Platform lift keeps new school Equality Act compliant

Leading building contractor, Sutherland Construction Services, turned to movemanSKG when it needed a platform lift for Westside School in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. movemanSKG recommended Prestige, a freestanding unit capable of lifting 400kg up to 13m.

Westside School gives young people finding the large and often rigid setting of mainstream education challenging the chance to achieve their learning goals in a supportive environment. It was moving into a former gym and dance studio due to increased space and improved facilities, so commissioned Sutherland Construction Services for a £400,000 conversion and refurbishment project.

Sutherland Construction Services, which was established in 2009 and specialises in projects with a value range from £50,000 upwards, installed classrooms, partition walls, a sports hall, kitchen and air conditioning. However, it needed an access route to make the first and second floors of the premises accessible to wheelchair users.

“We knew we needed a platform lift because the physical structure of the building meant there was no space for the machine room found on a conventional lift” commented Owen Wellman, Contracts Manager at Sutherland Construction Services. “movemanSKG has an excellent reputation in the lift industry and its team quickly came up with a design that met our requirements. Prestige was an ideal solution.”

Westside School’s new three stop Prestige is located in the reception area and serves classrooms and offices on the first and second floors. Sutherland Construction Services cut a hole in the floor to accommodate the unit’s self standing shaft before adding supporting steelwork and cladding. The finished lift travels 8m between the two floors and features a security card operation system to prevent misuse.

Wellman continues: “movemanSKG provided excellent value for money and the installation was swift and seamless. Westside School is now completely accessible to those with mobility impairments and complies with the Equality Act.”

Customers can tailor movemanSKG’s Prestige to suit their specific application. Options include shaft glazing, different colours and finishes, and powered or fire rates doors.