In every type of work, safety should be the priority for both companies and workers. Using appropriate equipment and adopting proper behaviours enable safe work even at great heights. In this article, we will explore how to work safely at heights.
Which Jobs Require Working safely at Heights?
The industries that frequently involve working at heights include construction, industry, and the maintenance of facilities or green spaces. Before understanding how to work safely at heights, it is crucial to emphasize that each type of activity has its own characteristics. Determined by the intervention itself and the environment in which it is performed. For this reason, using the most suitable equipment for the job is essential for safety.
Construction
Machines used to lift people are called aerial work platforms but are better known as boom lifts. This type of equipment allows workers to safely perform a range of activities at heights, including all construction work. Examples from construction include working on walls in new buildings, renovations, and energy renovations. Additionally, there are interventions for restoring terraces, roofs, cornices, or other parts of buildings and facades.
Installation and Maintenance in Industry and Civil Facilities
Aerial platforms are also frequently used in the installation and maintenance of facilities or windows in both civil and industrial settings. Civil facilities include heating boilers, air conditioning units, or heat pumps. In the industrial sector, there are air extraction systems, smoke detectors, or production plants. All require initial installation, cleaning, and regular maintenance. As mentioned, working at heights carries the risk of falls, so companies and professionals rely on the use of aerial work platforms. This way, they always have the best equipment to work safely.
Working at heights is also common in green spaces, especially when hedges in large parks need to be trimmed. Since there are different types of platforms required for different operations, it is important to know their characteristics.
How to Choose the Most Suitable Equipment for Working safely at Heights
Aerial work platforms are the most frequently rented equipment in our country. Over 70% of platforms sold in Italy go into rental fleets. Renting allows every customer to select the most suitable platform for the job. When renting a platform, one must first consider the type of machine needed. The main types include bucket trucks and semi-mobile platforms: articulating boom lifts, tracked spider lifts, vertical mast lifts, and telescopic boom lifts.
Important Considerations
The former can be driven on the road, while all semi-mobile platforms must be transported to the construction site with suitable vehicles. Our support helps with the selection of the required machine type and organizes delivery or pickup. Additionally, one must consider the height to be reached and the space in which the platform will be used, as well as the machine’s power supply. By analysing these aspects, the most suitable platform can be chosen to understand how to work safely at heights. It is important to note that all types of aerial platforms require proper training for workers. The applicable regulations require that all workers operating a platform be properly qualified.
Working Safely at Heights: How to Proceed
One of the most valuable tips is undoubtedly the correct use of safety devices. This includes the most important aspect: harnesses with ropes that must be well secured to the anchoring points of the basket. If exiting at height is necessary—the most dangerous operation when working at heights—anchoring points outside the basket must be identified in advance. What really makes the difference is the application of appropriate behaviours by workers. Performing all activities without risky manoeuvres or movements contributes to working under the safest conditions. Therefore, workers are the first responsible for safe work at heights through their behaviour.
Our Conclusion
In this article, we have seen how to work safely at heights. Choosing the most suitable aerial work platform is the first step to working safely. If you contact us, you can receive support in selecting equipment and managing it.
