Latest news

Facelift to the 'Elm'

In the 1970’s more than 20 million Elm trees were affected by ‘Dutch Elm’ disease.  Recently, one of the last remaining trees was identified on Council land in Bromsgrove West Midlands with the opportunity to propagate from a disease resistant tree. Facelift were called in with their 22m Ascendant to allow safe and easy access to all areas of the tree.  The machine was operated to allow the surgeon to concentrate on the job in hand, with the hydraulic controls allowing for precise movement and positioning of the cage giving ample room for surveying and diagnosing any problems with no fears of damaging the Elm.  The platforms manouverability allowed examination of lower and upper branches, choice propagation, removal of dead branches and some trimming and general maintenance by Ringways tree surgeons.  The opportunity was taken to use the MEWP (mobile elevating work platform) to further survey each side of the tree and take any equipment needed to treat the tree in the cage - the Ascendants working cage load of 280kg providing further key advantages and its fly jib allowed the men to reach over any obstructions.  The County Council organised for Kemerton Conservation Trust, a local charity that aims to conserve wildlife and places of beauty to collect the cuttings from the tree.  Most importantly The Trust and Pershore College have jointly formed the RELIC project (Replanting Elms In the Countryside) to identify and replant disease resistant native elm trees in the British countryside.  

For further information on the 22m Ascendant please click here

New complimentary safety poster supports working at height safety initiative

Continuing to support the working at height safety initiative, Facelift are offering a free full colour safety poster. The poster is designed to be a constant and professional reminder of how to work safely at height. It incorporates the eight key elements which employers and employees need to consider when setting up their access machinery. Simple display pictures and short sharp instructions really get the message across, and it’s ideal for use in site offices and more.  You can either download it from their website at www.facelift.co.uk and use the health and safety navigation button on the left of the page, or email their training department at trainingposters@facelift.co.uk. Make sure you provide your full postal address and the number of posters you require, these will then be mailed out to you free of charge.

If you have any other questions or require further information contact the training department on 0800 072 55 72 or visit www.facelift.co.uk

Sky Sports with out a view

With 24 years experience Facelift has developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the access industry. The extensive variety on their access fleet is enviable as there is a machine to suit every task.

Facelifts knowledge was recently tested when Sky Sports were filming a polo match. The ground conditions caused an assortment of restrictions to the crew including height limitations, steep banks and uneven terrain. After a thorough examination of the arena and surrounding areas Facelift suggested the Haulotte Compact 12DX.  

The Haulotte Compact 12DX was the ideal machine for the task at hand as its small compact size allowed easy access and manoeuvrability around the site; but still provided a large work platform for the cameramen.  

The scissor lifts unique rough terrain capabilities and four wheel drive tactically allowed the robust platform down the banks. While the self levelling outriggers allowed the scissor lift to be set up on the uneven ground.  

The Haulotte Compact 12DX is one of the most prominent rough terrain scissor lifts in the hire fleet proving popular with all aspects of working at height.

Spot the difference winners

To celebrate Facelifts 24th year in the powered access industry we gave you the opportunity to win £500 or five free IPAF training courses at one of our IPAF-approved training centres by entering our spot the difference competition.  

Facelift had a flurry of responses following the competition; which featured in the Cranes and Access October issue and the IPAF Powered Access Review 2009.  

Facelift would like to congratulate Simon Fidoes of Firlands Development Ltd the winner of the scissor lift spot the difference and Kevin Byrne of Costain the winner of the Bronto Spot the difference.  

Both winners decided to take the five free training courses instead of the £500 cash prize. Many companies are now seeing the importance and benefits of IPAF training for their staff. In 2008 alone 76,000 candidates attended IPAF training courses.  

Simon Fiode sent three of his colleagues to train at Facelifts Birmingham training centre for IPAF category 3B; you can see them proudly showing their new IPAF qualifications in front of the Haulotte HA16SPX.  

 Contact Training

Sussex sky lights up with 2000 Christmas tree lights

Watch how a 62m Bronto helps put 2000 lights on what's possibly the worlds  largest Christmas Tree. Pilots say this huge tree can be clearly seen from the Gatwick flight path when lit up at night!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year fom all at Facelift.

