The brief
Sky Height Safety were appointed (through Envirotech FM) to improve safety within two internal atrium areas at the John Lewis head office, where maintenance access works presented potential fall risks. The project required a long-term edge protection solution for operatives carrying out maintenance at height, alongside modifications to the existing travelling atrium access gantry to provide safe access to the building’s smoke and ventilation systems.
The atrium environment presented challenges typical of large corporate headquarters: open-sided upper levels, restricted working space for maintenance crews, and the need for solutions that would not interfere with the day-to-day operation of the building below. Works also needed to be carefully coordinated around live occupancy — minimising disruption while delivering permanent, compliant systems that would stand up to repeated use.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers and building managers are required to ensure all work at height is properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent persons, with appropriate fall prevention measures in place. Where permanent collective protection — such as a fixed guardrail — can be provided, it takes precedence over other control measures. This made the guardrail installation the primary and most appropriate solution for the atrium environment.
What we did
We supplied and installed a fixed permanent guardrail system within the atrium sections, eliminating fall hazards and providing a compliant long-term edge protection solution for operatives carrying out maintenance works at height. The guardrail was specified and installed to meet BS EN 13374:2013 requirements, providing the minimum required parapet height and toe board provision to protect operatives and prevent materials from falling to lower levels.
Alongside the guardrail works, modifications were carried out to the existing travelling atrium access gantry to facilitate safe access to the building’s smoke and ventilation systems. The project included the supply and installation of a hop-up standing platform designed and manufactured in accordance with BS EN 1004-1:2020 and BS EN 12811-1:2003, providing safe and practical access to the upper atrium areas. The platform was configured for relocation across multiple positions along the gantry span — allowing flexible use across the full maintenance programme whilst remaining compliant with the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
To further improve safety during maintenance operations, an electrical isolation lockout system was installed in line with BS EN 60204-1:2018, ensuring the gantry can be safely immobilised when positioned for access works. The lockout arrangement prevents inadvertent movement of the gantry whilst operatives are working at the upper atrium level — a critical safety control in an environment with limited egress options.
All installed systems were tested and certified on completion, with full documentation issued for both the guardrail provision and the gantry modifications. A handover package was produced for the FM contractor covering inspection intervals, system ratings and maintenance requirements.
The outcome
The works have provided John Lewis with compliant and practical long-term solutions for safely accessing and maintaining the atrium and smoke ventilation systems. The guardrail provision, hop-up platform, and lockout system together cover the full lifecycle of routine maintenance access — from initial gantry positioning to working at the upper atrium level — under a single compliant package.
The combined approach eliminates the need for temporary access equipment or scaffold within the atria for routine maintenance visits, reducing the time and cost of each access cycle and improving overall safety for building maintenance operatives. With a certified asset register and handover documentation in place, the FM contractor has clear oversight of the installed systems and their ongoing inspection obligations.
John Lewis remain a current client and we continue to act on their behalf (via Envirotech FM) for ongoing maintenance, inspection, and follow-on works at the head office.