Spider offers access for chimney stack maintenance

Words: Heidi AndersSpider, a division of SafeWorks, recently offered a custom, suspended scaffolding solution for tuck-pointing and brick repair work on the 125-foot-tall chimney stack at Lane Tech High School in Chicago.

IWG Inc. was familiar with Spider’s specialization in suspended applications. The company turned to Spider for a custom solution. Spider designed, built and installed a rigging star equipped with three swing stages and two Beta Max Gemini material hoists. The rigging star was lifted into place by a crane and then counterweighted, eliminating the need for anchoring into the structure.

Additionally, Spider offered all rigging services as well as on-site user training to ensure the safe operation of the equipment.

“We were genuinely impressed with Spider’s capabilities through every phase of this project, from the initial design to the on-site supervision,” says Al Arreguin, owner and operator with IWG Inc. “Their Chicago team did a fantastic job meeting our challenges while keeping us safe, on schedule, and within our budget.”
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