Customer Requirement
Arriva London Bus operates from 14 different garages and has a fleet of over 2500 vehicles, they had won various new contracts using the new eco friendly electrically operated “Boris Bus” Wrights new Routemaster.
Servicing the new buses was an issue over their existing site workshop pits as they were some where both too short and shallow due to the model of buses being longer and lower. This meant that their existing pits needed to be extended and deepened to allow their workshop staff to work safely. The project was time critical as the pits needed to be fully up and running prior to the new contract starting.
Everquip Response
Our Engineering Team attended all sites around London and carried out full site surveys of what needed to be done to get the inspection pits up to standard and more importantly Health & Safety Compliant.
On inspection some of the pits had to be changed for new Everquip Pre Fabricated Service Pits.
At five Arriva locations the Inspection Pits where found to be in good structural integrity but needed lengthening and deepening. Some where open walled pits with supporting concrete pillars holding up the pit jack rails and a suspended concrete floor. The installation of new steel inspection pits and associated civil works was not feasible within the time scale required so carrying out works to amend their existing pits was the only way forward.
The modifications to each of the pits involved supplying new Pit Section, this is prefabricated steel pit section complete with an integrated emergency exit ladder. The pit sections were attached to the existing concrete pits, this increased the length of the overall pit to allow safe access and egress when the pit was in use.
To increase the depth of their existing pits a gully was dug out along the full length of the base of the pits. Once our civil team had completed the proposed works the Everquip engineering team supplied and fitted its prepared steel clad sheet system PitClad, this is a hand made clad that is made bespoke for each pit, the clad is powder coated and is easily cleanable and wipes clean. We also supplied new stairway treads, nose markings, LED heavy duty lighting, compressed air lines, waste oil discharge pipe work, compressed air reel, Everquip 20000kgs pit jack and pit bridge were also supplied and fitted along with a step up.
Everquip were also contracted to provide Health and Safety Compliant Floor markings and Everquip Pit Barrier posts.
A programme of works was agreed with the client, with phasing of pit closures at each site. Additional Mobile Column Lifts where supplied to Arriva to keep the workshops operational during the Pit upgrade works.
The Outcome
The transformation was incredible, a game changer for the operatives who work in the Inspection Pits, from an inefficient, dark and basically redundant inspection pit to a bright, efficient work area with all the benefits of pit jacks, bridge and new compressed air lines. Most of all the pits where Health and Safety Compliant at 50% of the cost of a full pit replacement!
The programme of works were completed on time within budget. All workshop pits were now health and safety compliant for servicing of the new contract and the working environment for the workforce had been improved significantly.
