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COOL USE OF CRANES AT EVERARDS BREWERY
PRESS INFORMATION
Issue Date: 6 October 2009 Ref: PEN09/27
Leicestershire based independent brewery Everards has been
using Penny Hydraulics Swing Lift cranes mounted on its technical
services vehicles for ten years to improve safety and efficiency
when handling drinks coolers and other equipment in and out
of pub cellars. Using a crane has removed the need for manual
handling, allowed engineers to work on their own instead of
in pairs and avoided the need to involve landlords during service
calls.
“It’s become the norm to work this way but ten years
ago it was a big change,” says Paul Hallas, Technical Services
Manager at Everards. “We now have a task where the engineers
can work safely and we have improved their working lives dramatically.”
Everards, which celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2009, has
an estate of 168 pubs all within a 70 mile radius of the head
office and brewery on the outskirts of Leicester. These are
covered by four technical services engineers who visit each
pub regularly to carry out installations and routine maintenance
tasks. Every pub has at least one drinks cooler and these must
be kept working at all times. The brewery’s service regime
involves the replacement of faulty coolers to ensure they continue
to keep drinks at the correct temperature and during the busiest
and warmest periods of the year, this could mean two to three
units may require swapping each week.
The brewery started using the Penny Hydraulics cranes ten years
ago and has continued after recently switching to longer wheelbase
technical services vehicles allowing them to carry more equipment
and improve efficiency. At the time coolers were being lifted
in and out of cellars by hand by a team of two technical services
engineers working together. Health and safety legislation was
less stringent at the time but Everards nevertheless recognised
that using a crane was a good way to make its operations as
safe and easy as possible for the service engineers. The weight
of the coolers is such that they could exceed the current recommended
limit for a two-man lift so the move showed good foresight on
the part of the brewery.
“We have to be aware that it’s our equipment being
moved around and we are responsible for that and our staff so
we need the cranes,” says Paul Hallas. “From a health
and safety point of view it’s very useful to say the least.”
Cranes eliminated the need for manual handling but also allowed
the brewery to redeploy its technical service engineers to visit
pubs on their own in the knowledge that they would have the
full range of equipment and tools to work alone safely and efficiently.
Another advantage was that cranes would avoid the need to ask
landlords or other pub staff to help move or handle coolers
and other items. This eliminated any potential health and safety
issues and meant service engineers could work at their own speed
without waiting for help or disturbing other busy people.
Penny Hydraulics was originally recommended by Everards’
vehicle converter. The cranes currently in use are the 150kg
capacity Swing Lift Miniloader models which are fitted inside
the rear doors of the technical services vehicles. These cranes
are among the smallest in the extensive Penny Hydraulics range
and their light weight and compact design has minimal effect
on vehicle storage area or carrying capacity. The boom can be
set to three different heights without restricting the maximum
load and folds away unobtrusively when not in use. The integral
electric winch allows the crane to handle loads below ground
level, essential for lifting coolers in and out of cellars.
The cranes have also been useful for handling other items on
and off the vehicles.
Most Everards pubs have subterranean cellars and of these most
are less than three metres below ground level. The service vehicles
can usually get close to the cellar access point by backing
up to the kerbside doors. The crane hook is then lowered into
the cellar to retrieve the cooler which is lifted on special
slings rather than by the handles or part of the frame. This
helps to keep the load steady during lifting and reduces the
risk of accidents and damage to the valuable equipment. The
replacement cooler is then lowered into the cellar using the
reverse procedure.
“The cranes perform the application they are designed
for,” says Paul Hallas. “They are an invaluable piece
of equipment.”
In addition to the cranes on the technical services vehicles
Penny Hydraulics also supplies its unique Cellar Lift for use
in pubs for handling beer containers and other items safely
and efficiently between the cellar and delivery point without
any need for manual handling or lifting. Vertical, sloping and
compact models are available with lifting capacity up to 300kg,
equivalent to a full 54 gallon barrel, and can cover an average
three metre drop in six seconds.
Penny Hydraulics designs, manufactures and services lifting
and load handling equipment for use in a wide range of applications.
Products include the Swing Lift range of medium duty cranes
for use on pick-ups, drop-sides and flat-beds and the Step Lift,
Load Lift and Tail Lift lifting platform ranges for use on pick-ups,
drop-sides and vans. The company also manufactures the Mezz
Lift for handling loads between ground floor and mezzanines
and specialist equipment for handling wheels, tyres and barrels
in vehicles and at customers’ premises. Penny Hydraulics
is a privately owned family business based in Clowne, Derbyshire.
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