Aerial lifts: What goes up, must come (safely) down - Equipment Journal

Nov 04, 2024

Aerial construction equipment has always required a heavier dose of caution than equipment that keeps operators closer to the ground.

It also comes with its own unique risks ­— electric shock from power lines, weather events, falls from heights or even machine tip-overs. Thanks to technological advancements, more reporting and tighter rules and regulations, this equipment is now safer than ever.

Some of these changes have led to new challenges for contractors. But as the saying goes, “in every challenge lives a greater opportunity.”

Batteries may be heavier and equipment more complicated to operate, but it’s led to a big opportunity to improve safety on the jobsite. When you have an operator suspended 30 metres in the air on a 4,500 kg lift with a lot of horsepower, you want to be confident they’re following safety protocols because aerial accidents from those heights almost never end in injury … they end in death.

Do you have a rental partner supplying you with properly maintained, up-to-date aerial equipment, as well as training and education on new safety regulations? It’s about thinking beyond just the equipment — you may be leaning more into rental because you don’t want to worry about costs, but it’s more than that. Staying ahead of the competition, keeping costs down and keeping workers safe is a big task, and you need the right partner to help get you there.

No one wants to make that dreaded call after an accident. Ensuring all workers are properly trained to operate aerial lifts and have the right safety certifications and knowledge is key.

To start, requiring any individual working on or around aerial equipment to have the skills and training to proactively identify, evaluate and control potential hazards is a must. Safety programs need a continuous improvement mindset — this means creating a culture of safety in the workplace, retraining experienced employees and encouraging workers to share concerns.

You could consider pairing new hires with mentors to hold them accountable and make sure they understand and internalize safety practices. This can go a long way in preventing incidents from occurring.

Your equipment partner should provide aerial training programs that consist of in-class courses and on-site evaluations to verify your operator’s ability to work on a specific lift. On successful completion of both parts of this program, the participant is certified to operate power elevated mobile aerial work platforms, booms and lifts.

Some Canadian provinces have a mandatory working at heights training program for workers on construction or industrial projects who use any fall protection systems. This helps workers understand the elimination of fall hazards and how to use and care for fall protection equipment and understand when and how it is required.

With the latest advancements in aerial equipment design, both safety and equipment use has improved. Data extracted from the machine can provide information on how equipment is being used (or not) to its maximum efficiency. It’s not uncommon to see contractors using lifts that aren’t the right size for the job — either too large or too small. This can lead to unsafe working conditions.

Built-in technology combined with new ANSI regulations have also made aerial equipment safer. The latest lifts are equipped with equipment sensors to tap into insights around machine health and operator productivity.

Load-sensing hydraulics can measure weight in the platform and stop elevating if overloaded. Machine tilt sensing requirements allow equipment to operate on slight slopes — the tilt sensor sounds an alarm and disables boom and drive functions if the incline surpasses the machine’s rated slope tolerance.

Apart from the safety benefits, this level of understanding can be a useful tool to help uncover gaps in operator knowledge and highlight when additional training may be needed.

Electric booms and telehandler machines are typically used in indoor or confined space applications where exposure to fumes can be harmful to operators.

These new models can better support those operating in small indoor spaces and environmentally sensitive worksites where diesel exhaust is restricted.

Uncertainty around battery performance is not uncommon. But when customers are able to test drive electric equipment, they can experience the benefits (and potential challenges) for themselves. For example, electric or battery-powered aerial equipment is heavier than diesel counterparts, which can be a deterrent for some sites where equipment may be moved or relocated. But with the right level of awareness, even the biggest skeptics can see they’ll have enough power to work through a full eight-hour day on one charge.

Not to mention how electric equipment can support contractors for specific applications or when bidding on a new job that requires zero emissions.

There’s also the opportunity for substantial cost savings around fuel, depending on the length of the project.

As equipment evolves, so does the way we operate it. Lean on your equipment provider to help get through this learning curve. They can provide access to a whole range of new equipment plus the technology to help you do your job better, safer and faster. Education and training are key — they help create safer jobsites people want to be a part of.

Any injury or loss of human life is always unacceptable — not to mention the financial costs associated with an incident. It can be devastating to a business. Construction may be regulated by health and safety acts but the industry as a whole needs to lead by example and raise the bar on safety when it comes to the aerial equipment we use day in and day out.