To watch the Christmas tree light up, please click here  to view the video.

Facelift's dangerous dozen

Facelift have produced an interesting slide show called 'facelift's dirty dozen'. The 12 photographs depict people who've invented amazingly dangerous ideas on how to work at height. They put themselves and others at maximum risk of injury. A real eye opener, it's an instant reminder of how not do it and a valuable training tool for people working in this area.

To watch the slide show click here

Wolverhampton Wanderers gets a "boom"

Wolverhampton Wanderers recently hired Facelifts Haulotte H25TPX for 2 days to help them carry out routine maintenance on their sound system at their 28k seater Molineux Stadium.The machine was used to allow sound engineers from T G Baker Sound to gain access to the speakers many located some 80 feet up in the four surrounding stands. Steve Sutton Groundsman for Wolves said, ‘We used this machine to help us gain the height and outreach required to access the system. It wasn’t just a matter of going up vertically, it was the additional horizontal access we required. We also needed to ensure the machine was easy to manoeuvre, because the stadium’s a busy place and we have to be able to move around the pitch quickly without causing any obstructions. This machine has ticked all of those boxes’.David Jones Hire Controller at Facelifts Birmingham Depot said ‘This is one of our most popular machines, and as you can see from the pictures there’s a good colour match too!’

For further information relating to this machine click here

Up and Under!

Facelift recently hired out there 46m Bronto to Edmund Nuttalls allowing them to undertake concrete finishing works to the soffit of a new bridge being built over an old viaduct on the Old River Soar in Upperton Road Leicester.The five day hire was part of a 1.91 million pound scheme by Leicester City Council to replace the 100 year old Upperton Road Viaduct with a new low-level road, a bridge over the Old River Soar and new pedestrian cycle way acting as a catalyst for regeneration. The viaduct was on a major arterial route which carried some 20,000 vehicles per day, a busy and vital part of the city’s main transport network and previously had a 7.5 GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) restriction applied due to its condition. Jim O’Grady Manager at Facelift commented ‘The 46 metre platform is normally used for working at height, however, it does have the added advantage of being able to work with excellent manoeuvrability below ground level.’ Jim went on to say that “Using this type of machine ensures that there’s a minimal disturbance to city centre life not least its ability to set up and deploy without fuss’.

For further information on the 46m Bronto please click here

Sky high emergency roof repairs

Facelift were recently called upon to assist with emergency repair work to the roof of Shrewsbury’s famous landmark St Chad’s Church. Their brand new 61m Bronto was seen in action after they joined forces with Mark Bywater Leadwork Specialists and Conservation Architect Tim Ratcliffe to help with a major structural survey and repairs to the lead roof of the 200 year old church after fears were raised about its condition. Adrian Richards, Chairman of the Fabric Committee at St Chad’s said ‘On the tower of the church there are some large lead panels which weigh around 200 kilos each, it appears that these are partly torn away. It’s either because the copper nails that secure it or the timber underneath has rotted away and we have to make some emergency repairs because it’s dangerous. While we’re doing it we’re going to assess how much other work needs to be carried out as the church is due for its Quinquennial inspection which is carried out every five years. Mr Richards said ‘The committee have chosen to use a cherrypicker because it’s a third of the price of scaffolding’. David Bowman Manager from Facelift commented‘ The 61m was the most efficient way to carry out repairs to stabilise the roofs panels. Its generous 600kg working  load and its ability to manoeuvre safely around the building made it a clear cut choice, it didn’t disrupt from the churches day to day activities’.

Click here to view the video

New signs for the Echo Arena

Facelift recently hired a 46 metre Bronto to Sign Engineering Technology to assist with the installation of Liverpool’s Echo Arena signs. The installation, which included all the signs electronics on both sides of the building, took a total of two weeks to finish with the biggest letter measuring 4 metres in height. The venue, which hosted this years Capital of Culture opening ceremony is now a well known British landmark and houses a massive 10,000 plus seater arena. Liverpool Depot Manager Ian Galvin commented ‘This type of machine has wide ranging capabilities which allows this type of project to run with a minimum of disruption’.