Professional deformation: “safer and faster” – Ronny van Baal
Safety and entrepreneurship may seem like an unlikely combination but Ronny van Baal’s story demonstrates that it is possible. And even more so, that it is an ironclad combination. Ronny is the CEO of Sky Access and SkyDeck Europe, two companies that focus on making difficult-to-reach locations, such as drilling rigs, windmill parks, and even the Hoftoren in The Hague, more easily accessible to professionals in a safe way.
With the introduction of QuikDeck he is taking to market another pioneering product. A game changer.
“When you drive through the Netherlands, it quickly becomes clear that we have countless bridges here. They all have to be maintained and renovated. Call it a professional deformation but I start thinking about safety and efficiency.” Ronny felt that there had to be a better way. A safer and faster way.
So he decided to look for alternatives and quickly ended up in the country of Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. His main requirements for a new product are safety (naturally) and a high loading capacity. He tries out several options but is not easily satisfied.
“It must not wobble or move too much. And of course if must comply with European directives. So that means a lot of options are eliminated.”
In 2014, he was in touch with Safway, the inventors of scaffolding as we know it today. They tell him about QuikDeck, and their story make Ronny get on a plane straight away to check it out for himself.
“It’s fantastic. Extremely safe. With 360 kg/m2 its load-bearing capacity is 2.5 times that of current scaffolding and at 35 kg/m2 the weight is much lower as well. It’s a win/win situation. I immediately saw that this would have a huge impact. It may well change the way things are done completely.”
His enthusiasm is quickly shared by the customers he already knew through Sky Access. The system was first implemented in Maastricht. QuikDeck was used to renovate the atrium of Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. Normally, this would have meant building regular scaffolding with all the associated problems.
“By using 650 m2 QuikDeck, there was no nuisance on the building’s ground floor at all. The work could be done quickly without any interruptions.” The response was overwhelming. “All the stakeholders in this project immediately said that this was huge. They immediately saw the advantages to be had for a broad variety of complex projects.”
This was followed by another pilot project on the K14-C (Charlie) offshore complex, a Nam/Shell gas production rig. A demanding customer. And once again, the system proved highly successful. The work took just three days – 25% of what would have been needed if traditional scaffolding had been used.
Ronny’s enthusiasm for QuikDeck and his belief in its advantages are widely infectious. The first projects on bridges, which started off the idea in the first place, have already been scheduled. Here’s to a bright and promising future.
Read more: https://ronnyvanbaal.wordpress.com
Tags: Ronny van Baal, SkyDeck, QuickDeck, SkyDeck Europe,
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