Mutual safety assured by interlocking systems
March 1st 2007

The well-being of visitors to London's Millennium bridge, and maintenance staff at the UK headquarters of financial services provider Old Mutual, has been entrusted to an interlocking system supplied by Castell.

Until recently, the gondola used by window cleaners maintaining the Old Mutual building could have been lowered into a position where it interfered with the inclinator on the side of Old Mutual's premises, which grants wheelchair access to and from the Millennium Bridge.

When the windows are due to be cleaned, power to the inclinator is first isolated through operation of a KSD63 switch disconnector; this action releases a key, which is passed to Old Mutual. The key is inserted into a trackmounted K bolt interlock on the roof of the building, which enables the gondola trolley to be moved into position above the inclinator and the gondola itself to be lowered over the side of the building.

The procedure is reversed to put the inclinator back into service.

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