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Exchanging Curtains in a Hospital Environment.
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Royle22879  
#1 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:23:49(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Royle22879
Hi Everyone. Can you help with a problem I have involving working at heights. In my place of work we have a group of people exchanging bed bay/window curtains in a large hospital environment (24/7). Presently the task is performed by individuals using stepladders. During the task the individuals does not maintain their 3 points of contact. The task takes a few minutes to complete, but they will have up to 50 curtains or more per day to do. Does anyone know of some equipment we could use which is portable as a working platform and that can be used in a hospital environment to carry out such task. Any advise would be most appreciacted. Thanks Graham.
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Canopener  
#2 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:26:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Canopener
What about those mobile step things that have spring loaded wheels on the bottom, which when you stand on the steps they retract. They come in all sorts of heights.
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Royle22879  
#3 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:31:08(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Royle22879
We have had tired some of these, but they have been to bulky for the bed bays and for transporting down the long corridors.
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Rick Warner  
#4 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:34:21(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Rick Warner
Hi, i am a safety advisor for a demolition company, podiums is what you need, we use them all of the time, when a scaffold cant be erected and used, podiums are like a miniy light weight scaffoold tower, with railed platform at the top, no need for 3 points of contact
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Rick Warner  
#5 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:34:58(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Rick Warner
Terribly sorry for Typos.
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Rick Warner  
#6 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:37:02(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Rick Warner
The mobile step things which Phil refers to are in my opinion dangerous, we had one of our clients demand that we used these to remove false ceilings, i arrived on the iste, our employees asked me to asses this method and i banned them.
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Royle22879  
#7 Posted : 18 February 2010 18:49:52(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Royle22879
I have look at some podiums, but not been able to find a suitable one for the task yet. Again any help in this direction would help.
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Steve Sedgwick  
#8 Posted : 18 February 2010 19:12:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve Sedgwick
Royle you can keep 3 points of contact without using your hands. Look at page 2 of this link to Safe Use of Ladders http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg402.pdfthe HSEs It maybe a solution worth trialing with the staff Rick could you give more details please on why you banned the mobile platform steps and what you decided to use instead
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Royle22879  
#9 Posted : 18 February 2010 19:17:12(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Royle22879
Thanks Steve, I look at trialling this.
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xRockape  
#10 Posted : 18 February 2010 20:47:46(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
xRockape
Small aircraft type ladders, with a top platform and safety barriers may be the answer. I would agree in part to the comment that three points of contact can be achieved with out using the hands. But given the frequency of use you are talking about this may not be appropriate.
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