Aerial Lifts

Aerial Lift Training BC - Aerial hoists are able to accommodate many tasks involving high and hard reaching spaces. Usually used to execute daily maintenance in structures with high ceilings, prune tree branches, raise burdensome shelving units or mend phone lines. A ladder might also be utilized for many of the aforementioned jobs, although aerial hoists provide more safety and strength when properly used.

There are several models of aerial hoists existing on the market depending on what the task needed involves. Painters often use scissor aerial lifts for example, which are grouped as mobile scaffolding, of use in painting trim and reaching the 2nd story and above on buildings. The scissor aerial jacks use criss-cross braces to stretch out and enlarge upwards. There is a platform attached to the top of the braces that rises simultaneously as the criss-cross braces lift.

Container trucks and cherry pickers are another type of aerial hoist. They contain a bucket platform on top of a long arm. As this arm unfolds, the attached platform rises. Platform lifts utilize a pronged arm that rises upwards as the lever is moved. Boom lift trucks have a hydraulic arm which extends outward and lifts the platform. All of these aerial platform lifts require special training to operate.

Through the Occupational Safety & Health Association, also called OSHA, education programs are offered to help ensure the workers meet occupational principles for safety, system operation, inspection and upkeep and machine weight capacities. Employees receive certification upon completion of the lessons and only OSHA qualified personnel should operate aerial hoists. The Occupational Safety & Health Organization has formed guidelines to uphold safety and prevent injury when utilizing aerial hoists. Common sense rules such as not using this machine to give rides and making sure all tires on aerial hoists are braced in order to hinder machine tipping are noted within the guidelines.

Sadly, figures reveal that greater than 20 aerial hoist operators die each year while operating and nearly ten percent of those are commercial painters. The majority of these incidents were caused by inadequate tie bracing, therefore a few of these may well have been prevented. Operators should ensure that all wheels are locked and braces as a critical safety precaution to prevent the instrument from toppling over.

Other rules involve marking the encircling area of the machine in an obvious manner to protect passers-by and to ensure they do not come too close to the operating machine. It is vital to ensure that there are also 10 feet of clearance between any power cables and the aerial hoist. Operators of this machinery are also highly recommended to always have on the appropriate safety harness when up in the air.

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