Mobile elevating work platforms, such as scissor lifts, can help to protect employees working at height. However, several risks must be assessed before the full benefits of an elevating work platform can be enjoyed. This article discusses some of the environmental risks that you should assess before you rent a mobile elevating work platform to use during a DIY construction project.
Adverse Weather Risks
You should consider all the possible adverse weather risks at your site before you pick an elevating work platform to rent. For instance, think about cold, windy and wet weather. Will the wind affect the safe operation of the work platform at your site? How will you keep checking the wind speed so that you know when it is no longer safe to use the elevating work platform? Can the wind cause you to become so cold that you will lack the needed dexterity to operate the elevating work platform? Formulate as many questions about the weather as you can so that you find ways to minimise any possible risks that can result from adverse weather events as you work.
Ground Condition Risks
Is the ground firm enough to take the weight of the elevating work platform? Is the ground where the elevating work platform will be set up level? Are there any underground threats, such as buried sewer tanks, that can pose a threat to the stability of the elevating work platform? Are there strong support structures onto which the elevating work platform can be anchored? These questions will help you to plan for any risks that may cause the elevating work platform to overturn as you use it.
Accessibility Risks
Are there overhead utilities or barriers that can hinder the transportation of the platform to the work site? Is there ample space to drive the elevating work platform to the work site without damaging surrounding structures? How will traffic around the work site be managed? Is there a body of water, such as a swimming pool, that may hinder the safe approach of the elevating work platform to the jobsite? These questions will help you to select the elevating work platform that can gain easy access to the jobsite.
Some of the issues above may be beyond your ability to assess. You should therefore enlist the help of working at height experts so that they can help you to select the elevating work platform that will provide the best protection to you during your project.
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