A scissor lift is an elevated working platform (EWP) that moves vertically. It can be used for both indoor and outdoor work, and their versatility have been a crucial factor to their popularity. It was also with a single scissor lift that the Accessman Group began, back in 1994.
With over 25 years of experience in the specialised hiring industry, our safety and training procedures go beyond the market standard, leading to minimal downtime for our clients and the best well-kept machines in the market.
To prevent any accidents and hazards, planning a safe way to do a job is necessary, as well as, complying to the machine specific requirements and safety procedures. Here are some hazards to be aware of while operating a MEWP.
CONFINED OVERHEAD WORKING
To control and mitigate this hazard, operators should:
- be briefed on the risks of working in and around structures where they could be trapped or pinned between the platform and the structure.
- be aware of their working environment at all times.
GROUND CONDITIONS
- Use the MEWP on firm and level ground where possible. Make sure the MEWP is rated for any slopes it may face. Problems – like trenches, manholes and soft ground conditions, – can cause a MEWP to overturn.
Do not use a MEWP on a slope beyond the limits of the inclinometer or manufacturer’s specifications.
PREVENTING FALLS
- Make sure the work platform has effective guard rails and toe boards, if it is not fully enclosed.
- Use an appropriate harness system if someone could fall from the MEWP. Secure the harness to a certified anchor point within the MEWP.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
- Poor weather can make affect a platform’s stability and make it unsafe to use.
- Only use a MEWP within the manufacturer’s specified wind rating. The wind rating should be on the manufacturer’s serial plate.
- Bad weather and storms can also damage a MEWP. After severe weather, inspect the MEWP before using it again.
ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
Power lines are a NO-GO ZONE – always stay 4 meters away from overhead power lines!
- Never work within 4 metres of any power line without first contacting the power company. Written consent is required from the power company before any work can be done within 4 metres of the power line. A copy of the consent must be on site at all times.
Lastly, when planning your Hazard Management, always try and eliminate the hazard first, but if that’s not possible, then isolate it, and as a last resort try to reduce the harm that could be caused by a hazard, by minimising it. A combination of controls may need to be used. Develop ways to control the hazards that use ‘group controls’ (such as edge protection) that protect more than one worker from a hazard. Group controls are better than ‘individual controls’, which protect only one person (such as a fall restraint).
