Combisafe’s provided safe and cost-effective access and edge protection for London’s new Custom House Crossrail station.

Working over a live railway during the construction of the Custom House Crossrail station in East London, the use of the COMBISAFE Hanging Platform ensured the safety of site operatives during the fabrication of a 35 metre long access bridge.

Built by Laing O’Rourke on the site of the former North London Line station, the Crossrail station will include a new ticket hall, an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and step-free access between the platforms and street level.

Used to link the station to the nearby ExCel London, the access bridge was fabricated off-site and then assembled on location to minimise disruption to the DLR and local residents.

In order to create a working platform over the Docklands Light Railway, Laing O’Rourke worked with COMBISAFE to ensure the most appropriate, safe and cost-effective access and edge protection system was used.

James Redman, Senior Engineer, Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure South commented: “The COMBISAFE Engineering team came up with a solution which facilitated not only operative access during the bridge and deck installation but also the follow on works such as the balustrade installation. The Hanging Platform met our requirements perfectly.”

With a wide range of attachments, the COMBISAFE Hanging Platform is a modular, quickly installed system which creates a working platform around the edge of structures.

This lightweight system comprises a console which is suspended or attached to a structure into which boardwalks are fixed to create a walkway.

The consoles also support the Safety Posts and Barriers from the COMBISAFE Fall Prevention System on the outside of the walkway.

COMBISAFE ran a training session for four Laing O’Rourke operatives prior to the installation.

With Crossrail on track for completion in 2018, this tried and tested solution has ensured the safety of workers at the Custom House Station..