Aerial Lift Safety

 www.safetygoodwe.com

Chapter : Rigging & Hoisting

Aerial Lift Safety

Aerial lifts are a type of cable transportation that uses one or more cables to lift cabins, cars, gondolas, or open chairs above ground. These instruments are useful for working at elevated levels. They are not only more mobile and flexible than scaffolding but also more stable than a ladder. 

Workers can use an aerial lift to complete a task from a raised platform while carrying their equipment and supplies. Aerial lift systems are commonly used in mining but generally used in mountainous areas where it is difficult to build and use roadways. Because they are also easy to maneuver, aerial lift devices have been used to bridge rivers and ravines

👀Different Types of Aerial Lifts

Boom Lifts

Boom lifts are automobiles that hoist personnel, their equipment, and supplies to the worksite. Boom lifts have an arm that booms out like a crane and a bucket at the end.

Articulating Boom Lift. Because the arm’s base is connected to a turntable, it can bend in different directions. This enables the lift to maneuver around obstructions and transport workers to places that would be otherwise unreachable. It can be extended horizontally by 75% and has a 125-foot maximum vertical reach. Articulating booms can be utilized for both indoor and outdoor tasks. Models used indoors are electrically operated and typically smaller than those used outdoors.

Telescopic Boom Lift. Similar to knuckle lifts, telescopic boom lifts include a bucket at the end of an extendable arm, but they can only expand vertically. Telescopic boom lifts have a 185-foot maximum vertical reach, which makes them perfect for industrial operations involving towering buildings and elevated platforms. Telescoping booms usually have broader bases than articulating lifts to support safe operation at heights. Telescoping booms are easier to use than articulating booms because they have a single boom.

Cherry Picker. Cherry pickers have a bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting system. The cherry picker lift’s bucket is attached to a telescopic arm that can be raised and moved, and it has an option of two power sources: diesel or electricity. Cherry pickers are not only used for cherry picking, they can be employed for a variety of functions including routine maintenance, working on utility poles, lifting personnel and their equipment, stock picking, and construction work

Scissor Lifts

Scissor lifts are appropriate for vertical tasks since they elevate the platform immediately above the base using a series of metal, accordion-like bars.

Scissor lifts are made to elevate people and their equipment vertically and have bases that are the same size as the work platform. The majority of contemporary scissor lifts are outfitted with an extension deck that will enable the least amount of horizontal reach.

A scissor lift is particularly useful for heavy-duty loading and unloading, as well as in permanent or semi-permanent installations where employees frequently lift and lower bulky machinery and goods. The following are the types of scissors lifts:

Diesel Scissor Lift. Diesel scissor lifts run on conventional diesel fuel. Because of their loud noise, they are best suited for outdoor construction where there is enough room for ventilation and the noise won’t affect others because they exhaust pollutants into the environment. Large platforms are a common feature of a diesel scissors lift, which are helpful for working outdoors.

Electric Scissor Lift. As the name suggests, electric scissor lifts are powered by electric batteries rather than burning fuel. Unlike diesel scissor lifts, electric scissor lifts are less harmful to the environment. Due to the absence of exhaust emissions and harsh running noises, they are perfect for indoor use. Compared to their diesel-powered equivalents, electric scissor lifts often feature smaller, less bulky, and narrower platforms.

Rough Terrain Scissor Lift. This model is the most popular scissor lift, and its popularity is largely attributable to the increased power it provides to increase productivity at demanding outdoor construction sites. They are frequently powered by combustion diesel, petrol, or LPG engines to provide the necessary power to move through challenging terrain and carry heavier loads.

Telehandlers

Telehandlers are multifunctional devices that can lift, move, and place heavy materials, including bricks, gravel, and lumber. There are two types of telehandlers: rotating and fixed.

👀Remember This

Choose the Right Aerial Lift for Your Job

Here are some critical elements you need to consider below.

Work Location. Your workplace’s location is crucial. Electric-powered aerial lifts are ideal for use indoors. For outdoors, an engine-powered device would be more useful because it has more power.

Weight Capacity. The maximum lifting capability applies to all lifts. The weight of the workers and their equipment should be considered. Doing so will help you choose the right aerial lift for your project.

Lift Height and Reach. The maximum height you need to reach is also important. Each type of lift is suited for different heights.

Platform Size. The size of your lift is another important factor to consider. Larger lifts can hold more workers.

Before operating an aerial lift

• Check operating and emergency controls.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions and set outriggers, brakes, and wheel chocks, even if on a level surface. Look for a level surface that won’t shift. Never exceed the manufacturer’s slope limits.
• Look for potential hazards such as potholes, bumps, or debris that could cause the lift to tip over.
• Avoid contact with overhead hazards such as electrical wires or power lines.
• Ask your supervisor if the electrical wires or power lines near the work have been de-energized.
• Close lift-platform chains or doors, and check guardrails. OSHA requires guardrails on scissor lifts.
• Check personal fall protection equipment. If there are signs of damage, your employer should give you new equipment.
• Look for leaks of air, hydraulic fluid, and fuel.
• Always follow the procedures in the user manual.
• If working near traffic, set up cones and signs as work zone warnings.

While operating an aerial lift

• Always close lift-platform chains or doors.
• Always wear fall arrest equipment with lanyard attached to a designated anchor point.
• Always stand on the floor of the bucket. Do not climb on or lean over the guardrails.
• DO NOT exceed the load limits. DO NOT drive an aerial lift with the lift extended, unless designed for that purpose.

Aerial lifts include scissor lifts, bucket trucks, and cherry pickers. Here are some reasons why, each year, construction workers are killed or injured while using this equipment:

• They were not wearing a harness and fell off the equipment.
• They fell with the equipment when it tipped over.
• They were electrocuted when the equipment touched a power line or electrical wires.

Aerial Lift’s Incident Cases:- 

Al was working in a bucket truck to reach a sign he needed to repair. The sign was located near some electrical wires. Al was not provided with a body harness. While he was working, the truck shifted. Al lost his balance, fell 20 feet to the ground, and died.

• What caused this incident?
• How could this have been prevented?
• Have you or someone you know had an injury from aerial lifts? If so, what happened?

How can we stay safe today?

What will we do at the worksite to prevent injuries from aerial lifts?

• Set outriggers, brakes, and wheel chocks – even if on a level surface.
• Stand on the floor of the bucket. Do not climb on or lean over the guardrails.
• Wear fall arrest equipment with lanyard attached to a designated anchor point.