Take lift safety to new heights: proper training can help avert lift equipment accidents
Published in: Equipment Today Magazine
Date: 2/1/2005
By: Berndtson, Kim
According to the Center to Protect Workers Rights, about 26 construction workers die each year from using aerial lifts. More than half of those deaths involve boom-supported lifts, such as bucket trucks and cherry pickers. Most others involve scissor lifts.
Aerial Work Platform Training (AWPT), a not-for-profit organization that offers certified training programs for aerial work platforms, has initiated its own studies of aerial lift accidents. Although still in the early stages, the studies identify an emerging trend–one that leans toward operator error as the most common cause of accidents.
Tim Whiteman, president of AWPT, points out that with tremendous growth in the market, thousands of workers are using an aerial work platform for the first time. While many of these workers are skilled in a trade, they are not trained in the operation of a boom lift or scissor lift. The result is that they can unintentionally be a danger to themselves and their colleagues.
John Laurin, regional safety manager for Rental Service Corp., agrees that improper operation is the primary cause of boom lift accidents. He cites these six operational errors as the most common:
1. operating on an inadequate surface (i.e., failing to search for solid ground);
2. overloading (including the platform, hanging material over the guardrail and using the unit as a crane);
3. driving or rotating into obstructions or high-voltage lines or conductors;
4. running into other workers and over material and equipment;
5. driving on grades, side slopes or ramps that exceed the rating of the boom lift;
6. not using a harness.
“I often see people jump into a boom lift who haven’t been trained. Or if they have, they forget that they are in direct control and are responsible for their own safety, as well as the safety of others,” says Laurin. “If taken lightly, it can cost them and others their lives.”
Both Laurin and Dennis Eckstine, vice president of AWPT, stress the importance of training as one way to reduce the risks associated with using boom lifts.
Laurin identifies the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92.5 standard, which pertains to boom-supported elevating work platforms, as a good training mechanism. He suggests that operators be trained on the same model or a model that has the same characteristics as what is used on the jobsite. Areas of importance include: pre-start inspection, emergency control inspection and workplace inspection. The operator should also be able to demonstrate proficiency and knowledge in the actual operation of the unit.
Many manufacturers are also helping to promote safety by incorporating new features that facilitate safe operation, particularly at extreme heights. One of these features includes high-speed cutout, where the unit reduces speed and torque when operated above horizontal. Some units also feature tilt warning devices and emergency lower control operation.
A license to lift
Eckstine’s organization was recently launched in the United States. (AWPT is a subsidiary of the UK-based International Powered Access Federation.) It has an advisory council comprised of aerial equipment manufacturers, rental companies, equipment distributors, safety and training organizations and trade associations, plus unions and insurance companies that help AWPT establish uniform safety training programs for North American operators of high-reach access equipment.
Among its functions, the advisory council helps create awareness of AWPT and its training programs throughout the industry and promotes the need for better, more uniform training for aerial work platform operators. It also assists AWPT management in making sure that training programs meet federal, state and provincial requirements. Currently, all courses offered by AWPT meet the demands of U.S. legislation and the new ISO Standard, ISO 18878 Mobile Elevating Work Platforms Operator (driver) Training, which outlines who is responsible for training and what training should entail.
Workers who pass the safety training program offered by AWPT authorized training centers are issued a PAL (Powered Access Licensed-Registration) card, which is similar to a driver’s license and identifies what equipment an operator is trained to use.
“Operator training not only provides added worker safety, it also increases corporate profitability by reducing downtime, lowering insurance premiums, minimizing damage to machines, providing great protection from civil and criminal liability, as well as the greater productivity you get from a highly skilled workforce,” says Eckstine.
“AWPT’s goal to get as many people as possible trained to a recognized standard is a benefit to all of the industry,” says Whiteman. “AWPT, through its advisory council, is committed to providing that training. And if you think safety is expensive, try an accident.”
Lift Safety Checklist
Pre-start Inspection and Walkaround Inspection:
* Check operating and emergency controls
* Make sure that safety devices are operational (including outriggers and guardrails, etc.)
* Check hydraulic and fuel systems for leaks
* Check all cables and wiring harnesses
* Check for loose and/or missing parts
* Check tires and wheels
* Make sure all placards, decals and control markings are in place
* Make sure you have read and understand the operating manual from the manufacturer and the appropriate A92 ANSI manual
* Properly operate the unit
* Wear fall protection, including all required PPE
Workplace Inspection:
* Identify any drop-offs or holes
* Look for bumps and floor obstructions
* Know where any debris is located
* Be aware of overhead obstructions and high-voltage conductors
* Check for hazardous locations and inadequate surfaces
* Consider the effects of the changing weather and wind conditions at the working height
* Look for the presence of unauthorized persons and other possibly unsafe conditions
COPYRIGHT 2005 Cygnus Business Media