Fall Protection Solutions for Water Features

Case Study
Project: Fall Protection Solution for a Water Reflection Pond.
Client: The Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg, MB.

 

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights located in Winnipeg, Manitoba is a unique, one-of-kind architecturally designed building.  This museum is beautiful to look at from both the outside and inside as a result of its stunning architecture which includes curved walls, endless windows, multiple levels and a water reflection pond.

Height Works was both excited and challenged when we began collaborating with the Canadian Museum of Human Rights’ leadership team on this project.  Our goal was to provide them with an engineered fall protection solution to solve maintenance access issues for the indoor water reflection pond. 

Now you may be thinking fall protection for a pond?  Yes.

The pond in question is designed in such a way that one side of it opens to the next level.  For daily visitors to the museum this drop is not accessible nor a safety issue, however, for the museums work at height employees who access the water reflection pond for cleaning and maintenance, a fall protection solution was indeed required to protect them from a potentially high distance fall of 50+ feet down to the next floor level.    

In such a uniquely designed architectural structure like the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Height Works was able to provide their organization with a fall protection solution that could be installed utilizing the existing and surrounding structures.   Sometimes solutions aren’t always easy to provide in pre-existing structures – especially when the structure of consideration contains many beautifully curved walls, water features, challenging end support options, and more windows then can be counted.  

Regardless, working within the architectural design, Height Works proposed the Tractel Travspring Fall Protection System with a Wedge Ancor.  This engineered system provided not only an ease of installation while considering the span between to the two end support options, but ease of use for the museums work-at-height employees.  An engineered fall protection system that could easily be setup for use and then dismantled once the access for maintenance and service was provided.  And when work concludes, the system is removed the area is returned to the original visual aesthetics, thus not affecting the Architects original design intent of the water reflection pond. 

The passion behind the whole existence of Height Works is to serve clients just like the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.  As fall protection safety experts our passion is to solve challenging fall protection issues through the engineered systems and personal fall protection equipment we provide, while ensuring our clients fall protections needs, and the safety needs of their employees are met.