Cherry pickets - commercial

[LlandrilloSpark]

MorningI've got a few tubes and starters to replace in a well known sometimes busy commercial retail outletI'm going to need a cherry picket for one fittingWhilst I've used them before when working for another firm, now I'm on my own do I need anything special to use them?, i.e training ect, I have all the insurances in placeCheers

 

[mogga]

you need IPAF www.ipaf.org look for ones local to you Smaller companies are sometimes cheaper than the national providers the one I use does PASMA all classes of IPAF and other training Ticket is well worth it ( £200_£300) ish if your going to be using cherry pickers/scissors/even the ones you see in big sheds as for insurance YES you will need to inform your insurance company who will possibly ask for a copy of IPAF AND your life insurance company will need informed as you may fall outwith their criteria hence they wouldnt pay out if anything were to happen

 

[Neilski]

On top of your IPAF training this will need some careful consideration for your health and safety paperwork if this is to be carried out while members of staff or the public are present. Technically to be safe on a chery picker you would need to be wearing a lanyard to protect yourself and due to the dangers associated from being left hanging from the lanyard you would need a rescue plan which would involve a person at ground level suitably trained to operate the MEWP safely down if you get into trouble.

How high is the work? and would it be easier to use a mobile tower as these can be used up to quite a height while posing less health ans safety issues.....

At the end of the day it will depend how strict your client is on health and safety paperwork and if they are checking it properly.

Hope that helps

Neil

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Cheers ladsI'd say the height is a good 35 ft or more, I don't have the relevant certs in place and it's for one fitting only so reluctantly I might pass it on, the plan waS to sort it outside of business hours with only the manager present, I'm guessing I'd be in hot water working without the permits?

 

[telectrix]

IMO, if you are going to do it out of hours and the manager is happy, just get on with it. H&S is over the top nowadays, all this ipaf and crap. years ago we'd have climbed up the girders.

 

[Neilski]

IMO, if you are going to do it out of hours and the manager is happy, just get on with it. H&S is over the top nowadays, all this ipaf and crap. years ago we'd have climbed up the girders.

I would have agreed with you a few years back, but after having an accident on our firm involving a ladder being used incorrectly and the result being an employee who can never work again and had to have his face reconstructed after falling from a mere 3metres, I would say that the health and safety needs proper consideration.

If you are going to use a MEWP do you even know how to check it to make sure it has been delivered in a safe condition to use as it is YOUR responsibility as the operator on site.

As always you take the risks you deem necessary to get the job done but on that one occassion it goes wrong is when it will all come crashing down on you if you have been seen to work unsafely and if you have injured others in the process then expect to see yourself in court facing legal action......

Health and safety is over the top nowadays, but when you are working with machinery and at extreme height then this is where serious accidents and most deaths happen.

Sorry to be the kill joy


Neil

 

[telectrix]

i am not advocating unsafe working practices. far from it. however, scissor lifts and cherry pickers are not rocket science. as long as you are competent to ensure safe working for yourself and any other persons in the area, then i fail to see what a piece of paper saying you've paid out for a 1 day course of instruction can do to improve safety.

 

[mogga]

the IPAF training I received went indepth quiet a bit to the hazards and pitfalls of using the complex machinery which if used wrongly can and has caused deaths on site
The need for a rescue plan
haveing a second man who KNOWS what to do in case of breakdown
I Personaly know of 1 guy who died using a boom to lift a sheet of ply outside (not a massive sheet) but the sail effect was enough to topple the machine throwing 1 guy out and killing the guy with harness on

as for "hanging over the side ??? Not if you use correct lanyard it should be a "Restraint" type not a "Fall arrest"
Iv also had the pleasure of being on a site where guys werent trained but gaffer said exact same as you "its not rocket sience" it sure looked it for this pair of monkeys who one of whom took the lifter through a plate window as he was going to fast n didnt know they dont stop imedietly the other wrecked a row os shelfing as he came down watching the back but didnt think about the overhang at front

 

[Neilski]

i am not advocating unsafe working practices. far from it. however, scissor lifts and cherry pickers are not rocket science. as long as you are competent to ensure safe working for yourself and any other persons in the area, then i fail to see what a piece of paper saying you've paid out for a 1 day course of instruction can do to improve safety.

As you have stated, "competent person" how do you validate such a statement without a certificate to say you have been fully trained to operate the equipment.


It is all an arse covering exercise in case an accident happens as if you were fully trained thn perhaps there was nothing that could have been done to avoid the incident but if you werent even trained to use the equipment then what would your defense be.

It is always up to the person to work safely regardless of what paperwork is being presented, the paperwork is your proof that you have done everything "within reason" to make sure that the works are carried out safely.

Lets put it this way assume you or are injured (and left disabled or even worse crictically ill) by a person using a MEWP and then you find out that the person in question had not even had the required training to use it and he made a simple mistake that the training could have avoided......

Anyway I think we have hijacked this guys thread enough now and he has enough to make a decision from

Cheers

Neil

 

[ian.settle1]

Cheers ladsI'd say the height is a good 35 ft or more, I don't have the relevant certs in place and it's for one fitting only so reluctantly I might pass it on, the plan waS to sort it outside of business hours with only the manager present, I'm guessing I'd be in hot water working without the permits?

Maybe still a good idea to do the courses as they last 5 years and you never know when you may need to use a MEWP etc in the futureunk:

 

[Risteard]

Strictly speaking you do not need to hold a PAL card. However it is illegal to operate a MEWP without adequate training. Needless to say IPAF (PAL card) is overwhelmingly the most recognised evidence of this.

 

[alarm man]

im sure you can hire a mewp with operator,he will take you up and control the machine you do the work,not sure of cost,tho it could be priced in with job..

 

[LlandrilloSpark]

Thanks for the advice fellas, it turns out the main shop lighting(the high one) was installed and is maintained by a separate company so the out of reach fitting is not my concern, but its something im looking to do in the future.

 

[alarm man]

Thanks for the advice fellas, it turns out the main shop lighting(the high one) was installed and is maintained by a separate company so the out of reach fitting is not my concern, but its something im looking to do in the future.

make sure you do the 3a and 3b course,scissor and boom

 

[Risteard]

make sure you do the 3a and 3b course,scissor and boom

Just to clarify, that's Mobile Vertical (Scissor) and Mobile Boom.

Static Vertical and Static Boom are 1a and 1b.

 

[alarm man]

Just to clarify, that's Mobile Vertical (Scissor) and Mobile Boom.

Static Vertical and Static Boom are 1a and 1b.

hence the 3a and 3b post..:biggrin:

 

[Risteard]

hence the 3a and 3b post..:biggrin:

Just in case he wasn't aware that there is a distinction between static and mobile, that's all.

 

[Cyberprog]

I did all 4 (1a/b, 3a/b) for about £250ish when I did mine. Handy ticket, and it's paid for itself several times over. Helps not being scared of heights and being able to use common sense for accessing some strange places Did an abseil off a balcony once to change some light bulbs that were in a stupid position!

 

[Risteard]

I did all 4 (1a/b, 3a/b) for about £250ish when I did mine.

There are other categories as well as those four, although have to say you got a fantastic price there.

I paid £216 (inc. VAT) for two categories (3a/3b) and thought that was pretty reasonable. Although I got PASMA for £120 (inc. VAT) which I thought was incredible!

 

[Cyberprog]

Yep, they were really cagey about us being able to do it all in a day too! PASMA for £120 is a good price, I keep meaning to do this ticket, not that I ever use scaff towers...