New lift extends FMD’s reach

January 5, 2007

Electrician Bob Larson uses the University’s new spider lift to put Christmas lights in a tree near the President’s Residence. Photo by Colleen MacPherson

No light bulb, no matter how high up in a gymnasium or lecture theatre, is out of reach any more now that Facilities Management Division (FMD) has taken delivery of a new spider lift.

Able to lift two people up to 44 feet in the air, the German-made piece of equipment has some characteristics that make it both unique and efficient, according to John Nobel, manager of logistics management with FMD. It is also the only one of its kind in Canada.

First, it is small enough to go through a standard 32-inch doorway, which is off limits to the typical articulating lift that is about three feet wide. And, those standard lifts usually weigh about 15,000 lbs., said Nobel. The new spider lift weighs only about 4,000 lbs., making it light enough to travel across gym floors without causing damage.

It can also do stairs. Robert Dahlgren, FMD’s safety coordinator, explained the lift can manoeuvre on an angle of up to 20 degrees, the slope of the average staircase. That means it can be set up and used on the sloping floor of a lecture theatre. As a safety feature, the lift will not operate if there is not equal pressure on its four stabilizing legs, said Dahlgren – “it’ll just beep at you.”

And the list of features continues. Dahlgren pointed out the lift rotates up to 355 degrees in a circle about 40 feet in diameter. It also operates on gas when outdoors, and can be plugged into an electrical outlet for indoor operation.

Purchased at a cost of about $80,000, the lift is expected to generate significant savings of both money and time, said Nobel. Having the lift will mean the University can avoid the expense and time of setting up and taking down scaffolding for jobs like painting ceilings.

He used the large gym in the Kinesiology Building as an example where scaffolding had to be used to change a light bulb in the ceiling. Now, the whole procedure can be done in less than 90 minutes, a huge time saving. “We can get this piece of equipment in easily, and quickly get it back out again.”