Safe work at height: the basic rules for aerial work platforms

Working at height from a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP, also called an aerial work platform or cherry picker) carries real risk if the basic safety rules are not followed. Below are the most important ones. In practice, most accidents result from skipping one of these basic steps, not from unusual situations that could not have been foreseen.

Pre-use check before work starts

Before the operator steps onto the platform, check the technical condition of the machine: the controls, the condition of the tyres or tracks, any fluid leaks, the emergency stop and the tilt system (the alarm that warns when the machine is on too steep a slope). A short check of a few minutes at the start of the working day lets you catch a fault before it becomes a problem at height, where your ability to react is much more limited.

Only a trained operator

A mobile elevating work platform should be operated only by a person with current qualifications for that type of machine. This also applies to jobs “for a moment” or “just to move the machine”: the rules apply regardless of how long the work lasts. One UDT certificate (UDT is the Polish Office of Technical Inspection) for mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) covers scissor, articulating and telescopic lifts. Before working on a new model, the operator receives on-the-job instruction (controls, emergency lowering).

Keeping within platform capacity and limits

Every platform has a maximum platform capacity: the combined weight of operators, tools and materials. Exceeding it affects the stability of the whole machine, especially with the boom fully extended on articulating and telescopic boom lifts, where the machine's centre of gravity is furthest from the base. Remember also that the limit covers the total weight, not only the people but also tools, building materials and any extra equipment taken onto the platform.

Personal protective equipment

A guardrail is standard equipment on a platform, and in many cases a safety harness attached to the designated anchor point on the platform is also required. This applies especially to articulating and telescopic boom lifts, where, with the boom at full reach, the risk of the operator being thrown out by a sudden movement is higher than on scissor lifts. As well as the harness, the operator should wear a hard hat and footwear and clothing suited to the working conditions, including high-visibility elements if the work is carried out near moving vehicles.

Weather conditions

Strong wind, ice or a storm are conditions in which work at height should be stopped. Machine manufacturers specify the maximum permitted wind speed for each model. It is worth knowing this value and keeping to it, rather than relying only on a subjective judgement that “it's fine to work”. This matters particularly when working from articulating and telescopic boom lifts at great height, where the force of the wind felt on the platform is noticeably greater than at ground level.

The exclusion zone below

The area under a working lift should be clearly marked and kept free of bystanders: falling tools or materials are as real a hazard as a fall from height. On busy sites it is worth marking the zone with tape or barriers as well, so that nobody walks under the machine while it is working.

Refreshing your knowledge regularly

Even an experienced operator benefits from going back to the basics from time to time, especially if they have not operated a given type of platform for a long while or are using a model that is new to them with different controls. Manufacturers also update their recommendations on safe use regularly, so it is worth reading the operator's manual for the specific model rather than relying only on general knowledge from training years ago.

Lowering safely in an emergency

Every operator should know the emergency lowering procedure: both using the ground controls (available to a person at ground level who can lower the platform on their own if there is a problem) and manual emergency lowering, if the machine is equipped with it. That is why good practice is to have a second person on site whenever work at height is under way, someone who knows how to use the ground controls.

Communication on site

The last rule, often overlooked, is clear communication with the rest of the crew on site. People working nearby should know that a raised platform is working in a given place at a given time, so that they do not enter the danger zone or carry out work that conflicts with the movement of the machine, for example another machine passing close by. Good visibility and simple signalling between the operator and the people below can prevent most of the situations that would otherwise end in a collision or an accident.