Mobile Elevated Work Platform

Full day course (8 hours) intended for workers using Powered Mobile Equipment in the Petroleum Industry.  Includes Alberta legislation, and Valid for 3 years.

Topics include:

• Identification of components and features
• Overview of stability requirements
• Practical exercise involving competency checks with an EWP

Requirements:

• Capable of reading, writing and understanding English
• Physically capable of operating an EWP
• Coveralls, CSA approved safety boots, gloves 
• Pass written exam with a min score of 80%

 

 

1 INTRODUCTION 

To repair damaged water pipeline at a dangerous height requires use of elevated work platform (EWP). EWP is the work platform that can be elevated to certain height to work at overhead  locations. EWP includes all types of aerial devices. Most of these aerial devices are powered by  hydraulics. (THOMPSONRIVERSUNIVERSITY) 

As per Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHAS), it is the employer responsibility to ensure its  employee is working under safe conditions and all required safety equipment like Personal  Protective Equipment (PPEs) are provided. Similarly, OSHAS also enforce on employee to identify  unsafe conditions and unsafe acts so that hazards and risks associated with them can be reduced.  Employee also must ensure wearing of the PPEs and other safety instructions provided by  employer. (Elevating work platforms) 

2 TYPES AND USES OF EWP’S 

EWPs are mostly used in constructional activities, industrial warehouses, firefighting activities  and lifting of materials. Most commonly used EWPs are Scissor Lift, Articulated boom lift,  Telescopic boom lift, Vertical mass lift, Truck Mounted, Self-propelled boom lift and Trailer  mounted. These EWPs are moveable and hence termed as Moveable Elevated Work Platforms  (MEWPs). Scaffolding is also consider as EWP as it assist worker to work at elevation. As  scaffolding usually is fixed to a location or unmovable so it is termed as Stationary Elevated Work  Platform (SEWP). Worker working or using these EWPs are called Person conducting business or  undertaking (PCBU). These EWP has made the work tremendously easier at inappropriate heights  but risks are also associated with their use. Risk assessment (RA), Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and  other safety precautions must be ensured while using these EWPs. (Elevating work platforms) 

2.1 Scissor Lift 

This EWP is having scissor like shaped that’s why it is named as scissor lift. Scissor lift are of three  types depending upon the surface on which they are being used. Mostly, scissor lifts are used for  interior work which includes ceiling construction, signboards hanging, warehouse management  etc. Scissor lifts are suitable to 20 to 50 feet height. Top manufacturers of scissor lift worldwide  are JLG, Skyjack and Genie. (Forestell, 2021) 

Figure 2: Scissor-type EWP for  operating on a flat or solid surface 

Figure 3: Scissor-type EWP for  operating on rough terrain 

Figure 1: Scissor-type EWP for  operating on inclined surface

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2.2 Articulated boom lift 

Articulated boom lift is one of the type of boom lift used to lift  materials and machinery. It is also known as knuckle lift. This boom lift  is mounted to a turnable that can rotate to 360 degrees. Articulate  boom lift can provide support to work at the height over 100 feet.  These lifts are commonly used for repairing of pipes, cables, and  electrical works, cleaning of exteriors and in maintenance work. (DWIGHTCRANE) 

Figure 4: Articulated boom lift 

2.3 Telescopic boom lift 

Also known as stick boom lift provides 360 degree rotation similar to  articulated boom lift. However, it provides the greatest horizontal  reach as compared to the other types of boom lift. Telescopic boom  lift provides greater height than articulate boom lift. Telescopic boom  lift’s bucket is capable of lifting one work at a time. (DWIGHTCRANE) 

Figure 5: Telescopic boom lift 

2.4 Vertical mass lift 

These lifts can move only vertically and mainly used on flat solid  surfaces. These lifts can be mechanically or manually operated. 

Figure 6: Vertical mass lift 

2.5 Truck Mounted 

These lifts are mounted on trucks and can easily be move as compared  other aerial lifts. These lifts are mostly used in electrical industries.  Truck mounted lifts are also known as bucket truck and cherry picker. 

Figure 7: Truck mounted lift

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2.6 Trailer mounted 

Trailer Mounted Boom Lifts are used for changing light bulbs, trimming of  trees, decorating interiors and exteriors, construction or maintenance  tasks. Auto-levelling hydraulic outriggers of Trailer mounted boom lifts  make them safer as compare to other lifter types. 

