High-profile projects ensure sky-high success for rope access experts
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Leading rope access specialist Skyriders is becoming increasingly-recognised as the preferred provider of specialised facilities management services in high-up and hard-to-reach places that are not easily accessible by traditionalmethods.
Skyriders’ facilities management services includes general maintenance and cleaning services, and business unit manager for Gauteng, Ross Shabangu, points out that the company has been recently involved in a number of high-profile general maintenance projects in South Africa, including at the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton and at Montecasino in Fourways.
“Skyriders has been contracted to provide general maintenance services to these prestigious buildings using rope access as opposed to traditional scaffolding, due to the fact that it is the most cost-effective and efficient method of gaining access at height, especially where manoeuvrability is restricted,” he explains.
Shabangu highlights the fact that the Skyriders rope access team inspects and repairs wall tiles located 70-m-high inside the Michelangelo Tower. “It is vitally-important to ensure that the wall tiles are all firmly secured and in good condition because, at that height, even a small piece of tile falling could cause substantial damage.”
At Montecasino, Shabangu explains that Skyriders is responsible for general repairs on the electrical lighting system located in all the high-rise areas. “Inside the gambling areas, the lighting systems need ongoing replacement and repairs, without causing any disruption to clients. Rope access is the best option in this scenario, as it does not cause any obstructions at ground floor level.”
Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn highlights the fact that Skyriders also undertakes a number of silo cleaning projects across the country, for large corporations such as breakfast cereal giant Kellogg’s, and leading pet food manufacturer Royal Canin. “For this type of application, the silo structureis cleaned and all of the cladding is washed using a high-pressure cleaner. It is not possible to build scaffolding inside these silos, and rope access is the only suitable method.”
Zinn notes that the Skyriders’ rope access team is contracted in on a regular basis to remove bird nests at Royal Canin“Royal Canin had been experiencing problems with birds making nests in the loading bay, due to the fact that the structures provide shelter and food for the animals. As a result, the Skyriders team removed all of the nests, and plugged all the potential nesting areas with grout to prevent the birds from re-entering,” he explains.
Zinn points out that regular cleaning of silos is vitally-important, due to the fact that raw materials such as maize and rice attract insects, and are also prone to clogging up the structure and susceptible to toxic mould, when exposed to moisture. “Due to the dangerous fumes generated inside the structure, the silo needs to be emptied and ventilated before the Skyriders rope access team can enter. Work on a silo typically involves structural inspection and a yearly cleaning programme. Should any problems be identified, we take the necessary samples from the structure to be analysed be the relevant experts.”
For window cleaning applications, Shabangu notes that Skyriders installs rope access systems onto high-rise buildings for companies that make use of their own window cleaning staff. “In order to install the rope access system, we take a lift up to the roof, before bolting the rope access system up and securely drilling all anchors,” he continues. “The process begins by drilling a hole in the concrete, before removing all dust and pumping an adhesive mortar into the hole. A length of high-tensile threadedrod is then inserted and left to dry for one day, before a plate washer, nut and eye is inserted. The final step is to undertake calculations to determine where and when the weight will be carried.”
Shabangu highlights the fact that Skyriders has installed rope access systems for window cleaning applications for a large number of companies based in South Africa, including; Anglo Ashanti, Motorola, FNB and Nedbank, Department of Foreign Affairs.
Looking to the future, Zinn is confident that 2012 will be a year of measurable growth for Skyriders. “An increasing amount of industrial operations across Africa are selecting rope access as their main method of undertaking at-height projects, due to its safety, cost-effectiveness and time-saving techniques. With this in mind, I believe that we can expand our footprint across a number of existing and new markets, especially as spending confidence rises as a result of an upturn in the economy,” he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Skyriders link.
About Skyriders
Skyriders (Pty) Ltd, established in 1988, is a leader in the South African rope access industry, providing cost- and time-saving solutions to clients in the power generation and petrochemical industries who require rope access aided inspection, NDT and maintenance work to be done in difficult to reach, high-up locations.
Skyriders Contact
Mike Zinn
Skyriders Marketing Manager
Phone: (011) 312 1418
Cell: 083 289 0077
Email: mike [at] skysolutions [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.skysolutions.co.za
Media Contact
Ryan Collyer
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 072 377 5000
Email: ryan [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
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