Industrial equipment supplier SkyJacks supplied an aerial GEDA working platform to a major platinum mine in South Africa earlier this year while also delivering a similar materials handling solution to a gold mine in Carletonville, Gauteng.

The company is also working on a project for a major South African petrochemicals company to deliver access equipment solutions, says SkyJacks MD Darryn Jacobs.

SkyJacks offers flexible rental machinery solutions designed to meet changing operational needs. For example, a mining company may initially require a machine capable of reaching 20 m, but would later require a diesel- powered machine with a 40 m reach. Rather than having to invest in both machines, Jacobs says that customers can return their initial choice of equipment and upgrade to a more suitable option, while the choice to own or rent enhances the versatility of the company’s solutions.

SkyJacks’ teams are also readying to conduct work in the rest of Africa, including work planned for a major copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“In this instance, we sent out a team to Kibali, DRC, to view the mine’s requirements. They came back with a proposal. We then, with our engineering partners, designed the platforms that are applicable,” he says.

SkyJacks also offers load testing and inspection services and caters for a range of mining solutions.

The versatility of the company’s offerings helps to modernise operational processes across mining and industrial environments. Lithium battery-powered machinery, for example, can move independently between different areas of a site, eliminating the need to be transported from one location to another.

With machines capable of reaching different heights, these solutions can be adapted to a range of site-specific tasks while helping to reduce underground air pollution, compared with diesel-powered equipment.

For example, GEDA and SkyClimber temporary suspended platform solutions enable mining operations to safely and efficiently reach difficult-to-access areas. This is particularly valuable for tasks such as safe and efficient access to walls of a sunken mine shaft, where workers require reliable and secure access solutions to work safely.

SkyJacks have been supplying temporary suspended platforms to the mining, construction and industrial maintenance sectors for more than four decades.

“Fast and easy to erect and operate, SkyJacks’ suspended platforms are a safe and economic access solution for contractors,” the company states.

The company also promotes health and safety measures for mine personnel with accredited on-site training on how to use the equipment safely and effectively.

“Mines are very safety conscious . . . We don’t just offer training – we offer certified training with the various sector education and training authorities. We’re the custodian of quite a bit of intellectual capital, in terms of our training, especially when it comes to our elevated working platforms,” says Jacobs.

SkyJacks provides comprehensive operator training for equipment – typically conducted over about three days – such as its temporary suspended platforms, and mobile elevated working platforms (MEWPs).

This training promotes safer equipment operation and helps to reduce the risks associated with traditional mining and construction practices.

Enabling operators to work from elevated platforms, with improved visibility and reduced reliance on manual labour, reduces the risk of accidents, including injuries caused by machinery operating in areas where workers have limited lines of sight.

Operators can now work safely from MEWPs equipped with advanced safety features, with anti-crush bars fitted to the front of the baskets, automatically stopping the machine when movement is detected within a very small distance.

Jacobs points out that load cells monitor the machine’s weight capacity and automatically bring it to a halt if an overload is detected, further enhancing operator safety.