Learn How To Transport Arial Lifts
Aerial lifts are vehicle-mounted, boom-supported aerial platforms, such as cherry pickers or bucket trucks, used to access utility lines and other aboveground job sites. The major causes of fatalities are falls, electrocutions, and collapses ortip overs. According to SHA.GOV
You’ve either noticed them when an office is having their windows cleaned or when the power company is working on a utility line. For many contractors and utility workers these are very convenient machines for elevation compared to ladders. This is in pat due to their mobility, flexibility and function.
1. Read Your Operations Manual
There are several types of aerial lifts, so it’s important that you understand how to work one and all of it’s different mechanisms. This is not only pertinent when your using the lift for a job, but it’s even more important when your wondering how to haul a boom lift because you are in need of it’s transport to another job. Knowing how to operate a boom lift is vital for when you’re trying load it onto the truck, but also when you’re trying to unload it as well. Knowing how to operate an aerial lift is extremely important to avoid any mishaps from damaging the equipment or injuring you or your coworkers.
2. How do you properly prepare your Airlift for Transport?
Preparing your airlift for transport is the most important part of aerial lift transport. When you’re preparing your aerial lift or boom lift to be transported, make sure the boom lift is not extended and fully retracted. If the aerial lift has a 360 turntable, affirm that it has the wheels and and the axels fully retracted as well. If your’s is an aerial lift, confirm it’s been fully lowered and folded up.
If you do not properly stow your boom lift before transport, you risk an accident or damaging the lift. You could also injure those around you.
3. How do you prevent collisions during transport?
If your boom lift (aerial lift) has a turntable, you’ll mwant to make sure it’s in the locked position. This is so it doesn’t rotate or swing during its transport. Not confirming it’s in the lock position can cause major damage to the vehicle or passengers during transport. It can also cause damage to other objects during transport as it could be swinging around during its transportation.
4. Avoiding Tip-Overs is Very Important
It really wouldn’t matter if your aerial lifts are on the lighter side or if they’re heavy duty, it’s always a good practice to use tie-down chains and straps to keep the machine and all the moving parts down during its transportation. Failure to tie down the lift will cause the moving parts like the turn table or extension to swing around or damage things around it. Not making sure all of this is completed can result in a run away machine or a loosely swinging arm that can injure people or damage property.