Personnel Hoisting and Personnel Platforms (Hoisting (Personnel), Manlifts)

Thinkphotos.com #177125057 Always wear fall protection.
Thinkphotos.com #177125057
Always wear fall protection.

Elevated work platforms such as aerial lifts, scissor lifts, and order pickers are used to raise workers up to areas for retrieving and stocking materials, and to perform maintenance and other activities. In some cases, platforms are used on the forks of powered industrial trucks or hoisted in the air by cranes. Serious injuries like broken bones, severe head trauma, internal bleeding, and amputations can occur when workers

  • use platforms not built to safe specifications,
  • operate equipment without proper training,
  • are exposed to unguarded moving parts,
  • don't use fall protection or guard rails,
  • contact energized power lines, and
  • do not inspect or set up equipment properly.

Employers need to address these hazards by

  • doing a pre-job inspection of equipment and surroundings (job hazard analysis),
  • training workers on safe use of equipment,
  • ensuring that platforms used to elevate workers are in good condition and meet manufacturers' specifications, and
  • providing necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring effective use.

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