As the owner of a small start up a signage company, you cannot afford to subcontract installation of signs just because your business is vertically challenged. While ladders will work just fine for most of your sign installation projects, it is highly likely that you will at one point get projects that are out of reach for your ladders. Boom lifts are well equipped to handle projects that are problematic for ladders, and you can easily rent one from local rental companies. However, before you rent one, there are mistakes you should avoid making if you want to get the best out of a leased boom lift. This article highlights some of these errors.
Outdated Specifications -- Boom lift specifications change with time; therefore, the chances are that today's boom lift specifications will not remain the same over the next couple of years. Thus, if you replace your ladder for a boom lift with specs that are outdated, then it will not meet your business needs. Additionally, obsolete specifications expose your staff to occupational hazards. As such, before you rent a boom lift, ensure that you look at its specs vis-à-vis the work-site conditions and business needs.
Ignoring Approved Anchor Points -- Each boom lift must have anchor points as set by the Worker's Health and Safety Act. These positions are usually steel angles welded along the rail system of the lift or the rings on the floor. Most people believe that anchoring a safety harness anywhere around the boom, or outside it, will keep it safe. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reason is that the safety harness shouldn't be too loose or too tight since the former exposes staff to accidents while the latter will limit the reach of your team on the platform. Anchor points, therefore, ensure that your staff is safely secure and at the same time able to carry out their work without restrictions. As you hire a boom lift, make sure that it has anchor points approved under the WHS Act.
Overestimating or Underestimating Reach -- When you go to rent a boom lift, you should know what type of sign hanging projects you will be dealing with. It is a mistake to make generalizations with regards to the reach of a boom lift. For instance, if the lift is too long, but the worksite is relatively low in height, then your staff will be forced to lower the platform considerably. Doing this creates an imbalance because the platform's weight is shifted away from the lift's center of gravity consequently creating the possibility of tipping over. Therefore, rent a boom whose reach is within the height of most of your projects to avoid accidents.
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