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How to Ensure Safety in a Scissor Lift Operation?

A scissor lift can be used for a variety of applications. This is mainly used for maintenance and construction when you need to access elevated areas. There are some safety risks associated with the use of a scissor lift so it is very important that you understand the safety measures that can be taken in order to minimise this.

You can actually look for a scissor lift hire Brisbane as this will bring down the costs for the project. To operate a scissor lift, proper training and certification is needed. If your team is not experienced, you can ask the supplier whether they can offer training or offer operators for the job. The training should cover how to operate the scissor lift, carry out emergency protocols and ensure safety.

Before operating the scissor lift, you need to carry out an inspection where you check the machine for any damage, you need to ensure that all safety features are in working order. When selecting a scissor lift for hire, you need to ask the supplier for the maintenance history so that you are able to select a machine that is well serviced. If there are any issues identified in this pre-operation inspection, these should be addressed immediately.

There are different challenges

When it comes to different sites so it is important to carry out a risk assessment so that you have a good idea of the potential dangers. This will allow you to develop strategies to minimise the risk. Some of the factors to be included in the risk assessment are common weather conditions for the duration of the project, overhead obstacles such as power lines, nature of terrain and the presence of other equipment, workers or pedestrians in the area.

There are also different types of scissor lifts so you should have a good idea of your requirement when selecting what is most suitable. There are different sizes of scissor lifts as well. For outdoor work, you can find outdoor models. Make sure you understand the loading capacity of the scissor lift as going above this can lead to accidents and instability.

The weight limit of

The scissor lift will include the weight of equipment, tools, operator along with any material you carry within this. The operator of the scissor lift should know this limit. The operators and the personnel that are working in the surrounding should be wearing the required personal protective equipment at all times. This will include a safety harness that comes with a lanyard, a hard hat, high visibility clothing and steel toed boots.

The work area should be secured before the scissor lift is operated. This will prevent unauthorised access to the area. You can use caution tape, barricades and cones to secure the area and the personnel working at the site should be informed about the restricted zone. There is an entry gate provided for the scissor lift and this should be closed before the platform is elevated. There has to be a stable base for the scissor lift before you start raising the platform as stability can be affected when you are operating on uneven terrain.

Hester Griffith
the authorHester Griffith