Stafford's Historic Castle Uses Hinowa Boom under tricky conditions

Challenge: Soft ground, steep inclines and tight spaces presented a significant working at height challenge for the survey of an historic castle in the West Midlands.

Stafford Castle is considered one of the finest examples of Norman “motte and bailey” earthworks in the UK. As such, it sits on top of a substantial hill and in places the perimeter pathway is only a few metres wide, before falling away to a steep drop. Stafford Borough Council, which owns and manages the castle, needed an access platform so it could inspect the castle walls for weather damage. It required a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) that could deal with these tricky conditions, along with an experienced operator to ensure safety at all times.

Solution: The council hired in a Hinowa Lightlift 20.10 Performance IIIS tracked boom from Traction Equipment (Stafford) Ltd, which cross-hired the Hinowa lift from local specialist Hire! Freeman in nearby Telford. The council also brought in Alan Howes of Alpha Powered Access Operator Services to provide expert operation of the spider lift.

With a minimum travel width of less than 0.8m and stowed height of under 2m, this compact lift can pass through narrow doorways and the outriggers self-level at the touch of a button.

The Lightlift 20.10 utilises Hinowa’s Performance IIIS system, which is designed to make travel and set-up faster and more efficient than ever. Standard features include outrigger deployment, levelling and retraction with one touch of a button, auto speed control taking into account ground conditions.

Outcomes: The Hinowa 20.10 can lift 230kg – enough for two people with tools – without restriction throughout its working envelope of 20.1m working height and up to 9.7m of horizontal outreach. This capability meant that Alan could concentrate on operating the controls while the inspector focused on the castle’s stone work.
The innovative dual pantograph boom design enables the 20.10 to work flush with walls, making it ideal for working in tight spaces such as the perimeter path - and it has a three-speed drive system which helped it reach the work area quickly.

“The Hinowa 20.10 came into its own and easily took the terrain in its stride. The tight space was not an issue and the working envelope ensured the job was done efficiently.

“I always undertake site visits to determine the most appropriate MEWP, taking into consideration obstacles, terrain and gradients. The Hinowa 20.10 has been the perfect machine on several occasions, particularly for tricky and difficult working at height requirements.”

- Alan Howes, Alpha Powered Access Operator Services