There are a number of steps that need to be taken to ensure that employees who work in industrial facilities remain safe when they are operating boom lifts or working close to this type of equipment. Read on to find out what these steps are.

Obtain information about the boom lift from the equipment hire company

When the time comes to arrange for the rental of this equipment from a boom lift hire company, you should ask the company representative that you speak with about the specific features, limitations and maintenance requirements of the make and model of boom lift you intend to rent from them.

This is critical, as not all boom lifts are alike; they can differ in terms of their lifting capacities, control systems and maintenance requirements.

If you do not understand how to correctly use and maintain the specific make and model of boom lift that you hire, there is a greater chance that someone within the industrial facility will sustain an injury when the equipment is in use.

For example, if you forget to ask the rental company what the boom lift's maximum load limit is and, as a result of this, the equipment is then loaded up with excessively-heavy materials that it is not designed to carry, the hoist could snap and the load could fall onto nearby employees. This could leave these individuals with severe injuries.

Inspect the equipment on a regular basis

If a boom lift is not checked for faults on a regular basis, it will be far more likely to malfunction at an inopportune moment.

For example, if the equipment's brakes develop a defect which goes unnoticed because no-one has performed an inspection, the brakes could stop working midway through a lifting operation.

If this should happen whilst the equipment is being driven down a gradient inside the facility, the operator could lose control of the boom lift and it could go hurtling down the slope towards nearby employees. If these staff members do not move out of the way quickly enough, they could get crushed by the equipment.

As such, it is vital to regularly examine this equipment. The person assigned this task should perform a basic visual inspection of all accessible areas of the boom lift, during which they should look for leaks in the hydraulic fluid lines, check for corrosion in the hoist and make sure that the tyres are in good working order.

They should then get into the cab of the equipment. Once inside, they should try the brakes and switch on the equipment's hazard lights and warning signals, to check that these features are fully functional.

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