Aerial Lifts-Safety Measures

Aerial Lifts are mechanical devices. These are used to provide lifting people or equipments to the inaccessible area that are at a height. The weight that they can lift is limited and usually doesn’t exceed a ton. Those who can lift more weight are called cranes. They are of great use for the maintenance and construction purposes as they are flexible. They are also used by fire brigades for fire emergency. These lifts are used when staging and scaffolding are not possible in the construction places. Because of these lifts many of the impossible tasks are executed. But with great benefits it also has dangers associated with it. According to the research many of the casualties of the laborers, electricians, and workers have occurred while using these lifts. The research shows that most of the lift falls and collapses when they are between 10 to 29 feet. Tripping of the machinery is another reason.

Some of the following precautions that you must take care while the crew is working on lifts are:

These are big and strong machines and should be properly moved to the construction site before they are being used. Before operating them you should also check that each part is working fine or not. At times the lift requires service and maintenance. Make a point to get the maintenance done regularly. Also, make sure that these lifts are operated by the employees who are properly trained to use them. The presence of the supervisor is must in the lift when the lift is in use.

The employees who are at the top of the lifts should always have a fall protection for the backup. There should always be a shock-absorbing or rectangle lanyards anchored to the lifts hooks.

When the worker is on the top or when the arm of the life is being raised make sure to keep the wheels of the lift stable at one place. The lift should not be operated during this time. Movement in the lift can easily cause imbalance and employee can fall from the bucket of the lift. Always make sure to apply heavy breaks and continue applying them till the arm of the lift is completely raised.

The operator of the lift should be aware of the lift’s swing radius. The operators should always make sure that the area around the base of the arms doesn’t have any obstacles. They should also make sure that there is no obstacle around the machine before raising the arm of the lift.

It is very important to understand that these lifts are no replacement of cranes. At times workers use these lifts instead of cranes. These lifts are not designed for push or pull. This can lead to tripover and cause serious damage to the surrounding crew and the operator.

If due to some reason the top of the lift gets stuck in the tree, wire or any structure the operator should not try hard to pull it out. The moment you will be freed it will cause an imbalance and you will fall off the bucket.

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