Aerial Lifts

Aerial Lift Training Cambridge - Aerial forklifts can be used to accomplish several different tasks performed in hard to reach aerial places. Some of the tasks associated with this style of jack include performing daily repair on structures with prominent ceilings, repairing telephone and utility lines, raising heavy shelving units, and trimming tree branches. A ladder might also be used for many of the aforementioned projects, although aerial lifts offer more security and stability when correctly used.

There are many versions of aerial lifts accessible on the market depending on what the task required involves. Painters often use scissor aerial lifts for instance, which are classified as mobile scaffolding, useful in painting trim and reaching the 2nd story and above on buildings. The scissor aerial jacks use criss-cross braces to stretch and lengthen upwards. There is a platform attached to the top of the braces that rises simultaneously as the criss-cross braces lift.

Bucket trucks and cherry pickers are another type of aerial lift. They contain a bucket platform on top of an extended arm. As this arm unfolds, the attached platform rises. Lift trucks use a pronged arm that rises upwards as the handle is moved. Boom lifts have a hydraulic arm that extends outward and hoists the platform. All of these aerial hoists call for special training to operate.

Through the Occupational Safety & Health Association, also called OSHA, instruction programs are offered to help make sure the workforce satisfy occupational values for safety, machine operation, inspection and maintenance and machine weight capacities. Workforce receive qualifications upon completion of the classes and only OSHA certified workers should run aerial lift trucks. The Occupational Safety & Health Organization has established rules to maintain safety and prevent injury while utilizing aerial platform lifts. Common sense rules such as not utilizing this apparatus to give rides and making sure all tires on aerial lift trucks are braced in order to hinder machine tipping are noted within the rules.

Unfortunately, figures expose that greater than 20 aerial lift operators pass away each year while operating and almost ten percent of those are commercial painters. The majority of these incidents were caused by inappropriate tie bracing, for that reason some of these may well have been prevented. Operators should ensure that all wheels are locked and braces as a critical security precaution to stop the device from toppling over.

Additional guidelines include marking the surrounding area of the machine in an observable way to safeguard passers-by and to ensure they do not approach too close to the operating machine. It is vital to ensure that there are also 10 feet of clearance amid any power cables and the aerial lift. Operators of this equipment are also highly recommended to always have on the appropriate safety harness when up in the air.

Click to Download the pdf