By Aidan Earp, Managing Director, All Star Safety Ltd
A concrete skip might not be the first thing you expect to stop you at a crane and access show. But the remote-controlled SECATOL system demonstrated by Whitney at Vertikal Days on 9 September did just that.
The attraction was straightforward: operating the discharge gate remotely gives the team another option for deciding where the person controlling the pour needs to stand. That is a practical detail worth looking at closely.
What the remote actually controls
Whitney’s radio-remote concrete skip range includes an electric discharge mechanism operated by a handheld transmitter. The remote controls the skip’s gate and the release of concrete. The crane operator remains responsible for the crane’s movements.
The SECATOL VE literature we collected describes remote opening and closing, with the gate remaining in position when the control button is released. That gives the person controlling the discharge a way to adjust the opening without having to operate a rope at the skip.
Whitney Engineering is a UK distributor of SECATOL equipment. The supplier offers different skip arrangements, so the precise model, capacity and control specification need to be matched to the job. SECATOL’s own product information also shows an electric radio-controlled version of its TIC PF skip.
Why the demonstration caught our attention
Moving a control away from the equipment can change how a task is organised. In a concrete pour, that could give the person operating the gate more choice over their position and view, subject to the arrangement on site.
What matters is whether the chosen position actually improves control of the work. The person still needs to see the discharge area, understand what is happening and communicate effectively with everyone involved. A remote handset alone cannot answer those questions.
It was while watching this demonstration that I bumped into Michael Cuthbertson, Lifting Manager at Sizewell C. I trained Michael at Quinto when he moved from offshore work back to onshore many years ago. It was good to catch up and compare our impressions of what we were watching.
The conversation to have before using it on site
For a lifting team considering a system like this, I would start with a few practical questions.
Who controls what? The crane’s movement and the skip’s discharge are separate functions. Everyone needs to understand who is operating each, how they communicate and how either activity is stopped.
Where is the best operating position? Think about the view of the pour, the suspended skip, other workers and any hose or chute handling. The aim is to choose a position that works for the complete task.
What happens if the control is unavailable? Ask the supplier about loss of signal, battery condition and the exact model’s emergency arrangements. These need to be understood before the skip is in use.
Has the complete lifting arrangement been checked? The skip, concrete and all attached equipment contribute to the suspended load. The lifting plan needs to reflect the actual configuration and the movement required.
How will it be maintained and handed over? Cleaning, inspection, charging and familiarisation deserve attention alongside the demonstration of the controls.
An equipment improvement still needs a workable method
These are questions for the team developing the method, supported by the supplier’s instructions. HSE’s guidance on planning lifting operations places equipment selection, foreseeable risks and the way the work is organised within the same planning process.
What appealed to me at Newark was seeing a development aimed at a specific task that many lifting teams will recognise. It is the kind of idea that deserves a proper conversation about how the job could be done, including the people around the equipment.
For the wider visit, read our Vertikal Days round-up. Our other follow-up looks at Torquer’s SPEAR and HALO systems, which address connection and load orientation.
If you are changing a lifting method or assessing the competence needed to use new equipment, get in touch with All Star Safety to discuss practical support.
Featured image: SECATOL remote handset and control equipment, supplied via Whitney Engineering’s product page. Supplier photographs illustrate the product range; they are not photographs of our visit.