3 SAFETY TIPS FOR EWP’S 

3.1 Training of Staff 

Figure 8: Trailer mounted

To use EWPs safely, operators and all other staffs involved in use of EWPs must be provided  trainings. Once operator is well trained, license card should be issued without such license card,  operators should not allowed to operator EWPs. Trainings material should at least include: 

- Selection of EWP 

- Hazards and risk associated with EWPs 

- Use of harness 

- Use of PPEs 

- Emergency response plan 

- Legal requirements in regard of safely use of EWPs 

- EWP manual 

- Moving and positioning of EWP 

- Reporting incidents, accidents and near misses 

Operator’s competence on these trainings and safe use of EWPs should be evaluated frequently.  

3.2 Selection of Appropriate EWP 

Selection of EWP should be done via an assessment which must include application of EWP, site  infrastructure and conditions, operators training and competency on that EWP, controls of the  identified hazards etc.  

3.3 Assessment of Site Area 

Before starting work using EWP appended hazards must be check on job site and must be  controlled:  

- Ditches and holes near the job site 

- Debris 

- Overhead obstruction like electric wires 

- Weather condition  

- Moving vehicles 

- Cordon off the area of premises of EWP 

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3.4 Maintenance of EWP 

A maintenance checklist and SOP should be established prior to the use of EWP. Maintenance  checklist should be established keeping in view the instructions provided by manufacturer in  manual and best practices.  

3.5 Risk Assessment 

Risk assessment and job safety analysis must be done by competent person and all of the  stakeholders must participate in risk assessment activity. Residual risk must be calculated after  implementing of safety measurements as per hierarchy of controls (remove the hazard,  substitute, engineering control, administrative control and PPEs) prior to the use of EWP. 

Common hazards associated to use of EWPs are: 

Crush risk: Risk of crush to operators or passenger while using EWP. 

Basket stability: Basket of the EWP may move unexpectedly due to uneven ground or lack of  operator’s familiarity with the EWP. 

Obstacles: Obstacles may be present in are of working of EWP which can cause severe safety  accidents. 

3.6 Safety Inspection 

Safety team must be present on the working site to ensure that all safety and precautionary  measurements are taken and local and international legislations/requirements related to EWPs  are implemented. Daily inspections and frequent internal and external audits related to health  and safety must be done. 

3.7 Record Keeping 

Records related to incidents, accidents and near misses must be maintained and preventive  actions plan must be taken to avoid recurrence of such incidents.  

4 TYPICAL INCIDENTS RELATED TO EWP’S 

Incidents related to EWP may leads from minor injury to loss of a life. Most of the incidents while  using EWPs are relating to crushing of operators or passengers. In Australia, over the period of 8  years from June 2003 to June 2011, 232 workers were died during EWP activities. 37% of the  fatalities happened while using EWP is related to construction industries. (WOR) 

Some of the incidents happened during the operations of EWPs are given below: 

1- 22 year old worker was killed while using EWP on construction site. As per the initial investigations, EWP basket was hit with steel support beam which caused lifting of the  EWP wheel off the ground and worker got crushed between top rail of EWP basket and steel beam. (Worksafe) 

2- In Australia a worker died during working on EWP. As per the investigation, deceased  worker was loading EWP on the truck when EWP’s bucket got hit by a nearby passing 

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vehicle resulting ejection of EWP operator from the basket and sustained serious head  injuries leading to death. (worksafevictoria) 

3- Worker while working on EWP got crushed when he got trapped between the basket of  EWP and an overhead beam. (EWP) 

4- 28 years old worker named Joshua Martin died using an elevated work platform (EWP).  He got fatally injured when he got crushed against the roof of the cross-cut where he was  working. (Minesafety) 

5- Man died in August 2021 while acting as dogger during EWP operations. As per the  investigation, worker was walking between the front of the mobile crane and the hanging  load when he got hit by the crane and died on the spot. (worksafe) 

6- An operator working on EWP lost his consciousness when his head got stuck between the  stacker frame and the secondary guarding sensor bar in the basket. Alarm mounted at  the base of the EWP alerted the spotter who immediately lower the basket. But till time  operator had received injuries which led him to lost his consciousness for a few minutes. After incident investigation, it was revealed that job safety analysis did not point out the  hazard being crushed by the stacker frame. (AustralasianMinesafety) 

5 CONCLUSION 

Though elevated work platform has provided ease to work in inaccessible areas, there use has  caused numbers of fatalities throughout the world. These EWPs should be used with proper  safety and precautionary measurements so that the fatalities and causalities can be reduced.