Paint overhead line tower in the London borough of Croydon, as part of Actavo’s transmission and distribution network maintenance programme of the UK pylon and substation network.
Scope of works
The preparation and painting of 61 high voltage electricity pylons.
Services delivered
Pylon painting.
Solutions to challenges
Experience
The planned outage was to be through the spring/summer of 2020. Due to Covid-19, the line which feeds London had to remain in service. The outage was rescheduled for October, which created additional challenges due to the weather being more inclement, the days shorter, and the duration of the outage further reduced.
Actavo assessed the situation and decided that to achieve the work targets within the outage duration, it would have to allocate additional resources from around the country. Working closely with the team and client, Actavo agreed a programme and found resources to successfully complete the work within the time constraints.
Health & Safety
The route was high risk regarding environmental challenges. The location was densely populated. Its proximity to residential property, carparks, a cemetery, overhangs into residential gardens and allotments, schools, roads and rail lines made operating challenging.
Almost every tower needed standby and further protective measures. Wind direction and wind speed were monitored and used to manage overspray risks during the project. At higher risk towers, wind was closely monitored by ground staff under the instruction of the site manager. Where practical, ground sheeting was designed and applied to protect the areas below.
Benefits to client
Expertise
Working for 30 years in the industry, Actavo is experienced and trusted in the field.
Quality assurance
Operational excellence demonstrated through strict company audit processes and adherence to Achilles requirements, leading to full traceability and ultimately client confidence in the Actavo Quality and Programme delivery.
Innovation
Driven through collaboration and trial with suppliers to challenge and improve specification wherever possible and to advise the client of new market solutions.
Health & Safety
The outage was delivered with a 100% safety performance, with zero incidents.
Key successes
- The ability and flexibility to re-schedule resources
- Meeting changing priorities
- Understanding client’s needs
- Experience of planning and delivering pylon painting in high risk areas
- Extensive training for all team members to ensure competence to operate in this strictly regulated sector