Working under and around Huon Valley’s 180 bridges can be dangerous and difficult. The Tasmanian council’s response to this problem has now opened up business opportunities and gained recognition across the State.
Huon Valley’s Bridge Workbox recently won the Asset and Environmental Management Innovation category at Tasmania’s 2004 Local Government Awards for Excellence. The workbox was developed using in house skills and knowledge in response to safety and cost concerns associated with traditional methods of carrying out work on the sides and underneath bridges.
Council allocates considerable resources each year maintaining its bridges to an acceptable standard. The problem faced by bridge crews in carrying out maintenance was that ladders, harnesses, scaffolding and cherry pickers were either unsafe, unsuitable, time consuming or expensive, and hence a cost effective solution was sought.
Construction Coordinator, Malcolm Russell, and members of his bridge crew came up with the idea of developing a workbox that could be attached to an excavator. The idea was passed to Engineering Assistant, Mick Rodwell, to develop a design which was certified and presented to Workplace Standards for registration.
Local company, Fords Engineering, constructed the workbox using folded steel, incorporating internal handrails, safety harness connections and a quick hitch connection point. The workbox was then trialed and has proved to be a vast improvement on the traditional methods.
The excavator is able to access areas with difficult terrain and its manoeuvrable arm enables the workbox to be manipulated into otherwise difficult to reach places. The development is a significant breakthrough in terms of safety, efficiency and effectiveness, allowing two workers to access the sides and underneath of bridges to complete required work in a safe and flexible manner.
In accepting the award on behalf of Council, Mayor Robert Armstrong, commended all those involved in the initiative and said it was an excellent example of a hands on solution to a problem faced by Councils throughout Australia.
The Huon Valley Council has patented the design of the Bridge Workbox and has already received a number of enquiries from other Councils interested in purchasing the unit.
For more information contact Max Roberts, Council’s Risk and Safety Management Officer, on (03) 6264 8901.
