Working to maintain a helicopter will involve personnel having to work at height. Ensuring that this is done as safely as possible has to be the driving factor. By using Planet Platforms helicopter maintenance stands this critical factor will have been addressed.
The preferred material for the manufacture of our helicopter maintenance stands is aluminium. Any solution we design has to have the agility to be quickly brought into service, reducing the time an aircraft is out of service. Make this system lightweight then the number of personnel required to manoeuvre the platform is less, freeing up additional time. Furthermore, aluminium is incredibly strong and won’t rust, so there are many advantages to using it.
Compliant Helicopter Maintenance Stands
When we design and ultimately manufacture any piece of access equipment, we do so to the highest standards and our helicopter maintenance stands are no different. We follow the requirements set out in BS EN ISO 14122-1-4 Safety of machinery - Permanent means of access to machinery. Here every aspect of helicopter maintenance stands is subject to strict guidance from the pitch of steps to access the platform to the height and gaps between guardrails.
However, we take this to the next level. Benchmarking our products against relevant directives is something that as a manufacturer we constantly aim to achieve.
Being able to prove that these products have been assessed to meet high health, safety and environmental requirements gives our customers the confidence that when dealing with Planet Platforms they have a company that is leading the way.
The UKCA accreditation (formerly CE) we have been awarded for the manufacture of access equipment reaffirms this commitment to excellence. The assessment process looks at all areas within the manufacturing process from the procurement of raw materials, welding, and fabrication through to quality and inspection before delivery.
Approved by the auditory body Alcumus ISOQAR, Planet Platforms are one of just a very small number of UK companies operating in the access market to offer UKCA conformity on all of their manufactured products.
Statistics continue to show that falls from height are one of the highest causes of workplace injuries and unfortunately deaths.
The regulations have a simple three-pronged approach to control any work at height. Firstly, avoid work at height if you can be bringing the task to ground level. This can be achieved around helicopters by removing components before maintaining them. However, personnel would still have to work at height to remove the module and helicopter maintenance stands would still be needed.
Secondly, prevent a fall from occurring if working at height is inevitable. Measures such as guard railing on our helicopter maintenance stands help to prevent a fall from happening. And finally, minimise the consequences of a fall should it ensue.
Getting to the top of this hierarchy should always be the ultimate goal.
By ergonomically enhancing our helicopter maintenance stands, we can bring increased productivity and with it safety whilst working at height.
Lights, air and electrics –Connecting utility supplies to our platforms brings a number of advantages. Firstly, it greatly reduces the need for trailing cables in removing trip hazards. Secondly, by illuminating the work area enables personnel to see easily and accurately and to work at an efficient speed.
Station tool boxes and comm’s link – Aiding productivity.
Toeboards and tethered items – Preventing Foreign Object Debris (FOD)
Non-slip surfaces on all stair treads and platform decks.
Servicing our customers within the UK is relatively straightforward in terms of delivering our stands. However, if these same customers have operations overseas or a new customer from a new market comes to us then we need to adopt a different approach.
The cost of transporting items in containers around the world has become significantly more expensive, particularly so since the pandemic. Utilising the space within them is now more critical and is why, around 10 years ago, we started making platforms for these markets flat packed. A simple and cost-effective solution, as the image below perfectly illustrates.
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And remember, you don’t need to fall far to fall hard.
