RSS Supplies Basket to Lift Santa by Crane
A Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) personnel basket was used by PJS Crane Hire to help Santa turn on Christmas lights at the Mersey View Pub & Hotel in Widnes, Cheshire.
The 220kg capacity, one-person basket, manufactured by Eichinger Equipment Ltd., was raised by a 40t capacity Terex crane from the PJS fleet.
With the Mersey View serving lashings of mulled wine and a feast of festive treats, PJS accepted the challenge to lift Mr. Claus above the throngs of people gathered below. Santa soared up to 10m into the air, waving to the crowd as he magically switched on the Christmas lights.
Stephen Littler, regional manager at RSS, said: “There are some jobs that you can only get asked to do on special occasions — and lifting Father Christmas is one of them. We regularly partner with PJS, and it was a seasonal gift in itself to get the basket to the jobsite ready to lift a very special passenger. The basket was a safe and convenient solution, and Santa looked relaxed and secure as he waved to the smiling children below.
“We were all glad he was able to take time out of his crazy-busy schedule, as he prepares for the biggest night of the year later this month.”
Lifting Liverpool
RSS offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifting and rigging products, in addition to live365 digitalisation and compliance technology. It supplies blocks, shackles, hooks, slings, harnesses, and other rigging gear — all covered by periodic Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) inspections — to some of the UK’s most notable joint ventures, consortiums, large-scale infrastructure projects, and blue chip firms. PJS, meanwhile, is a family-run business that has been providing crane hire for over 15 years to engineering, construction, and general public projects in the UK’s Northwest.
Littler added: “These baskets are used throughout the year on many different types of job, whenever a person needs to be raised to complete works or maintenance. They can be used below-the-hook of all types of cranes; in this instance, PJS chose a Terex that suited the location and Santa’s very important task to turn the lights on.”
Asked how the ride was, Mr. Claus said: “Ho, ho, ho!”
Eichinger baskets are available from the extensive RSS hire fleet for short- and long-term rental projects. For more information: stephen.littler@rssgroup.co.uk
Steve Hutin
Mark Bridger
