The safety of the internal and external public remains to be a priority for the site construction managers and all the relevant stakeholders in every business. It is for this reason why contractors hire aerial work platforms to enable construction engineers and other workers to access locations at height and move heavy loads comfortably. Choosing the right type of aerial work platform is determined by the nature of the tasks.
Types of aerial work platforms
The following are the main types of ariel work platforms;
Truck-mounted platforms
The truck-mounted cranes provide flexible access at the height of 8 meters, 12 meters, 16 meters, 20 meters, 24 meters among other designs. When construction workers are using this equipment correctly, their security is guaranteed. The truck-mounted platforms are used in electric power installations, transportation, photography, airport, telecommunication among other high-altitude areas. At the adrighem.com, they provide self-drive truck-mounted platforms for hire.
Crawler boom lifts
Boom lifts fall under man lifts where a crane is connected to a vehicle. The crawlers are made with telescopic booms making them versatile to access doorways, tall yards, as well as sensitive floors. The crawler boom lifts can operate in rough terrain due to their operation with treads instead of wheels. Above that, they can support loads up to 3, 500 tones. Moreover, it is equipped with warning lamps and alarm systems that assist in the avoidance of risks.
Articulated boom lift
The articulated boom lifts are also known as knuckle lifts and are suitable in areas where work at height faces some obstacles because of the nature of the building, or other obstructing materials like trees. They are also referred to as cherry pickers. They enable the workers to perform tasks by evading the barriers and supports specific positioning with a wide range of flexibility. The articulated boom lifts vary and it is important to understand the nature of work required before hiring the machines.
Telescopic boom lifts
The telescopic boom lift is manufactured to support workers to reach maximum vertical and horizontal locations. They have an oscillating axle with a four-wheel-drive that promotes quick accessibility over an extended area. Telescopic boom lifts are designed in either diesel-powered engines and electric. It has one limitation where workers are using a straight telescopic boom as it can only move in one direction.
Scissor lifts
A scissor lift is an aerial work platform machine that moves objects in a vertical position. It is a self-propelled machine with a steel railed structure that accommodates both materials and people. The crisscross braces provide the capacity to lift objects at a vertical height. The scissor lifts are further categorized into slab scissors and rough terrain scissors depending on the purpose they are designed. Slab scissors are lifts with strong tires that enable the machine to operate in a concrete environment, but the rough terrain scissors are built with rough lug tires that support the machine to move along tough terrains of up to 45% gradeability.
Mast lift
The mast lifts platforms are mostly used in warehousing, logistics, and maintenance thanks to their capacity of moving up and down a feature that that permits them to access higher heights. There are different models, but each offers a customized application in the execution of the tasks since they are easily flexible hence making them favourable to use in different industrial capacities.
Various types of work platforms offer periodical access at height for people and materials thus allowing optimal performance at a low cost. Although many of these machines are related, each aerial platform in the market has a distinctive purpose and it is advisable to understand the work that needs to be done to hire or buy the best suited aerial lift. It is also important to ensure the people operating the machines have received aerial work platform training to avoid any risks that can cause accidents.
