A report in American Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) who are the chief government department charged with the enforcement of security and laws issued a risk alarm about the risks involved with using scissor lifts for events and functions.
These devices are frequently used to film sport events at schools and universities. Danger can be caused by any of the following; high winds or bad weather; overloading the gear with heavy items; driving the lift on shaky ground and removing the guardrails during operations, and just generally not having the proper OSHA training in Las Vegas.
Safe working practices should take place to minimize scissor lift risks. These methods should comprise the following: inspecting the lift before use; safely moving the lift, placement (setting the brakes and stabilizing the lift before raising it up in the air at all), choosing a safe work place (making certain there is clearance from electrical energy supplies and overhead hazards: for example tree branches) and identifying weather conditions which may delay use, for example high winds, snow & ice.
The lift must have a system to allow for fall protection. Guard rails should be put round the margin of the lift, slip guards, and while the lift is in-use a lock has to be utilized in the entry to the lift platform. Most lifts are made with an emergency stop button, both on the lift system and with the controls at the bottom-of the lift. This will enable both the employee on-the stage or the lift operator to be able to halt the lift in the event of an emergency. Emergency brakes on the wheels must also become a characteristic of the device.
In one recent practical instance a school pupil worker in America was killed filming a football training while using a scissor lift which was blown over by high winds. The employee lifted the lift to higher than 39 feet into the air on the day once the winds were surpassing 50 miles per hour.
After investigating the incident, the OSHA fined the university and gave it-the highest and most severe security warning allowable to most under local law. It was noted the student worker wasn’t educated well enough to correctly control the gear.
Instruction should be given to employees on how best to use scissor lifts right and the best way to perform maintenance on the raise depending on the tips of the maker. Powered access training may be used to qualify for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) rules.