrigging may be essential to allow a platform to be sited close to a boundary wall to boom across to a church roof or tower.
Variable outrigging is an option on three Hinowa spider booms: the Hinowa LL 26.14, which has a maximum working height of 25.7m and a reach of 13.6m; the Hinowa LL 33.17 (32m/16.5m); and the Hinowa LL 40.18 (40.2m/16.5m).
3. Hinowa spider booms are easy to operate
Everything about the Hinowa spider lift range is designed to make the platforms easy to use. First of all, all the platforms in the Performance IIIS series share the same operating system, so operatives can move from one platforms to the other with ease.
Proportional controls make it easier to place the platform and its basket with precision during set-up and working at height. This is vital when working close to listed historic churches to minimise the risk of the building being damaged.
The range of power options available for Hinowa platforms can also be significant.
They can have bi-energy petrol or diesel motors and can also be operated on 110v mains electric power for indoor working. Bi-energy models can also be supplied with diesel engines and lithium electric batteries, or there is a version with all-electric lithium batteries.
In all cases, when operated on electric power, the platforms are low noise and generate zero emissions, making them ideal for working inside churches or in areas where low noise operation is either required or a distinct advantage.
4. Hinowa spider lifts are easy to transport
The ease with which Hinowa spider lifts can be transported to work sites is made for working on churches in hard-to-reach locations.
When stowed for transport, Hinowa spider lifts take up very little space and so are easier to transport that many other types of platforms with comparable working heights.
Their design means they are also lighter relative to other platforms, so can be transported on smaller trucks. This advantage pays particular dividends for spider lifts in the range with lower working heights.
Hinowa spider lifts up to the Lightlift 20.10 Performance IIIS can be transported on a 3.5t trailer towed by a van or 4x4 vehicle driven by person holding a standard driving licence.
Flexible and low-cost transport
This has a double advantage. Firstly, it means a hire company or a building maintenance firm can transport Hinowa platforms to a worksite with the greatest degree of flexibility and least cost.
It also means the spider lift can be taken as close as possible to worksites across open ground, if need be, and down narrow roads and even lanes.
This makes them ideal for working on churches at the end of narrow roads where parking is limited and there is often no space to turn large vehicles.
Once the spider lift is unloaded the trailer – APS can supply a lightweight trailer specifically designed for carrying Hinowa spider lifts – can be unhitched to allow the car or van to turn around, if necessary.
5. Hinowa spider lifts enhance working at height safety
Hinowa spider lifts are designed from the bottom up to deliver the highest safety standards for working at height.
Each platform is packed with features that assist the operator in working safely. An array of sensors and warning systems alert work teams to issues and keep the platform within a safe working envelope.
For example, Hinowa’s one touch platform set up system automatically levels the machine ready to work, removing any guesswork and human error.
Also, the unrestricted 230kg basket across all Performance IIIS platforms, apart from the Lightlift 40.18, which has a maximum capacity of 300kg, is valued by operators, because they are confident of working at all times to the platforms maximum envelope.
Working on access platforms avoids the need to use more risky working at height systems. For example, ladders pose fall from height risks that access platforms largely eliminate.
6. Hinowa spider lifts can be operated over sensitive ground
The final point to make about using Hinowa spider lifts on church premises is their ability to be operated across all types of ground and floor conditions.
Their tracks make it easier to move the platforms across uneven terrain, conditions often found in church grounds. They also reduce the risk of the machine damaging the ground, which is helpful in sensitive sites like churchyards.
Hinowa spider booms are also ideal for working across low load bearing and sensitive floors, like those often found in churches. With specialist matting put down, tracked spider lifter can be moved across many indoor floors without the risk of causing damage.
Find out more
It is clear Hinowa spider cherry pickers are ideally-suited to working at height in church buildings and their grounds. They are often the platforms of choice for surveyors, engineers and builders involved in church building conservation.
Talk to APS about which Hinowa spider lifts are best suited for your project.
Email: sales@accessplatforms.co.uk. Telephone: 01480 891251.
