New lease of life for iconic Boiler House building on approach route to airport
Shannon, Ireland, 2014-03-28 — /Travel PR News/ — ARCH, a specialist technical training provider focusing on the wind energy and other ‘work at height’ sectors, is to establish a new training facility at Shannon Airport to deliver safety training for technicians working on tall structures.
The new training centre will see ARCH convert the former Boiler House building on the approach road to the airport into a specialist, new facility. The iconic 175sq metres building has been disused for over 20 years and its 16metre high ceiling is ideal for a work-at-height training centre.
ARCH’s first classes in Shannon are already scheduled for May and the new training centre will initially employ two skilled instructors, with employment increasing to five within three years.
ARCH, which is accredited to deliver wind safety training to Global Wind Organisation and RenewableUK standards, is headquartered in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh and provides training and support services to blue-chip energy companies across the UK and Ireland.
The core business is the wind energy sector but the company also trains work-at-height technicians in a range of other areas, such as power stations, incinerators, off-shore energy facilities and search-and-rescue.
The business was founded by Dublin native Eoghan Lynch whose interest in work-at-height safety stemmed from his hobby as a potholer/caver, particularly in the Burren, Co. Clare region. He is also a former Chair of the Irish Cave Rescue Organisation.
The new facility will support an expansion of ARCH’s services to clients in the midlands, west, and south of Ireland, including off-shore projects. Linkage with composites training in Shannon is also planned.
“We’re excited about this expansion, and we’re very happy with our new premises,” said Eoghan Lynch of ARCH. “Our clients rely on us for high-quality working-at-height training, and the Boiler House at Shannon Airport is an ideal facility to carry out that training in ideal conditions.
“We’ve already established a solid client base in the UK and Ireland, and this new training centre will enable us grow our activities.”
The company delivers work-at-height training for the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) and its decision to locate in Shannon is largely to cater for wind energy companies in the south and south-west of Ireland. It is also intended to use Shannon’s air links to attract UK business.
“A lot of wind energy personnel were travelling to our Fermanagh training centre from counties like Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Clare and Galway so we have decided to bring the service to them to avoid the travel inconvenience. We see strong growth potential for this specialist and essential service because of the growth of the wind energy and off-shore energy sectors as well as the requirement from other industries for high quality and accredited work-at-height safety training.
“We are looking forward to completing refurbishment and installation works at the boiler house and starting business in Shannon in May.”
Said Patrick Edmond, Managing Director of Shannon’s International Aviation Services Centre (IASC): “We’re delighted to welcome ARCH to Shannon Airport. The wind energy industry is a major user of composite materials, which is one of our focus areas at Shannon. ARCH’s new facility further strengthens our attractiveness to businesses in this sector, and we wish the company every success.”
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