Did you know that 5,250 workers suffered fatal work injuries in 2018 in the USA? The majority of these injuries were due to falls from height.
Working from a height is one of the most dangerous parts of many jobs. Often this involves adjusting equipment to reach difficult to approach locations. Without the proper equipment, the worker may be tempted to lean or stretch and the risk of falling is high.
The scissor lift is one of the safest ways to reach high locations. Why is this? How can you benefit from using a scissor lift? Why not read on to find out more.
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Health and Safety
The number one reason for people purchasing or renting a scissor lift is their safety advantages. Their design helps to prevent people and tools from falling.
A railing surrounds the moveable platform. The entrance gate has a secure locking mechanism to ensure that humans and large equipment items cannot easily exit the platform.
The platform area also has stable mounting points for harnesses. Harnesses are mandated by many locations when workers are above a certain height.
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The flexibility of Storage and Operation
Since scissor lifts are vertical rising platforms, they do not have awkward arms or shafts that are difficult to store when not in use. In fact, scissor lifts are likely the easiest moveable platform to store.
Further to this, they work well on a number of different terrains. This is because of their high grip tires and low center of gravity. This design minimizes movement so that the workers feel as safe as possible.
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Variable Height and Capacity
There is a myth that scissor lifts are small and can only take 1-2 workers. However, this is not true. Scissor lifts are used widely in the construction industry to accommodate 4-6 persons.
They can lift up to 18 meters in height and can provide a stable platform to work on at any height under this.
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Ease of Mobility
If you have been working with ladders to work at height, you will be aware of how much time it can take to reposition a ladder before continuing work.
With a scissor lift, there is no such pain. the platform allows a degree of worker movement. Following this, the scissor lift can easily be controlled from either the cabin or the base unit, meaning that you can reach new locations without having to dismount each time.
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Motor Options
You may be wondering if you can use a scissor lift indoors. This is because traditional combustion engines produce fumes which could be dangerous for workers indoors.
Newer model scissor lifts are equipped with electric motors. These work silently and without producing fumes.
Essential Times to Use a Scissor Lift and Much More
Using a scissor lift when working from height can save you time and in other situations can save your life. While many try to use other platforms to get into awkward locations, scissor lit is the only one that can vertically raise a platform safely without using an extending arm.
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