RISSafety recently delivered a roof maintenance access system for client Knight Frank on an iconic Adelaide skyscraper. The building at 91 King William St faced a significant height safety issue involving access between the 30th and 31st floors. The 31-level office tower features 360-degree views across Adelaide’s CBD, and high NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) scores.
However, the office tower had several challenges for workers needing access to the roof. Here’s how RISSafety delivered a safe, compliant solution.
The brief
The building faced several issues, including:
- The existing 5.5-metre rung caged ladder was challenging to climb and had insufficient bracing
- Workers were unable to maintain three points of contact – the Australian standard for ensuring safety – when opening/closing the hatch
- Difficult accessing/exiting through the hatch
- Tradespeople faced difficulties safely moving tools and equipment to and from the roof
- A 10-metre drop directly below the ladder was extremely unsafe.
The RISSafety team’s brief included:
- Improving access to hatch from the 30th floor area to the 31st floor roof via a ladder system
- Improving access through the hatch
- Reducing the risk of a fall when the hatch was open.
It was imperative that access to plant and equipment around the base areas of the ladder system was maintained.
The solution
RISSafety used its decades of height safety specialisation to create a solution that would either conform to or exceed Australian height safety regulations.
With a reputation for creating innovative, technical, bespoke solutions – and a maxim of ‘there is no height safety problem that we cannot solve’ – the team created the solution.
- Ladder system overhaul: The first major change was replacing the old rung ladder with a change-of-direction ladder system. The new ladder featured an extra strong frame to ensure a very stable and rigid ladder even at height. With specially designed rungs to provide superior grip and support, the new design ensured higher safety.
The ladder system was designed to create safer transitions between floors, with enhanced stability and sufficient bracing to ensure a secure climb. The system was designed to run parallel to the edge of the building, creating a practical route for accessing plant and equipment on the 30th floor.
- Safety platform installation: To remove the 10-metre fall risk, a CID platform with handrailing was installed, providing workers with a safe way to access and exit the hatch. This significantly reduced the fall hazard while ensuring that the platform met Australian height safety standards.
- Improved hatch access: The top ladder was relocated at a 90-degree angle from its original position, allowing for easier access and egress through the hatch. This improvement was designed to assist workers to enter or exit the hatch easily.
- Upgraded roof walkway: The access roof walkway was upgraded to ensure safe passage to and from the hatch, and was critical for enhancing overall safety.
RISSafety’s range of aluminium roof walkway systems are lightweight yet incredibly strong and virtually maintenance-free. They provide a simple solution for safe access to roofs and rooftop plant and equipment, and meet the relevant requirements of AS/NZS 1657:2013 and various statutory codes of practice.
- Handrailing around hatch: A handrailing was installed around the hatch as an extra measure to prevent falls and ensure that workers were safely secured when opening, closing or performing any tasks around the hatch area.
RISSafety’s ability to create end-to-end solutions meant they could deliver a customised safety solution for Knight Frank from design through to installation.
In fact, the client was extremely satisfied with the height safety improvements delivered by RISSafety. The client commended the team’s professionalism, quality of workmanship and finished product. They also commented on the ease of use of the new systems and were pleased that all the safety concerns were addressed.
As Australia’s leading national height safety provider, RISSafety has more than 55 years of experience delivering solutions for organisations of all sizes, including blue chip companies.
See how RISSafety can help your project ensure height safety compliance – speak to us today.
