Good Afternoon All, wonder if someone has come across this situation before. Some of our people are due to work on a clients site next week doing some refurbishment work to a piece of machinery that transports large trolleys between two floors in factory. Our people will be working inside the space the trolley would stand (about four foot by four foot) and have to work at several points up the shaft which is about 30 feet high. Following site inspection, our project manager insisted that the client scaffold out the inside of the shaft with platforms at each working level (site originally wanted us to do it off ladders). I believe scaffold is the correct option, however it does introduce the risk of what do we do if one of our people collapses whilst using the scaffold, effectively falling on the trapdoor on that floor. I considered a winch from above but each of the trapdoors doesn't quite line up and there isn't much space for additional people to guide the person being winched through. One of the site technicians has suggested that he wont allow us to start work until we have a formal written escape plan (it was their project management that organised the scaffold, but it will be the shift technicians who issue the permits), and I'm struggling a bit as to what to say. On the one hand, I'm happy that the overall risk has been reduced from the original plan of working off ladders and its pretty unlikely that anyone will be rendered unable to move whilst on the scaffold (plenty of breaks, hydration etc) but I do recognise that it has introduced a new risk. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Steve.

I assume there is top access so you could have the working platform built as the work is completed as you move up the shaft, therefore they are always working on the top level allowing direct winching. The operative must also wear harnesses and be trained. There are other options, hoists and cradles, but probably too expensive.

Thanks for all the advice. We did consider a winch mechanism and harness for rescue but in the end decided that if someone did have a serious problem then we wouldn't be able to make the call as to whether or not they should be moved (especially if that movement was winching them up suspended by a harness), so we would have to wait for the emergency services anyway. As I said, I'm satisfied that the overall risk has been reduced (greatly) by using the scaffold, and the fact its introduced a complication which is very unlikely to ever manifest itself is something we will have to live with. cheers Steve