What is the purpose of a man lift?

14, May. 2024

 

What is a Manlift? | Innovative Reach

For short, aerial work platforms, or AWPs, are lightweight, movable manlift work platforms that can elevate one or two people. Most commonly used for overhead maintenance work, cleaning, and hanging signs or decorations, they are the cheapest and most basic staff lifts.

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A manlift is a customized aerial work platform (AWP) designed to lift a person and their equipment safely on both indoor and outdoor work sites. They differ from other aerial lifts, such as boom lifts, size, appearance, and purpose. It is are also known as man lifts, personal lifts, and personnel lifts, among other names in the business. Self-propelled, push-around, and belt-driven man lifts are the three types of man lifts available. They’re all different sizes and specialties.

It might not be easy to distinguish between the various varieties of man lifts. They all have the same functions, yet they’re employed for different purposes. The many varieties of man lift and the characteristics they provide, and when they should be used are listed below.

  • Self-Propelled

The smallest of the group is the self-propelled man lift. With the compact lift, one person and a set of tools can be lifted 15 to 20 feet in the air. Because of its small, it is easier to maneuver into narrow passageways.

Man lifts that are self-propelled can reach higher heights than ladders, but they are more stable on the ground. Working on small-scale indoor tasks that require a minor height increase is easy with the collapsible frame.

  • Push-Around

The self-propelled man lifts are slightly larger than the push-around manlifts. They may reach heights of 15 to 50 feet, allowing a single person and their tools to fit between rafters or around an HVAC unit in tight spaces. Photographers can use the push-around man lift to gain a bird’s-eye view of the crowd.

Thanks to the collapsible frame and hydraulic wheels, one or two persons may easily navigate the lift through doorways and down hallways. Push-around manlifts include retractable outrigger legs that balance the base and avoid tipping due to their light frame (200-to-400-pound weight capability) and vertical Reach.

  • Manlifts in the Atrium (Belt)

The largest in the series is the atrium man lift, also known as a compact crawler lift. For outside worksites, the heavy-duty lift is the ideal option. The atrium can safely sit on uneven ground, including dirt, sand, and mud, thanks to its retractable legs and tank-like drive tracks.

The expanded neck can rotate 360 degrees and reach over 34 feet. Trees and electricity lines can be maneuvered around by using the jib joint. Some atrium lift is battery-powered, while others run on gasoline or diesel.

What Is the Price of a Manlift Rental?

The cost of renting a manlift varies based on how many hours, days, weeks, or months you need it. It ranges from $100 to $200 per day, $200 to $900 per week, and $500 to $2,000 per month, respectively. This isn’t a complete list but rather a rough indication of what to expect.

When renting construction equipment, keep in mind the project’s size, the type of lift needed, and the time frame for which it will be used. Include the expense of fuel in your budget. An electrical socket can run indoor lifts like a self-propelled manlift. An atrium, for example, is an outdoor manlift that can work on both batteries and gasoline.

How to Choose a Manlift

It’s critical to understand the project, workplace, and height required to perform a job before purchasing a manlift. Does your project take place inside or outside? – Self-prop manlifts, for example, are only suitable for inside use, whereas atrium manlifts are suitable for outdoor use.

Innovative Reach offers Manlift Rentals.

A manlift rental or a scissor lift rental might be a preferable option. Workers can be safely lifted to the desired height using man lifts. After fitting through narrow doors, Atrium lifts can be rapidly removed from the site. Manlift Rentals are a specialty of Innovative Reach in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

You might have any questions about manlift rentals that you’d want to have addressed by one of our helpful and professional staff members. Please feel free to call us at (319) 900-5995 if you have any questions about a project you’re interested in.

What are the Different Kinds of Construction Lifts?

Posted on: July 13, 2024

Man Lift Types: What are the Different Kinds of Construction Lifts?

Construction lifts are a critical piece of equipment on any job site. There are many types of aerial work machines that lift employees to access high, hard-to-reach work areas. Navigating the various kinds of man lifts can be confusing as they share some resemblances but serve distinct purposes. 

So, what is a man lift? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type? And how do you operate one safely? This article aims to demystify the different kinds of man lifts, their distinct features, and provide insight into their uses.

What Is an Aerial Lift?

An aerial lift is basically a machine that lifts you up. It's also known as a man lift or an aerial work platform (AWP).

An aerial lift's definition is any powered mobile platform used to elevate personnel to various heights.

