“OUR rental units are often used in tricky conditions and applications, such as for cleaning out blocked sewers or spillage clean-ups,” says Sebastian Werner, MD of Werner Pumps, leading local manufacturer of high-pressure jetting equipment. “This means our operators may need to get into a manhole or an oil pit to get the nozzle to reach where it needs to go, which can be a safety risk. We’ve therefore invested in a special tripod device for each truck that can be used to more safely lower or lift the operator.”
Werner explains that the tripods are designed specifically for vertical descent in confined spaces. They have sturdy but lightweight aluminium legs that lock in the open position automatically and include their own winch system, so there’s no need for a separate pulley / bracket assembly. The hoist attaches directly, making set-up and pack-down quick and easy, and there’s a fall arrestor bracket that can be attached to one of the legs. There’s also a maximum height indicator for ease of use (maximum extension is 2.45m) and the legs are telescopic, meaning they take up less space in the truck once packed down.
“The operator sets up the tripod above the hatch they need to enter, and can be slowly lowered into the hole safely. There is also an accessory pulley attachment that can be fixed to the tripod head, should the operator require tools to be lowered or lifted too,” explains Werner. “This makes client jobs much safer for our operators and also gives our customers peace of mind when they are renting a Werner Pumps unit. As far as we know, we are the first local business to include such a device in our rental unit. If there is interest from our customers in purchasing these tripods for their own trucks, we will investigate stocking them in future.”
Werner Pumps is continually looking for ways to improve its customer offering. With its new welding machine installed and operating, Werner says the business is able to cut down on lead times for its 100% locally manufactured jetting and vacuum trucks.
“We hope that 2023 will be a good year for us,” he says. “As it stands, we look set to double the number of trucks we manufactured in 2022, and we appreciate how many of our customers are repeat clients.”
