In 2022, RISE Pacific were approached to be involved in a major project to work alongside Confluence Water and Addelec Power Services for Sydney Water – North Head Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The project required the RISE Pacific team to gain access to a 160m vertical service shaft at North Head Plant in order to decommission and replace several high voltage, low voltage and data cable bundles that travel beneath the surface. The primary hazards that needed to be addressed included working at heights/depths, confined spaces and tasks involving close proximity to high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) cables, specifically those operating at 11kV, 7.2kV, and 415v.
To successfully access the designated space safely required the development and implementation of an access solution. Their client’s requirements were to complete the works with minimum disruption to the wastewater plant meaning that the timeframe was tight. It was important that they could rapidly mobilise for this project once the planning was complete because they were very dependent on coordinating a power outage with a gap in the weather.
RISE Pacific came up with a solution that involved the design and engineering using their existing inventory of F34P Global Truss to build a structure self-supported on one side and supported by an existing structure and custom anchorage on the other.
This structure was built over the course of approximately 2 days by a team of 3 technicians and served as the basis for the operation providing shelter from the weather, mounting for lighting, communications and monitoring equipment and a high strength versatile rigging grid for the support of both personnel and equipment.
This allowed RISE Pacific’s rope access technicians to gain temporary access to the 160m vertical shaft that had little to no existing anchors or infrastructure for access via ropes or otherwise. The structure was in place for approximately 3 months while the works were completed and then was taken down just as quickly as it was put up when it came time for demobilisation.
As well as being used for the main structure external to the vertical space, Global F34P was also used to attain initial entry into the top of the shaft to install a rope access rail into the underside of the concrete slab. This truss was the perfect option as it allowed for a lightweight, high strength temporary beam that could be lowered into the space and manipulated into the right location to provide temporary access while the permanent access rail was installed. Once the rail was installed the temporary sticks of F34P could be removed, and the permanent rail was used in conjunction with the large external truss structure to provide rope access, fall protection and rigging capability.
RISE Pacific are specialists in rope access, rigging and rescue for a variety of industries. Some include, but are not limited to, tree care, entertainment and production, industrial access and rescue. Rope access specialists have a specialised technique that requires them to access and work in hard-to-reach locations, typically at height or confined spaces.
Rope access involves the use of ropes and associated equipment to safely suspend from vertical surfaces, such as buildings, towers, bridges or cliffs, allowing them to perform tasks efficiently and effectively.
RISE play host to nationally and industry-recognised training courses at their facilities in Sydney which includes SPRAAT Rope Access, working at heights, confined space, tower rescue, first aid and much more.
They are nation-wide equipment suppliers of tree care, industrial access, entertainment rigging and rescue/emergency service worlds distributing high-quality brands as well as offering and applying their expertist to deliver a new standard in quality and safety of work.