The general public definition of aerial lift or man lift includes both scissor lifts and boom lifts, but it's worth noting OSHA does not include scissor lifts in the category. Instead, they consider scissor lifts "mobile scaffolds."

Types of Man Lifts

A few different types of lifts fall under the manlift definition. Every aerial lift is a machine that can lift workers, but there are two main categories: scissor lifts, which elevate someone directly above the lift's base crisscrossed metal supports, and boom lifts, which can lift someone up and over (horizontal from the base) with a movable arm called a boom.

There are different types of lifts that fall into each category.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of . Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Electric Scissor Lifts

Scissor lifts that run on electricity are ideal for indoor use since they are relatively clean and quiet. They tend to be lighter than diesel scissor lifts. Indoor lifts are more likely to have a pneumatic lifting mechanism than a hydraulic one.

Diesel Scissor Lifts

Diesel-powered lifts are sturdy and designed for outdoor use. They can generally handle heavier loads and a larger platform than indoor scissor lifts, but they're also louder and emit fumes.

Rough Terrain Scissor Lifts

Some fuel-powered scissor lifts come equipped with heavy-duty tires and other safety features for rugged conditions.

Articulating Boom Lifts

Also called knuckle lifts, articulating boom lifts have multiple joints to help with rotation and extension. Because of these joints articulating booms are good for maneuvering in tight quarters around obstacles.

Telescoping Boom Lifts

Unlike knuckle booms, a telescoping boom lift has an arm that telescopes out in a straight line. The arm is typically anchored to a turntable that provides rotation.

Cherry Pickers

Cherry pickers are a type of articulating boom lift that is mounted in the bed of a truck.

What Are the Safety Considerations of an Aerial Work Platform?

According to the Center for Construction Research and Training, aerial lifts are responsible for 2-3% of construction deaths every year. Common causes of death include:

  • Electrocution after contact with overhead power lines
  • Being ejected from the bucket after the lift is struck or suddenly jerks
  • The bucket cable or boom broke
  • Tip-over

To prevent fatalities and injuries, there are a few precautions you need to take.

Inspect the Equipment

Before each use, inspect the construction lift equipment thoroughly.

Look for fluid leaks and loose or missing parts. Check the stability of the guardrails, the break functionality, battery levels, and other key components.

Do not operate the man lift if you find a problem until it's fixed.

Safeguard Against Falls

Falls are a major source of injury when operating an aerial work platform, so take special care to prevent them. Always latch the door behind you once you've entered the lift platform, hook yourself into a fall arrest system, avoid extending yourself over the guardrails, and keep an eye out for nearby obstructions.

Take measures to alert approaching vehicles or personnel that the man lift is in operation – bumps, jerks, and jostles are common causes of ejection.

Avoid Tip-Overs

Another common source of injury in a man lift is equipment tip-over.

Pay attention to the load capacity limits of the work platform and be careful not to exceed them. If you're working on rough terrain or ground that's not level, make sure you're using an aerial lift that's safe for those working conditions. You should also utilize all available safety features to stabilize the unit.

If high winds are in the forecast, check the manufacturer specs of your equipment, which should have recommendations on safe wind speeds.

When using boom lifts, it's possible to cause a tip-over hazard by overloading the basket or overextending the horizontal or vertical reach of the equipment. Check your operator's manual for this information and be careful to stay within bounds.

What Kind of Training Do You Need to Operate a Construction Lift?

OSHA has specific training requirements for anyone who will be operating powered platforms, man lifts, and vehicle-mounted work platforms. They apply to both General Industry and Construction settings.

Generally speaking, such training will cover the following:

  • Recognition and prevention of safety hazards associated with working platforms
  • Emergency action plan procedures for power failure, equipment failure, and more
  • Safe work procedures for the operation, use, and inspection of working platforms
  • Personal fall arrest systems and their inspection, care, use, and system performance

Since the hazards and safety precautions vary by the type of aerial work platform, you need training that is specific as well. If you switch from one kind of construction lift equipment to another, you need to complete the training for the new type of lift before you step foot on the machine.

Online training with an OSHA-authorized provider like us can provide an invaluable foundation for the theory and facts of aerial work platform safety. We have courses specific to scissor lifts, knuckle booms, stiff booms, and other types of heavy equipment.

Your lessons are available anytime for your convenience, and you can take the material at your own pace.

Enroll today to get started!

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