Going to Extraordinary Lengths

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWP), or cherry-pickers as they’re often known, are regular users of Pirtek’s on-site hose replacement service. So when Pirtek Ipswich received an emergency call from MEWP hire specialist Nationwide recently, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary.

However, the MEWP in question was a 43 tonne, 35 metre reach behemoth – one of only four of its kind in the UK – and it required two PFM35-06 hoses, each of 55 metres in one unbroken length. Despite the unusual nature of the request Pirtek Ipswich swung into action, dispatching a two-man team to spend a day and a half on the machine which was playing a pivotal role in Willmott Dixon’s construction of the student accommodation block for Ipswich College. Pirtek Ipswich MSST Kevin Andrews, who readily admits that he is not a great lover of heights, is understandably proud of the fast turnaround of a machine that Nationwide describes as “a bloody great big monster”. “The re-hosing of this machine proves the importance of keeping sufficent stock as it allows us to respond quickly to even the most unusual customer calls,” he concludes. “That was one hell of a job. But I’m not sure I'd want to tackle one of those every day.”