How to choose lift platforms? See tips

Posted by LouisWillis on January 31st, 2021

Lifting platforms, as the name implies, are equipment for lifting people that make it possible to perform services at height. Also known as aerial platforms, they can be found in different types. Among the most usual, the different type stands out, used as an alternative to scaffolding.

Lifting Platforms - Rental

This equipment is indicated for services in which the vertical movement is sufficient to reach the workplace. These machines reach a maximum height of 15 m. For comparative purposes, telescopic platforms can reach up to 56 m.

Scissors Type Aerial Platform

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Although they do not reach great heights and only move vertically, the scissors have advantages that justify their use. One is the availability of more space to carry out the work. While the deck of a scissor platform is 2.8 m², an articulated platform of the same reach offers only 1.1 m² of area” from Blade Platforms. He says that some scissor-type models were specially developed to pass through narrow places, with a maximum width of 0.8 m. To give you an idea, the narrowest articulated lifting platform on the market is 1.3 m.

Another point that counts in favor of scissor platforms is weight . While an electric scissor weighs 2,400 kg, an articulated platform to reach the same height weighs almost 5,000 kg. There are also differences regarding the load capacity. While a 12 m articulated platform lifts a maximum of 230 kg, an equivalent scissor can lift up to 454 kg.

The possibilities for using scissor platforms are very wide. In general, this equipment is used in repairs and installations in telephone networks, air conditioning, fire lines, visual communication parts.

Electric Or Combustion?

Scissor platforms are found with electric drive and combustion. The electrical equipment is indicated for work on regular terrains in painting, maintenance and installation services. Combustion models, on the other hand, are able to move around uneven terrain, such as sand and clay. For this reason, they are indicated for use in works that are still in the initial and intermediate phases.

Criteria For Purchase Or Lease

When it comes to scissor platforms, an assertive choice depends fundamentally on prior knowledge of the activities that will be performed with the equipment.

Before starting the acquisition or rental process, a study/dimensioning by a professional in the segment is essential. An alignment with the instructions provided by the equipment manufacturer is also recommended.

Among the factors to be considered when selecting a scissor platform, Rios highlights:

• Whether the basket with the operator will only need to make vertical movements or if it will also need horizontal movements

• Working height

• Width available in the workplace

• Floor characteristics - regularity and resistance

• Load capacity - considering the number of operators and the materials used for work

Safety In The Use Of Elevatory Platform

The use of aerial platforms is regulated by the rules of the Ministry. The operator must have undergone specific training with a minimum workload and certification.

It is also essential to provide all the necessary resources so that operators have the recommended PPE, and that the workplace is isolated, duly signed, free of any risk to third parties. According to expert, the majority of operating errors on lifting platforms are linked to the negligence of operators and/or their own contractors.