Hi guys, where i work we have 2 boom lifts, a diesel 400s, and an electric jlg 45. the 45 has the hand pump to release the hydraulic pressure in the boom arms as an emergency lowering measure, and the 400s has the electric backup. My questions is this: If the batteries/electrical system in the 400s were to fail, would that leave me with no emergency lowering potential at all? i see many models that have relief valves that will bring down the upper and lower boom arms independently, but both in the manual, and on the unit itself, i can find no other means of lowering the basket. ive been tasked with writing the basis for a facility safety guideline on these machines, and im trying to be thorough. thanks so much for your help!
Correct, if the battery/electrical system were to fail on the 400S you would have no other means to suck the boom in or lower it to the ground, they don't have any form of manual descent valves, only the emergency backup motor which is really more for engine failure and not system wide electrical failure. However, having said all that, that does not mean these machines are in some way "unsafe" because they have no additional "manual descent" option, after all, these type of machines are fully OSHA approved as an aerial lift. If this were a problem, one would think OSHA would be the first to have a problem with the design. What info have you been tasked with writing about these machines and your company safety guidelines?
Only the most basic features need be included in my submission to the bosses. We've recently become very OSHA aware and are taking steps to ensure that we don't fall short of job hazard analyses, and the like. My chief just needs to know how they work so he can type up something that looks nice for new employee training. Thanks for your help!
Well, that's not a bad idea for sure. Of course, most of the info you're looking for is in the operators manuals, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean up the info a little better for new employee training, glean the important info out of the operators manual and put it in a more neat package in an employee training manual. OSHA rule #1 on boom aerial lifts: you must wear a full harness whenever you're in the platform, doesn't matter if it's on the ground or 180 feet up, have to be tied off with a lanyard to your harness anytime you're in the platform during operation. #2, all aerial lifts should have an annual ANSI inspection, this would help with operation reliability of the machines. An ANSI inspection would point out anything that might be a problem in the future, unforeseen mechanical breakdowns notwithstanding.
Awesome! Thanks!