Innovation: The Super Stair Destroyer

BGIS operates Perth Stadium and in doing so prepares the stadium for sporting and entertainment events to ensure a safe, efficient and enjoyable experience for patrons. Safety is a top priority but behind the scenes, preparing for these events can involve challenging tasks that pose significant risks to our team.

One such task is the removal and repositioning of heavy seating rows to accommodate different event needs. This process was cumbersome, requiring several staff members to navigate the seating up and down stadium steps. The risk of manual handling injuries, slips, trips, and pinch points was high, making the task both difficult and dangerous.

Scott Thomas, BGIS Handy Person at Perth Stadium took on the challenge of finding a safer, more efficient way to move these heavy seats, one that would reduce the physical strain on the team and minimise the potential for injury.

After careful consideration and a few weeks of design and assembly, he created the Super Stair Destroyer. A simple yet ingenious tool that transforms how stadium seating is moved. This tri-wheel device is bolted to the bottom of the seating rows, allowing them to glide smoothly up and down the steps, with the wheels bearing most of the weight. What once required multiple staff members can now be managed by just one, with minimal physical exertion.

Bruce Henderson, Account Director and General Manager Contracts, Perth Stadium said the impact of Scott’s innovation is profound. “Not only has it made the task significantly safer by reducing the need for manual handling, but it has also streamlined operations, freeing up valuable resources and time. The Super Stair Destroyer has turned a previously challenging and hazardous task into something almost effortless,” said Bruce.

In 2024 Scott Thomas won the Ian Chisholm Award for the Best Individual WHS Achievement at the 31st National Safety Awards of Excellence hosted by the National Safety Council of Australia