LOCAL COMPANY SCALES DIZZY HEIGHTS TO PROTECT LONDON

Oldham steeplejacks answer the call and head to London to prevent a disaster

A team of Oldham steeplejacks are owed a debt of gratitude by those they were sent to protect – the people of London.

To prevent aircraft hitting the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge en-route to London City Airport, a band of highly skilled operatives from Oldham-based Delta International Steeplejacks (DSJ), spent last week carrying out the final stages of installation on a brand new state-of-the-art aircraft warning system.

The bridge, which links the M25 across the Thames in Dartford, previously had an aircraft warning system which was installed during construction in 1991. Changes to Civil Aviation Legislation rendered that system obsolete due to its reliance on white xenon flashers which are no longer up to regulation and need replacing.

The bridge’s controlling authority put a contract to update the system out to tender in August 2008. DSJ’s sister company Delta Obstruction Lighting (DOL) – both part of the ‘Delta Group’ - won the contract a month later due to its growing reputation for providing innovative new LED aircraft warning lighting solutions on time and to budget.

DOL Managing Director, Tariq Mukhtar said: “We were delighted to be awarded the QEII job because it was a mark of how far we’ve come and of what we are capable of. From design to installation there have been many challenges but at each stage our talented workforce has adapted well, providing a product and a service that is second to none.”

DOL’s task was to design and manufacture the lighting system at its Wrigley Street factory near Oldham town centre. After much deliberation, it decided a system of six LED lights was the right solution and, despite a number of forced alterations, it developed the Dual WL2500 (duty and standby) Medium Intensity Aviation Obstruction Light incorporating both duty and standby red 700W LEDs within one casing – an industry first.

DSJ’s first fix installation took place at the end of January and last week – ending Friday 6th March - DOL Operations Manager, Asif Mukhtar (Tariq’s brother), led DSJ operatives Mark Butterworth, John Davies and Steve Marshall down to London to complete final snagging relating to problems with the old wiring system. The team scaled the 137 metre high structure daily to modify control panels and interface them with the bridge’s control tower. They finished the job late Friday evening.

Speaking after disembarking the bridge for the final time DOL Operations Manager, Asif Mukhtar said: “Every day on the bridge threw up new challenges. Any job above some of the world’s busiest sea lanes and motorways and below one of its busiest flightpaths involves a high degree of risk, especially in high winds and the biting cold but we’ve coped very well.”

Tariq added: “Its very important we take on huge structures like the QEII bridge and do a first class job. It is the ultimate shop window for us as it demonstrates to thousands that our products are of excellent build quality and our workforce is highly skilled at fitting them. We hope to work on more and more structures of this type in the future.”