Working with an aerial work platform in the field – how to designate the danger zone around the machine and ensure safety?

Elevators provide invaluable assistance when working at heights. They allow employees to be lifted along with the necessary tools and materials to a height of over 20 m. However, in order for the work to be carried out in complete safety, it is necessary to designate a zone inaccessible to pedestrians. How to do it in accordance with applicable regulations?

Assessment of the workplace on an aerial platform in the field

Before starting work on the aerial lift, the operator is obliged to assess the area. He must determine possible threats and check where sewage manholes and pedestrian routes are located. It is also extremely important to locate defects and faults on the surface, which are abundant, especially on construction sites.

The aerial lift operator is also obliged to pay attention to such parameters as:

• presence of unauthorized persons in a given area,
• the course of installations, such as sewage pipes,
• curlease weather conditions,
• surface resistance to the load of aerial lift with workers, tools and materials.

It is extremely important to position the boom so that workers are far enough away from power lines.

Safety zones and working on aerial work in the field

The aerial lift operator is also obliged to designate a safety zone. Thanks to it, you can limit the access of both passers-by and employees who do not have permission to operate the lift. The zone should be designated using special barriers, visible to people staying within the work area. An alternative are securing tapes, but they are less durable and can be broken, e.g. by wind.

Who can stay in the aerial work zone?

Only people who perform activities from the basket level, as well as the operator, can be in the work zone of the aerial lift. The employee operating the device is responsible for the working area on the aerial work platform. If unauthorized persons enter, the operator must suspend operations and ensure that they leave the designated zone. Therefore, he should be particularly vigilant during the execution of the order.

When should you designate a danger zone when working on a lift?

The danger zone must be designated both when working in public places and in private facilities, even if unauthorized persons are not allowed to enter them. This results from applicable occupational health and safety regulations.

How big should the safety zone be when working on a work platform in the field?

The work zone on aerial work in the field is always designated individually. Its size depends primarily on the type of device and its technical parameters, such as the maximum arm length. Information on this subject is always included in the machine's operating instructions. The operator of the device is obliged to be familiar with this document.

When should the safety zone be larger?

In public places, it is recommended to designate a larger safety zone than the area where the device actually moves. In such spaces there are many passersby exposed to potential threats.

The danger zone should also be larger when there are numerous obstacles in a given area from which falling objects can bounce. As a result of such an event, they completely change their flight trajectory, which is why they may pose a threat to passers-by who are even several meters away.

Why is the safety zone so important?

There are many health and safety regulations associated with working at heights. Designating a safety zone is just one of the operator's many responsibilities basket lift. This step reduces the risk of an accident when performing activities at height. The most important goals of determining a safety zone include:

• protection against accidents related to dropping objects from a great height - employees in the basket use various tools and materials that may fall from a significant height, directly onto passers-by in the vicinity of the basket,
• ability to freely control the device - some works require rotating the boom or changing its location (e.g. installation of installations along entire walls). The lack of passers-by in the area ensures freedom of work for the operator, which translates into the efficiency of operations.

The safety zone is designated to prevent unauthorized persons and employees who have not been delegated to carry out a specific activity at height from being near the device.

Please read: Basket lift – 8 things worth knowing before you decide to buy or lease

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