Boom lifts off to the Antarctic

Typical winter temperatures are below -20°C with extreme lows of around -55°C, so AJ Access has provided special biodegradable hydraulic oils and batteries for cold weather starting, and British Antarctic Survey engineers have incorporated pre-heating technology. The Genie booms will run on aviation fuel because diesel would freeze in such temperatures.

The machines will set sail for the Antarctic on the research ship RRS Ernest Shackleton in October and are due to arrive around Christmas Day. 

There is 24h darkness for 105 days of the year and strong winds reduce visibility to just a few metres. The machines will be outside all the time, so on many occasions operators will have to chip off large quantities of ice before they can start them.

Ben Norrish, vehicles and plant manager for the British Antarctic Survey, said: "We need reliable machines that are in good condition because we can only take a limited supply of parts with us and it would be very expensive if we had to have other parts flown out. AJ Access Platforms have supplied boom lifts to us in the past and have a good understanding of our requirements.”

The British Antarctic Survey’s state-of-the-art research facility is made up of eight modules, each sitting on ski-fitted, hydraulic legs. These can be individually raised to overcome snow accumulation and each module towed independently to a new location.

The central module contains the communal areas for dining, relaxation etc, while the other modules provide accommodation, laboratories, offices, generators, an observation platform and many other facilities.