Spider, a division of SafeWorks, LLC, recently provided the suspended access solution for Gillette Antiperspirants’ extreme athletic competition in Latin America.
The record-setting competition involved seven athletes simultaneously performing pull up exercises while suspended from different bridges across Latin America. Zink, the event development organization for Panama’s leg of the competition, turned to Spider to engineer a safe, reliable powered access solution that would safely transport the athlete to the top of the Centennial Bridge spanning the Panama Canal.
Spider’s ST-180 electric drum hoist, equipped with two lifelines and rope grabs, was rigged to a custom rigging point at the top of the bridge’s 425-ft tall pillar. The work basket’s 5,000-lb load capacity enabled an operator and the athlete to travel to the top with the required 4:1 safety factor. When they reached the top of the pillar, the athlete grabbed the bar while the operator lowered the basket several feet to allow room for the challenge. Once the pull-up challenge was completed, the ST-180 climbed again to gather the athlete and smoothly descended to the ground.
“We chose Spider’s solution to lift our Panamenia athlete 425 feet to guarantee not only safety but also that he was transported to the top of the pillar fast enough to accomplish the real-time, simultaneous competition among the seven participating countries in Latin America,” commented Ana Sol Ordonez, Key Account Manager and Co-owner of Zink Panama.
“The Spider Panama team provided exceptional local support and expertise for this extreme event,” added John Sotiroff, Vice President Sales and Distribution for Spider. “They were instrumental in the planning and engineering stages as well as on-site during the competition to ensure that safe operation of the ST-180 in this event was achieved without a hitch. It was a successful endeavor for all involved.”
Video footage of Spider’s descent during Panama’s portion of the competition can be viewed at http://youtu.be/h8l1g4eTDjs.