Location: Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility
Industry Sector: Energy From Waste
Scope of Work: Rope access support for close visual inspection of an installed monorail and bus bar hoist system.
Team Deployment: IRATA-qualified rope access technicians.
Overview:
A sub-contractor required specialist rope access support to assist with inspection and motor replacement works on an installed monorail and bus bar hoist system at a large energy recovery facility. Standard means of access were not achievable given the height and location of the hoist within the boiler hall. Think Access was appointed to provide IRATA-certified rope access technicians to safely position operatives along the monorail beam, facilitate close inspection of the system and support the hoist manufacturer’s representative throughout the works.
The Challenge:
The hoist system was located at significant height within the boiler hall, with the working area accessible only by travelling over 70 metres along a yellow overhead beam. No conventional access platform could reach the inspection zone safely. This made rope access not just the practical option, but the only viable one.
The scope across the two days covered two distinct activities. On the first day the team assisted with motor replacement on the beam crane hoist, removing the old unit and fitting a new one using rope access positioning. The second day focused on detailed inspection: strip-back of covering, close visual examination of monorail track sections, joints, fixings and bus bar connections, transmission of photographs to the manufacturer’s representative and reassembly before the team returned to the working platform.
Throughout both days the site was live and operating under a structured permit system. The bus bar system required confirmed electrical isolation via Lock Out/Tag Out before any approach, with voltage status verified before the team moved close to the system. Every day started with a permit to work, a team briefing against the RAMS and rescue plan, pre-start task sheets and full equipment inspection before any work began at height.
The Solution:
Think Access deployed a two-person IRATA-qualified rope access team to the site. On arrival, the team coordinated with the site representative to set up the required permits, confirmed the hoist isolation was in place and carried out a full team briefing covering the plan of works, safe systems of work and rescue procedures.
The team used rope access methods to travel the yellow beam, covering the 70-plus metres of journey required to reach the hoist query area. On day one this involved positioning operatives to remove the old motor and assist with installation of the replacement unit. On day two the team stripped back the covering to expose the inspection area, sent detailed photographs to the manufacturer’s representative and reassembled the covering before travelling back to the working platform. The manufacturer’s representative then performed further tests from the platform until satisfied with the inspection findings.
Anchors were attached only to primary structural steel, not to the monorail track itself, with the rope access supervisor verifying suitability before any loading was applied. No dynamic loading was applied to the monorail beam during any part of the works. All tools and equipment were tethered in line with Think Access dropped object controls. Exclusion zones were maintained below the working area throughout.
At the end of each day the team cleared materials, surrendered permits, confirmed isolations were closed and reported to the site representative before leaving. All activity was recorded through the GetKonnected platform, providing real-time visibility of operatives on site and progress across both working days. The site representative signed off on completion of each day’s works.
Results:
Think Access delivered two days of specialist rope access support at Rookery South ERF, safely facilitating motor replacement on day one and full close visual inspection of the monorail and bus bar system on day two. The manufacturer’s representative was able to carry out their testing programme and confirm the inspection findings without any disruption to the works. All activity was completed within the site permit framework with no incidents, and the site representative signed off both timesheets on completion. Full digital records of both visits were retained through the GetKonnected platform, providing the client with a clear audit trail of all rope access activity carried out.
Rope Access Hoist and Monorail Inspection
If you need IRATA-qualified rope access technicians to reach areas that conventional platforms simply can’t get to, Think Access provides experienced teams who know how to work safely within live industrial environments.
