Hastings is located in the sunny Hawke’s Bay and is a long way from our yard in Petone. The Mobil Petrol Station there is currently undergoing refurbishment with the petrol tankers below the forecourt being replaced and work on the canopy and roof being completed.

Due to a local contractor pulling out from the project we were contacted by a client to see if we could provide a birdcage scaffold with a crash deck, edge protection and stair access in Hastings. With 5 days’ notice, it wasn’t a matter of “if” but “how” we would make this work. We only had the dimensions of the canopy and no information on where the fuel pumps were located on the forecourt. Another issue we faced was how to get the gear from Wellington to Hastings. Working with our Auckland branch we were able to formulate a plan and organise shipping to get our equipment to the Mobil Station. A majority of the equipment coming from Auckland with the remainder coming from Wellington. With a rough idea and tonnes of equipment from around the country meeting us there, we made our way to Hastings.

We arrived at the Mobil station at lunchtime and after an induction and necessary paperwork we got stuck into it. After a few hours of putting together the base, we realised our original plan was not going to work with the forecourts layout. Fortunately, we were able to call on Auckland for the missing pieces and they arrived, with a detour to Taupo due to a popped tyre, in the following days allowing us to finish the job. The end product was built using a mixture of steel and aluminium Ringlock providing the other contractors a large working area and access onto the roof. We also had to scrim the top lift of the scaffold to protect bystanders from the debris caused by the work on the canopy. The contractors on site were happy with the end product and our adherence to their health and safety protocols.

This shows how we can turn a vague idea in a completed project 300km away. Bring on our next challenge!