Man Lift Safety
By: The Mine Safety Institute, Part 46 New Miner Training
Man Lift Safety For Surface Miners
Man Lifts Not Drops
Cherry pickers, aerial lifts, bucket lifts…….man lifts have a lot of aliases but the dangers in using them remain the same. The outcome of an accident with a man lift is generally death.
Being so high in the air is obviously dangerous, but there are hidden variables involved in using a man lift which are what require attention in order to maximize safety.
Man Lift Safety Tips
FALLING
- Stay anchored with a tether, harness or lanyard.
- Both feet stay firmly on the platform.
- Keep the truck parked when the basket is in use.
- Use a fall arrest system (FAS) and guardrails.
ELECTRICITY
- Keep the lift at least 10 ft. from power lines under 50kv and further when over 50kv.
- Treat all lines as active even if you think they are off or are fallen.
COLLAPSE
- Park the truck on a secure and level surface.
- Don’t overload the lift.
- Figure the load weight by accounting for EVERYTHING going in the lift including people, tools, materials…. EVERYTHING.
- If there are outriggers USE THEM.
- Always use brakes and wheel chocks.