Access innovators Planet Platforms will be participating in PASMA’s pilot event ‘Tower Week’ this June. Running from June 11th – 15th in Leeds, the Yorkshire region will see the good practice with towers being promoted by the Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association and its associate members. Key messages at the event include:

1.    Safe use of mobile scaffold towers
2.    Versatility of towers
3.    A snapshot of tower use
4.    Increasing competency in the use of towers
5.    Raising the awareness of PASMA

The week will start with a launch event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds and will be followed by additional events throughout the Yorkshire region.

Planet Platforms will help showcase the versatility of towers at the Leeds event and help visitors realise the advantages of using access towers.

PASMA will also be showcasing their innovative mobile app for access professionals to gain a snapshot of tower use.

Planet Platforms supported the HSE and industry partners at the Refurbishment SHAD and Exhibition event on the 24th of January 2012, just one of the many Working Well Together campaigns that span the country each year. Each year thousands of construction workers in the UK are killed, injured or have their health damaged. The working well together campaign aims to stop the suffering.

Planet Platforms, access equipment innovators, demonstrated the benefits of low-level access systems. Their stand showcased two new and innovative products that have been recently added to the Planet portfolio.

The first is a fibreglass podium is unique to the UK access marketplace and mirrors the distinctive properties of Planet’s Protec range. Partnering this was The Ultimate Work Platform (TUWP), a modular and lightweight aluminium low-level access system that enables the user to construct virtually unlimited build-configurations.

To find out more about these two new products contact Planet Platforms on 0800 0854 161 or email info@planetplatforms.co.uk .

Bristow Helicopters Ltd is once again at the forefront of safety innovations in the aviation industry with the introduction of a custom maintenance platform which will play a vital role in allowing Bristow’s aircraft engineers safe access to all areas of the Sikorsky 92 aircraft fleet during servicing.

The new maintenance platform or ‘staging’ has been designed and manufactured by access equipment specialists Planet Platforms, and comes as a direct response to specific work-at-height requirements within the Sikorsky 92.

The platform’s simplistic design and clutter-free surface provides Bristow’s engineers with a wide of variety of increased safety measures when undertaking precise tasks such as gearbox changes and ground-level maintenance.

The staging has added stability with aluminium decking which was chosen for this solution instead of standard timber to prevent any future deflection of the platform. The added stability allows for a larger cantilevered platform with few obstructions from below, whilst making the robust platforms resistant to substances and everyday wear and tear.

Among the other safety benefits to Bristow’s team of aircraft engineers are the platform’s integral air points which are time-saving when using pneumatic tools, and electric points which prevent the risk of trailing cables and extension leads. Integral lighting eliminates the need to set up time-consuming lighting rigs for night-time working and hence increases productivity during extensive mandatory safety checks.

Richard Harland, Managing Director of Planet Platforms (Northern) Ltd highlighted the need for the platform to be suitable for different climate conditions due to Bristow’s global reach and multiple locations: “We supplied the solution in pre-assembled modules for easy on-site assembly. The staging clearly solves various challenges, but it is also flexible enough to be supplied in flat-packed sections – an essential requirement as we’re supplying further staging to Bristow’s Nigerian location.”

With numerous bases around the world, Bristow Group provides aviation support to the global oil and gas industry. The company has 3,500 employees and boasts a varied fleet of around 400 aircraft.

Work at height innovator Planet Platforms has added the Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher software to the in-house resources used to create user documentation. The Publisher Software helps the marketing department at Planet Platforms to deal with CAD models without the need to access the complete CAD package or have CAD user knowledge.

User documentation is a vital part of customer experience by enabling users to have first-hand interaction with the product, sometimes even before the product is ready for delivery. The software is intuitive as in it recognizes any amendments made to the original and automatically updates the end result – referenced to the original CAD render.

Marketing Manager Tim Mee states of the latest addition: “I can start working on projects earlier instead of waiting until the equipment has been manufactured. Results can be exported to various programs including Word, PowerPoint, Video, Flash, 3D PDF and saved as raster and vector images. It certainly enhances customer experience as we’re able to deliver highly accurate and precise manuals for what are often bespoke products.”

