Southwest Local School District had been aware their visitors’ grandstands at William Henry Harrison High School needed attention. Major safety and International Code Council (ICC) 300 code violations, including the requirement to prevent the passage of a 4-inch sphere in any and all openings, increased liability for the district. This requirement was put into place by the International Code Council, and enforced by the Ohio Building Code, based on numerous accidents recorded with people, mostly children, falling through gaps larger than 4 inches.
After calculating the price to replace the visitors’ bleachers with new, the school district was facing a cost of nearly $200,000. Being mindful of what that investment would mean for the facility and the taxpayers, they were either going to have to put the project on hold or look for other options. Farnham Equipment Company approached the district with an alternative that would save them nearly 75% of the cost by using new and reclaimed aluminum to upgrade their existing bleachers. The district, through Farnham Equipment Company, purchased used aluminum from a Northern Ohio school district as well as new materials and used their own employees to prep the bleachers for the Farnham Equipment Company upgrade.
Wooden seat planks and floor boards were replaced with aluminum planks and aluminum riser boards were added to close the gaps to prevent the passage of a 4-inch sphere. Fencing along the guardrails was upgraded also to prevent the passage of a 4-inch sphere and to withstand a concentrated load of 200lbs. The original unit did not have adequate egress on the aisle ways, preventing the district from adding appropriate handrails. Aisles were widened and aisle rails were added for code compliance and safety.
Southwest Local School District Superintendent, Chris Brown stated that it was a win-win for the district, saving a lot of taxpayer funds and creating a safe environment for the community.
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