Orb Rope Access was asked to carry out a visual and tactile façade safety inspection of the Barclays Building, One Churchill Place at Canary Wharf, London.
The brief
The client wanted the building inspection to be completed safely and efficiently. It was important that, due to its location in the heart of the finance district of London, there be minimum fuss and disruption to the daily operation of the building.
The building
One Churchill Place is a 156 metre tall skyscraper with 32 floors. It is the 13th-tallest office block in the UK, and the 6th tallest building in the Dockland area. One of the elevations is positioned directly over dockland waters.
Rope access preferred to Building Maintenance Units
Rope access was considered the safest and most versatile option for this survey inspection. It was preferred to Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) that provide limited mobility for this kind of work due to the use of cradles. Likewise, BMU operatives often lack the training needed to carry out the inspection efficiently.
Rope access is self-sufficient, allowing the experienced Orb Rope Access survey team to inspect the building thoroughly and produce detailed inspection reports. There was no requirement for ground level machinery, allowing everyone who uses the building to go about their business as usual.