Scissor lifts are used in different industries to safely lift heavy loads as well as workers, moving them to and from areas of a certain elevated height. This type of heavy machinery must be handled well to avoid any accident.
Safety is the operator’s’ top concern when workers use heavy machines on the job. As such, there should be safety guidelines which everyone will follow in the line of work. When hiring or renting your scissor lift equipment, there are many safety precautions you must keep in mind to avoid hazardous situations.
Avoid overloading your scissor lift
Scissor lifts are known for their great weight capacity, but they too have a limit. Make sure to check beforehand what the weight capacity of your scissor lift hire is and never go overboard this limit, especially when you’re lifting people to a certain height. Keep in mind that once the platform is raised, the base becomes more unstable as the height increases. External forces such as strong winds or shakes at the base will affect the platform above, which could lead to accidents.
Keep a steady and firm operation of equipment
When using the scissor lift, take great care and avoid rushing, ensuring that the operation of the equipment is steady and firm. Safe operation of the machine requires full familiarity with the controls as well as proper procedure. Making haste with scissor lifts is not to be considered, as this can cause unnecessary hazards.
Use lanyards for extra precaution
The use of lanyards during the use of machinery is a safety option that you can have for scissor lifts. The lanyard is attached to the wrist of the worker. In case there’s an accident, the fall will enable the stopping of the machine’s operation as the lanyard is also attached to a kill switch. If this technique is used, workers must also be careful not to get their lanyards entangled and these must not cross the streams to avoid getting compromised.
Keep all loads or workers safely within the guard rails
The guard rails of the scissor lift’s platform help to avoid accidents. Make sure that there is no overextending and no standing on the rails. There may be instances in which a worker has to lean on the rail and reach out. In situations such as this, make sure that the worker doesn’t go so far as to overextend from the guardrails. Standing on the rails is also inconceivable; instead, raise the platform instead of letting anyone get in danger.
Don’t extend the platform when moving
Exercise caution when moving your scissor lift equipment from one place to another. Make sure that the platform is back in its original place before moving the machinery. This is so you won’t have any accidents such as hitting other things or areas. Make sure the doors are closed as well and that the platform is firmly set for the equipment’s transportation.
In any line of work that requires the use of heavy equipment, extra caution must be exercised accordingly to avoid all manner of hazards. This is especially true when you use scissor lift rental. These safety guidelines must be enforced strictly for a safe working environment. In addition, you must also use only the best quality scissor lift hire options for safety, such as Power Access’s wide range of equipment for rent or hire.