Masonry Magazine January 2008 Page. 24
MAST CLIMBERS
Photo courtesy of Hydek manager, mast climbing platforms, for Houston-based Alimak Hek Inc. As a result, MCWPs save masonry contractors money.
"The first savings are seen during the installation process, which significantly reduces the required number of laborers and erection time by requiring a fewer number of ties and having only one level to assemble," she says. "Rule of thumb is that to erect an MCWP system that fully wraps a building takes approximately 30 percent of the time it would take to do the same with a conventional scaffold system"
Manning says masons and materials can be lifted simultaneously to the exact spot where the work will be performed, creating an ergonomic working environment that increases production and reduces fatigue. Because the MCWP moves, workers no longer need to climb the scaffolding stairwell, saving climbing and recovery time.
"Additionally, loading the material onto the work platform and delivering it to the work site alleviates the need to schedule and wait for crane time or material hoist time, again cutting precious labor hours," she says.
Once masonry workers use a mast climber, they don't want any other system, says Mike Reddick, national sales manager for Hydek in Atlanta. MCWPs are perfect for big box store construction, like retail outlets and home centers, even when the buildings aren't very tall.
"At 25 feet and up, the mason is realizing a dramatic labor savings," Reddick says.
Safer environments, reduced injury
ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY touted benefits of MCWPS is safety. Manufacturers say mast climbers are safer than any other scaffolding.
"It is generally accepted that mast climbers increase production by up to 35 percent," Laine says. "This gain can be explained by an improved safety feeling by workers and by the proven ability of mast climbers to fit any building configuration."
20 Masonry
January 2008 www.masoncontractors.org
ASK THE EXPERTS
Masonry magazine asked two industry experts, Bamey Hanna, development manager for America - AS Mast Climbers, a division of American Platform & Scaffolding in Baltimore, and Clint Bridges, VP of EZ Scaffold in Columbia, Tenn, a few basic questions about the scaffolding industry and its future Following is what they had to say:
Masonry: When are mast climbers the best scaffolding for masonry jobsites?
Clint Bridges: They're the best choice for any job over 12 feet high. I have had contractors set up the platforms on walls that didn't require them to go up or down short walls, 10 feet and less because the mast climbers are easy and fast to set up.
Barney Hanna: They're always the best. We're seeing them more and more in new construction where the masons are frequently loading up materials. The buildings don't have to be tall. If a wall is 40 feet long masons will benefit from a mast climber.
Masonry: What benefits do MCWPs provide masonry contractors that other scaffolding systems can't?
Bridges: They're safer: fewer boards and built-in guardrails, tow boards and access. They save on labor: less set-up time. A contractor had a 70 percent increase in his production verses cost ratio on the very first day he used the scaffolding.
Hanna: They have a greater capacity. They give masonry contractors the ability to build a long platform. Masons can load it up and the brick layers can work a long time without stopping.
Masonry: What does the future hold for mast climbers?
Bridges: All trades will start putting money toward the use of the scaffold instead of taking advantage of the mason. This would take the liability away from the masonry contractor and spread it among the responsible parties.
Hanna: Mast climbers have seen a lot of growth over the last 10 years, and they'll see even more growth over the next few years as the industries see the benefits.
Mast climbers reduce workers' compensation claims, he says. Loads can be distributed anywhere on a work platform, which reduces the need for bending and heavy lifting.
"From the masonry contractor standpoint, benefits resulting from the use of mast climbers are mainly economic: quick installation, easy setup, gained productivity, labor savings, insurance cost reduction resulting from less compensation claims, etc.," Laine says.
Laine also says accidents resulting from falling debris, a consequent of bad scaffold planking, and falls from elevated scaffold are minimized with MCWPs. "Wall anchoring represents another important safety issue," he says. "Mast climbers are much easier to anchor into the building's structure."
Other scaffolding requires moving planks, which can cause injuries and mishandling problems, according to Hydro Mobile's Dequoy. Mast climbers let masons concentrate on laying bricks, not relocating planks.
"Mast climbers are not only safer on the jobsite, they are also a huge benefit for health in the long term," he says. "They are ergonomic, meaning that the bricklayer picks and lays the brick at the ideal body height."
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