Spider, a division of SafeWorks, provided a complete suspended access solution for the installation of spacers along conductor lines at Mehoopany Wind in Noxen, Pa. The contractor, American Energy, required an access solution to add spacers to prevent three 2,000-foot conductor lines that spanned the wind farm’s valley from coming in contact with one another and with surrounding vegetation.
Typically accessed by helicopter, obstructions in the environment prevented aerial access and demanded a unique access alternative. Spider supplied a full design/build solution with a 30-foot swingstage equipped with custom rollers that enabled the platform to travel along the conductor. The SC1000 traction hoists were removed from the platform and instead installed at the base of the tower to reduce the platform’s total live load. Multi-tier suspended scaffold ladders were added to both ends of the platforms and suspended from the rigging trolleys to enable workers to climb to access the two outer conductors. Four sets of 1,500-foot wire rope were successfully managed while the platform traveled in both directions.
Spider also designed and installed a fall-protection system that allowed for self-rescue from a height of up to 450 feet above the ground. Hoists that allowed for primary and secondary wire ropes enabled workers to tie off to an engineered anchor point on the overhead rigging beam, thus meeting strict fall-protection and self-rescue requirements.
Spider also provided user training and onsite supervision to ensure the five-day project was completed on time, within budget and without incident.
“Spider’s execution on this project was exceptional,” said D.J. Frame, project manager with American Energy. “They responded to each and every unique challenge with expertise and timeliness, often working after hours to ensure all engineering requirements were met safely and on time.”
Based in Seattle, Spider is No. 81 on the RER 100.
