OSHA Insights: Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms

Posted on by HMG Creative

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provide regulations and suggestions for maintaining a safe and effective workspace for all employees. Does your warehouse make use of powered platforms, manlifts, and vehicle-mounted work platforms? If so, you may want to be aware of the requirements established by OSHA for the use of this equipment.

Key Takeaways on OSHA’s Regulations on Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms

 

Essential Definitions to Note:

  • Aerial device: any vehicle-mounted device, which can be telescoping, articulating or both, that is used to position personnel.
  • Aerial ladder: a single- or multiple-section extendable ladder.
  • Articulating boom platform: a device with 2 or more hinged boom sections.
  • Extensible boom platform: any device that is not a ladder with a telescopic of extensible boom.
  • Insulated aerial device: a device designed for work on energized lines.
  • Mobile unit: a combination of the aerial device and its vehicle.
  • Platform: a personnel-carrying device such as a basket or bucket which is part of an aerial device.
  • Vehicle: carriers that are not manually operated.
  • Vertical tower: an aerial device which is designed to elevate a platform in a substantially vertical axis.

General Requirements.

All aerial devices need to be designed and construction based on the American National Standard for Vehicle Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms. If the equipment does not meet these standards they cannot be used in the workplace. The equipment must be inspected and maintained according to guidelines and safety instructions must be in place.

Specific Requirements.

Other industries have additional requirements such as those that use ladder trucks or tower trucks. Highway travel requires that the aerial devices are secured before moving. Review the OSHA guidelines for your specific industry to ensure that you are compliant with the current requirements.

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