By Mashum Mollah
There’s construction work going on every day, whether it’s a high-rise building, a mall, or a small coffee shop. Although the construction work will take months or even years to complete, it contributes to the growth of the city and its economy.
Ever wondered why there’s a piece of heavy equipment on the side of the building with people standing on its platform? Ever wondered if there’s a term for it as well? Aside from construction firms, but other industries also have it and use it for various tasks.
What Is An Aerial Work Platform?
Aerial or elevated work platforms are types of machines that provide temporary access to areas that aren’t accessible. These machines have a platform used by a group of people to do work.
Some aerial platforms are equipped with compressed air for power tools or carrying frames to transport glass.
There are five types of aerial work platforms. These are:
1. Spider Lifts
Spider lifts are a type of aerial work platform with a long arm built with four ‘legs.’ It looks like a spider.
Spider lifts are used for construction work and power line maintenance. Firefighters use them to reach burning areas on a high-rise building during a fire. Fruit vendors also use spider lifts to pick fruits.
2. Articulating Boom Lifts
Articulating boom lifts are a type of equipment with a boom arm and a platform. The platform carries a group of workers and their tools and is mainly used for maintenance work.
3. Telescopic Boom Lifts
Like articulating boom lifts, telescoping boom lifts are a type of equipment used to aid workers in accessing hard-to-reach places. But unlike the articulating boom lifts, the telescoping boom lifts don’t bend.
Telescoping boom lifts are used for maintaining power lines, washing windows of tall buildings, and other high-rise maintenance.
4. Scissor Lift
Scissor lifts are another type of equipment where the arm is made out of crisscrossing metals. It’s called a scissor lift because the arm looks and acts like a pair of scissors when the platform is raised or lowered. Like the telescoping boom lifts, the component only moves up and down.
Scissor lifts are primarily used indoors, involving duct and air conditioning. Airline cargo uses scissor lifts as well.
5. Cherry Picker
Another type of aerial work platform is a cherry picker. It’s built on vehicles, and the arm is similar to the telescopic boom lift. Cherry pickers or aerial lifts are used for electrical line maintenance and other maintenance work.
Importance of Aerial Work Platforms
Aerial work platforms are essential because it helps workers access hard-to-reach places. It also provides a safe way of accessing the said place since they don’t need to climb and risk falling. They only need to stand on the platform; the machine will do the lifting.
But people who are operating these machines should know the safety precautions and have undergone property training to avoid accidents during work. It’s better if these workers are trained with the latest guidelines of safety work.
Industries That Use An Aerial Work Platform
Since some industries have tasks that require access to hazardous areas, the following sectors take advantage of the use of an elevated work platform:
1. Construction
Construction industries use aerial work platforms to transport workers and equipment on top of hard-to-reach areas. Instead of workers making a huge effort of carrying the equipment by hand, they only need to put them on the platform, and the machine will take it to the designated place.
2. Electrical
Electrical industries use elevated work platforms to aid workers during powerline maintenance. It also promotes safety since workers will not risk their lives climbing a giant pole to reach the area that needs work.
3. Maintenance
Maintenance industries use aerial work platforms to maintain areas that are difficult to reach. For example, periodic maintenance workers on rooftop ventilation require elevated work platforms.
4. Sports and Entertainment
Sports industries also use aerial work platforms to carry persons operating the camera to get the right angle for the TV audience. It also applies to entertainment industries where camera operators require elevated work platforms to get an aerial angle of the show.
5. Public Service
Public services like firefighting use aerial work platforms so that they can reach burning areas, especially on high-rise buildings where it’s more dangerous for firefighters to go on foot to put out the fire.
Wrapping Up
More industries are also using aerial work platforms. While it’s essential to have it during work, operators must know the safety and the risks involved when using it. Accidents can occur anytime, so they must be prepared if anything happens during work. Safety first before doing any work.
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