Mobile elevating work platforms are one of the safest ways to work at height, but only when the whole task is planned, including what happens if something goes wrong while the platform is raised.
Why rescue planning matters
An operator can become trapped against a structure, suffer a medical emergency or be left stranded by a machine fault. A person suspended in a harness after a fall needs help quickly.
A practical rescue plan includes
- A trained person on the ground who knows how to use the ground and emergency lowering controls.
- Confirmation that emergency lowering works during the pre-use check.
- A way to raise the alarm and reach emergency services.
- Equipment and a method for recovering a person if lowering is not possible.
Before you raise the platform
Check ground conditions, overhead hazards, wind speed and the exclusion zone below. Clip on to the designated anchor point and keep the platform within its rated load.
The time to plan a rescue is before anyone leaves the ground.
