The Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Lifting and Handling Department (Code 700) has recently purchased an elevated mobile staging platform to provide a safer alternative to getting maintenance done on the mobile cranes.

“I’m going to be retiring here shortly so before I left the shipyard I wanted to provide my team with whatever I could to help them,” said Code 730 Brian Nash. “These guys are on the job each and every day so they know what improvements could be made and what could help them. So whatever they wanted, I wanted to do my part to see it happen.”

Mobile Crane Work Leader Howard Birtell had recently shown interest in a staging platform that could be raised, extended, and configured to fit the needs of the Mobile Crane Unit. 

“For our folks working on these cranes, we have to get into a lot of spaces on the crane and when we are utilizing the harness and fall protection, it becomes time consuming and it also hampers how we are able to get the job done,” said Birtell. “For the crane’s cab alone, the electrician would have to be lifted into the cab and close the door or raise the armrest in order to get anything done within the dashboard. With jobs on the outer workings of the crane, if the worker needed to get to multiple areas, the harness would hinder their work and they would have to be moved from one spot to another to ensure they were able to get the work done. With it being a time-consuming process, I was looking for something we could use to eliminate that and make it more comfortable and efficient for the worker.”

The platforms can be bolted together or separated to be utilized on multiple projects, have removable handrails and gates, and provide a level workspace for the user so that the need for fall protection could be completely eliminated from the job.

“The platforms provide a stable workspace that can be adjusted to fit what the job entails. And it also provides a workspace where more than one person can work at a time without the need for fall protection,” said Birtell. “What’s more is that it’s lightweight so we can move it where we need to with ease and the wheels lock in place when we are ready to stabilize it into a certain position. And with the ability to configure it to how we need it, the possibilities are endless for how we can use the platforms to our advantage.”

The Mobile Crane Unit has already utilized the platforms five times on the job and has seen a massive improvement on the way it does business.

“When the cranes come in for maintenance, our guys are able to quickly set up the staging to what works best for them and get in there without being hindered by a harness or a lanyard and that’s a huge savings on its own,” said Nash. “Being able to be level with their work and with little holding them back from getting the job done not only makes them more efficient but also makes them happier. I wanted them to know that I had heard their concerns and their needs. I wanted them to have the tools they needed to succeed.”

“The platforms are a great improvement for our team, providing a safer and more efficient way to get the job done,” said Lifting and Handling Director Cam Harper. “Being able to pinpoint what changes can be done for our workforce and taking the steps to make it happen is what innovation and improvement is all about. A job well-done!”

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