Planet Platforms is a leading manufacturer and distributor of work place access solutions. The company also provides a number of safety inspection and working at height training programmes. Prestigious clients include: Rolls-Royce, Thomas Cook, The Royal Albert Hall, ICI Chemicals, Shell Offshore and The National Trust.

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The Winshill Football Club U14s girls’ team, sponsored by Planet Platforms, has finished in runner up position at the end of the girls’ league season after losing only two games.

The games lost were to league champions Chellaston girls’ teams. The 2-1 victory after extra time secured the Winshill Girls’ final spot for the third time in four seasons, in preparation for the much awaited final on the 21st of May, with kick off at 3.30pm.

Planet Platforms is an access equipment manufacturer and distributor with clients such as Rolls-Royce, The Orient Express, BAE Systems and The National Trust. Sponsoring the Winshill U14 Girls’ Team stands for Planet’s active encouragement of outdoor exercise and keeping fit.

Winning employee of the month also makes Dave eligible to win Employee of the Year with the prize incentive of £100. Congratulations!

Work at Height innovator and manufacturer Planet Platforms has recently purchased a lorry to undertake deliveries of access equipment. The 7.5 tonne drop side vehicle has been wrapped in Planet’s corporate livery to make it instantly recognisable to customers.

Marketing Manager Tim Mee said of the purchase “The new lorry will enable us to meet even tighter delivery schedules. Also, any cost savings of not having the delivery undertaken by a third party can be directly passed on to our customers.”

Planet Platforms’ solutions cover work at height challenges nationally. The company has branches and representatives in Tyne & Wear, Lancashire and Norwich, with the head office in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Wakefield-based work at height innovator Planet Platforms has been commended upon completing 10 years as an ‘Investors in People’ accredited organisation. Planet Platforms is one of the select but growing number of organisations in the country to have achieved this significant milestone that demonstrates an ongoing dedication to staff and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Launched in 1991, Investors in People offers a business improvement tool designed to help all kinds of organisations develop performance through their people. It provides tailored assessments designed to support organisations in planning, implementing and evaluating effective strategies and is relevant for organisations of all sizes and sectors.

Planet Platforms is a leading manufacturer and distributor of work place access solutions. The company also provides a number of safety inspection and working at height training programmes. Prestigious clients include: Rolls-Royce, Thomas Cook, The Royal Albert Hall, ICI Chemicals, Shell Offshore and The National Trust.

For more information please visit www.investorsinpeople.co.uk.

Access equipment manufacturer and distributor Planet Platforms will be attending SHE 2011 (the Safety Environment and Health show) at The Hilton, Blackpool on the 7th of June 2011.

The SHE Show is a high profile conference running alongside an exhibition featuring key suppliers and service providers in the fields of safety, health and environment such as Planet Platforms. It is fast becoming one of the most successful events of its kind in the SHE arena. The conference programme promises again to deliver a line up of topical, thought provoking and entertaining speakers. The focus of the day will be real practical solutions and you will be able to get help and advice on ways to achieve the future challenges that most SHE professionals face in this current climate.

Planet Platforms will be available at the SHE show at stand 15 to answer any work at height queries you might have.

For more information please visit www.thesheshow.com.

Access equipment innovator Planet Platforms has designed and installed a mobile work at height solution for the aviation industry, to safely access various components in and around the landing gear of the aircraft. At just over three metres platform height, the bespoke access equipment is built with a combination of steel and aluminium, is robust enough to be towed, whilst not being too heavy to manually position and deploy the attached inclined ladder.

Mark Arnold from Planet Eastern explains more about the project: “Inspection of the landing gear is often a time-sensitive and space-restrictive task, as there might be a limited time frame to undertake all checks before the aircraft has to take off again. The inspection area is confined, and needed a narrow work platform. Pipes and hydraulic tanks also presented a requirement for an up-and-over reach.”

The custom unit by Planet caters for all the work at height challenges posed by the inspection area. It can be quickly and easily towed into position and features adjustable ladders to cater for access to different heights of the inspection area. Spring-loaded jacks are used to lock the unit off once it has been wheeled into position, as they are quicker to engage in comparison to wind-down jacks.