The brief
Orb Rope Access received an initial brief from Preston North End (PNE) Football Club to assess the higher sections of the football stands and towers at Deepdale Stadium, with a view to removing any dropped objects. We were also asked to change some floodlight bulbs. The brief grew very quickly once we started!
Additional work required
Soon after our Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) qualified team began working at Deepdale, it became apparent there were many more areas of work we could help with that would ultimately lead to cost savings for the club.
We met with PNE’s management team and discussed the additional work we could do for them. We explained how rope access is more cost-effective than other maintenance methods due to the absence of scaffolding and other expensive equipment. Having been impressed with the projects we had completed to date, the PNE management team gave us the green light to go ahead with the additional work.
Projects completed and ongoing
Some of the projects we have become involved in are as follows:
- Bird netting – covering structures with netting to stop birds from nesting and fowling
- Painting at height
- Lighting installation
- Wiring installation
- Roof repairs
- Steelwork installation in the media gantry
- Flagpole installation
- Speaker installation
- Signage installation
- Window cleaning at height
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) inspection
- Fall arrest block installations; body holding devices to stop falls
- Handrail installations
- Cladding
- Gutter cleaning
- Removal of weather-damaged materials
With every job we completed we were asked to do more. The management team at PNE became increasingly convinced of the benefits of rope access for stadiums like Deepdale. Rope access eradicates the cost of additional third parties to supply scaffolding or cradles and the labour to operate them. Rope access is also efficient, allowing for easier access to hard to reach places which is particularly important for many of the tasks we were given by PNE.
Orb are now a regular, trusted contractor for PNE, undertaking any tasks at height that become necessary.
