Power in the platform eliminates safety hazards caused by draped hoses and oxygen / acetylene tanks. are constantly tethered to the platform. This is especially helpful for iron workers, who are often first on a jobsite and have few options to tie off.
Promoting Protection With Visibility
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration identifies the“ focus four” hazards as electrical hazards, fall hazards, struck-by hazards and caught-between hazards. Caught-in, or caughtbetween, injuries occur when an operator gets pinned between two or more objects.
Several factors must be in place to combat these hazards, including robust protection measures. Designed to lessen the risk of being caught between hazards on the job without losing visibility, enhanced protection sensors are available to help prevent an operator from being forced into the control panel.
For example, when one of these sensors is activated by 50 pounds of force or more, the system will stop all boom lift functions and then momentarily reverse most functions used when the system was activated. By stopping the platform and moving the operator away from the obstruction automatically, this type of system helps prevent caught-between injuries while working at height.
These systems can be activated from various angles and provide additional protection without impeding or reducing the boom lift’ s work envelope. They also don’ t increase the platform profile or limit the
platform’ s use in any way, meaning operators can be just as productive while enjoying extra protection. These systems can usually be reset by cycling the foot switch or e-stop.
An enhanced control panel protection system is an evolution of this type of technology. It features a slim wire rope design bolted to the left side of the platform with an opposing magnetic connection. With this type of system, it will stop all boom lift functions when the operator contacts the cable and the magnet detaches. The system will then momentarily reverse or undo most functions used when the system is activated.
One of the biggest challenges for boom lift and scissor lift operators is minimizing risks while navi-
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