Agreement relating to Depot Lifting Jacks

Tender description

This VEAT has now been retracted, a different Procurement route will be sought Lot 1: TfGM are seeking to single source the procurement of 12 number hydraulic lifting jacks for the Queens Road Metrolink Depot. Following a competitive tender exercise in 2009 hydraulic tram lifting jacks were procured via Mechan for the Metrolink Trafford depot and subsequently Queens Road depot, to enable servicing of the tram fleet. The Metrolink Operator (KAM) has submitted a request to procure an additional 12 number hydraulic rail lifting jacks for synchronised lifting of trams at the Queens Road Depot to expedite additional maintenance support required for the now increased Metrolink rolling stock fleet. To avoid potential risks, it is proposed to procure the identical set of hydraulic lifting jacks to add to the existing jack set at Queens Road Depot and procure the additional 12 number jacks from Mechan Ltd. Mechan has previously supplied the hydraulic lifting Jacks in both Queens Road and Trafford Depots. The new synchronised hydraulic lifting jacks will be added to the existing 4 Mechan synchronised hydraulic lifting jacks already being utilised at Queens Road Depot. The existing lifting jack asset is a mobile synchronised lifting jack set with the ability to accept an “add-on facility” for increased lifting capability. The Metrolink Assurance Manager responsible for overseeing compliance with the overarching Metro Case for Safety has undertaken the qualitative risk assessment to evaluate whether a “mixed set” of synchronised mobile hydraulic lifting jacks (i.e. two different types of hydraulic lifting jack sets from two different manufacturers) posed a greater maintenance safety risk to operations, more than an individual increase to the “Mechan” lifting jack sets. The assessment determined that providing a ‘’mixed set’’ of synchronised mobile hydraulic lifting Jacks does indeed pose a greater safety risk due to: • The activity of hydraulic jack lifting is one of the more risk assertive activities within a Tram Depot Facility. It has a definitive “human factor” consideration towards the safety spectrum of attentive preparation, equipment training and use of the specified asset. Any “mixing” of asset type may lead to confusion of equipment control reading and the loss of familiarity of product. This would not be preferable by the professional maintenance operatives involved. • Different hydraulic lifting jack manufacturers may have different lifting drive speeds of acceleration of jack set. This mix of “acceleration lift” may lead to the uneven lifting of a tram set. This uneven lifting activity could lead to the “locking out” of any potential lift. Again any “human factor element” of additional operator involvement in correctional procedures should be avoided. • Two differing sets of hydraulic lifting equipment results in two sets of asset training, two sets of O&M Procedures and the probability of questioning which set of equipment is at fault in the event of any lift “lock out”. This again increases the “think time” of maintenance staff against any mishap and the resulting reduction in the precise attention span to the maintenance activity task of the hydraulic lift operation. Therefore, to avoid potential risks, it is proposed to procure the identical set of hydraulic lifting jacks to add to the existing jack set at Queens Road Depot and procure the additional 12 number jacks from Mechan Ltd. Mechan has previously supplied the hydraulic lifting Jacks in both Queens Road and Trafford Depots.