In pictures | Spider lift supports cathedral conservation

Built almost 1,000 years ago, Winchester Cathedral is a stunning example of medieval design and architecture.

Maintenance of the historic structure requires an innovative and sensitive approach to ensure it is protected as a place of worship for generations to come.

Tasked with undertaking inspections and repairs at the site, the cathedral’s maintenance team has selected a Hinowa spider lift for the complex conservation project.

The Hinowa Lightlift 14.70 IIIS, supplied by Access Platform Sales (APS), has been used for maintenance tasks inside and outside of the building, as well as work at height on 35 properties in and around the neighbouring Cathedral Close.

Purchase of the spider lift was made possible by a donation from Friends of Winchester Cathedral, an independent charity that raises funds to support upkeep of the building.

“We’re so grateful to the Friends [of Winchester Cathedral] for their assistance,” commented Joe Meader, head carpenter and works manager at Winchester Cathedral.

“Our Hinowa spider lift is vital to our maintenance programme. It allows us to complete a huge range of works in a timely, safe and cost-effective way.

“The cathedral is Grade I listed, and we maintain other Grade I and Grade II listed buildings, so having a spider lift to work from allows us to inspect and repair structures [with] minimum physical intervention, which is very helpful.”

The MEWP has a maximum working height of 13.9m and a maximum outreach of 6.76m, with a basket capacity of 120kg.

At 786mm wide, it can be tracked into constrained spaces – ideal for working in and around the cathedral, which has many features that could otherwise restrict platform access.

“The maintenance team at Winchester Cathedral have been using a Hinowa spider lift to work on the cathedral and surrounding buildings for a number of years,” Jonathan Wiseman, regional sales manager at APS, told Powered Access.

“This meant they had a very good understanding of what they needed their new spider to do. For example, they don’t use it to reach every nook and cranny high up inside the cathedral building.

“At 24m in height, the cathedral’s nave is a good 10m higher than their spider lift’s maximum working height.

“But the maintenance tasks the spider lift is used for, like cleaning, lighting maintenance and event set-up, are all accomplished at lower heights.

“That said, if the team needs to reach right up inside the nave, they can hire another spider lift from the Hinowa Performance IIIS range to do that, which would be the more economical approach for less frequent tasks.”

The spider lift is used all year round by the cathedral’s team of carpenters, painters, stonemasons and arborists – from replacing and painting wooden windows in a 17^th century house just off Cathedral Close during the summer, to the completion of landscaping tasks at the site during the autumn.

In addition, the team of stonemasons use the spider lift to inspect, clean and repair stonework and stained glass windows in the cathedral and other buildings throughout the year.

The machine’s proportional controls give the maintenance teams confidence that they can work at height with minimal risk of damaging precious and, in places, fragile centuries-old structures.

“Working from platforms to inspect and maintain heritage structures, rather than scaffold or tower systems, is increasingly the norm, because it’s usually faster, less costly and safer – and there is less risk of the building fabric being damaged,” Wiseman explained.

“Also, with buildings like Winchester Cathedral, that attract thousands of visitors every month, there is no need to install temporary structures that are both intrusive and unsightly, which affects the visitor experience.”

The cathedral has selected a bi-energy version of the platform. It can be powered by low-emissions Honda petrol or by 110v mains cable electricity for indoor operations or where near-silent working is required – for example, to avoid disturbing activity in and around the cathedral.

The spider lift can also be supplied with a diesel engine and mains cable electric power, or as an all-electric powered platform with lithium batteries.

As a tracked MEWP, the platform can be used on a range of surfaces and ground conditions across the cathedral estate, including working across low-load-bearing and sensitive surfaces when combined with protective matting inside the cathedral.

In addition, the tracks can be widened to 1,150mm to improve the platform’s stability when it is being tracked over sloping or uneven ground.

The platform also features a range of advanced safety features, including load and tilt sensors and alarms, and emergency lowering systems that can be accessed from the ground or in the basket, to support operative safety.

“It is critically important to maintain spider lifts and other MEWPs to a high standard in line with regulations and for operatives to be properly trained,” said Wiseman.

“We fully support customers, like the team at Winchester Cathedral, from delivery onwards, with IPAF training and familiarisation training, and full-service back-up, if that’s required.”

Wiseman added that APS also provides an ongoing maintenance package that includes servicing and six-monthly LOLER thorough examinations, as well as a mobile repair and maintenance service.

“Our aim is to help ensure customers get the safest and most productive use from their Hinowa spider lifts,” he said.

“Effective maintenance also helps to maximise the resale value of the platform, so [it] is a positive financial investment.”