Transportation Company Uses Ceiling Mounted Monorail System To Improve Maintenance Worker Safety
Products used
Overview
The Bombardier Transportation Company builds and operates people movers, such as trams, monorails, and various other transportation systems, in metropolitan areas. Their PHX Sky Train® operates within the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to move passengers between airport terminals. The company recently expanded the PHX Sky Train monorail station, which included the construction of a new maintenance facility.
At the new maintenance facility, workers perform comprehensive maintenance on all of the trains and associated systems. For some maintenance tasks, workers need a way to access the top of the train units. Because of the height of the rooftops, the facility needed a way to protect the workers accessing the roof of the vehicle and other equipment located on the top of the trains. In the previous maintenance facility, workers used scissor lifts and boom lifts to reach the tops of the trains, but the lifts limited workers’ access. The old facility also didn’t provide adequate space for the lifts, so moving them around the trains was difficult. Bombardier wanted to find a more efficient solution for the new facility.
Solution
Hamilton Blake, LLC provides a range of industrial safety services including design and installation of industrial and commercial fall protection systems. They provide fall protection systems for both new construction and retrofit projects, and they offer indoor and outdoor solutions. With their knowledge and expertise, they ensure compliance with local, state, and federal safety regulations for their clients. Hamilton Blake has provided industrial safety services to Bombardier Transportation in Phoenix for nearly 10 years, so when they needed a fall protection solution for their new facility, they turned to Hamilton Blake.
Because they were contacted as the new maintenance facility was being designed, Hamilton Blake was able to create a fall protection system as part of the original building design. During the design phase, they considered implementing a cable lifeline system. However, cable systems leave the trolley exposed to dirt and debris, which they expected to be high in a maintenance facility like this one. The system was also needed directly under ventilation ducts, so dirt and debris would be more likely to get blown around the exposed cable and trolleys.
To mitigate the dust problem, Hamilton Blake looked at enclosed rigid track systems from Rigid Lifelines. Unlike cable systems, Rigid Lifelines systems use enclosed rigid track, which protects the trolley from the dirt and dust that accumulates in a maintenance facility. This protection makes it easier to maintain the system and improves its longevity.
The final system design included two single-track monorails positioned directly above the maintenance track to provide workers access to the top of the trains. The monorails are 153’ 6” long with 18” overhangs on both ends, which allows workers to cover the full length of a train while connected. Because of facility requirements, the system was also designed with custom support spacing ranging from 12’ 4” to 24’ 6”.
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Impact
The new Rigid Lifelines Ceiling-Mounted Monorail system makes every aspect of the rooftop maintenance job easier. The track is located to provide maximum coverage, so workers have easy access to all of the areas they need to reach. They also don’t have to worry about navigating cumbersome lifts through the limited space in the facility.
With the scissor and boom lift, workers had to pay attention constantly to what they tied off to. As they would move around the tops of the trains, they would have to move to different anchorage points, ensuring they were always connected to at least one anchorage. Mark Kline from Hamilton Blake described why this system actually slowed workers down: “With an anchor system, you have to constantly connect and disconnect, which exposes the worker to a greater hazard.”
With the rigid rail fall protection system, workers can connect before getting on top of the trains and know they are secure the entire time. Mark explained that the new system makes it much easier for workers to perform the maintenance tasks safely and simplifies the work process: “There’s no other thought process to the track system—once you’re connected, you’re connected. They’re excited because it makes their job a lot easier.” The new rigid track system from Rigid Lifelines doesn’t just protect the workers while working at height; it makes the entire maintenance process simpler, safer, and more efficient.