When operated responsibly and safely, the risk of an aerial lift accident is minimal. Still, thousands of aerial lift accidents occur every year. Why do aerial lift accidents happen? And what steps can we take to prevent them?
An Ounce of Prevention
Fortunately, we know that most aerial lift accidents can be prevented. Freak accidents can and do occur, but the vast majority of accidents can be prevented with a simple assortment of prevention strategies:
Aerial lift education and certification. Providing aerial lift education and training can help everyone on your team gain the knowledge and experience necessary to operate this kind of machinery safely. The process for aerial lift certification is quick and can be done online; it’s also inexpensive, so there’s no reason not to pursue it for your team. Once formally certified, your team members will have the functioning knowledge necessary to prevent most types of aerial lift accidents. Assuming they apply that knowledge consistently in their job functions, aerial lift accidents shouldn’t be a concern.
Proactive maintenance. One of the only types of accidents that can still occur even with proper training has to do with equipment reliability. If your aerial lifts, scissor lifts, and other lifting equipment aren’t functioning properly, an accident may become unavoidable. Properly trained and educated aerial lift operators should be able to spot and fix most maintenance issues, but it’s still a good idea to conduct routine maintenance and repair or replace any equipment that isn’t up to snuff.
Safety culture. Finally, it’s important to establish some kind of safety culture in your organization. Safety culture is a collective attitude that safety is the highest priority. It helps ensure that your aerial lift operators will apply their knowledge consistently and responsibly, and minimizes the chances of negligent parties misusing the equipment.
Major Causes of Aerial Lift Accidents
With that established, what are the major causes of aerial lift accidents?
Lack of education and training. Aerial lifts aren’t especially complicated to operate, but there are some important considerations you’ll need to bear in mind if you want to minimize the risk of an accident. If someone doesn’t take the proper precautions, or uses the equipment in unapproved ways, an accident becomes much more likely.
Reckless use. Sometimes, even educated and trained individuals can be tempted to engage with equipment recklessly. Showing off, horsing around, and dismissing safety precautions can all lead to an accident.
Lack of fall protection. Without proper safeguarding and prevention, falls can occur. Aerial lift certification programs typically teach operators how to minimize the possibility of a fall, and you can provide protective equipment to make falls less likely to cause death or injury. Falls can occur because of equipment malfunctions, but they’re much more commonly associated with irresponsible equipment use.
Improper loading. If an aerial lift is improperly loaded, such as being loaded with too much weight, it can tip and fall over. Again, this type of accident can easily be prevented by following appropriate protocols.
Hazardous environments. Sometimes, accidents occur because of hazardous environments. If a lift is being operated next to other pieces of heavy machinery, and there aren’t proper communications or protocols in place, a collision could occur. Similarly, if the environment is plagued by low visibility, bad weather, or other complicating variables, an accident becomes more likely.
Equipment malfunctions. And as we already briefly addressed, improperly maintained equipment can eventually suffer malfunctions. These malfunctions can lead to catastrophic failures, ultimately resulting in injury or death.
Establishing a Better Safety Culture
A safety culture is critical for making sure your aerial lift certified employees, as well as the people around them, respect heavy machinery and use it responsibly. These are the most important foundational pillars of safety culture:
Values. Your organization needs to have core values that stress the importance of safety. Additionally, you should selectively hire candidates who seem to embody those values.
Leaders. Good leaders can make a world of difference in your organization. If your leaders are extremely safety conscious, and they try to enforce those values in your team, your team members are going to take safety far more seriously.
Accountability. You also need a system of accountability in place. If and when there are safety violations, you need to call them out and impose disciplinary action when appropriate. Similarly, it’s important to praise and reward employees who prioritize safety.
Transparency. Finally, you need an environment of openness and transparency. Otherwise, employees may not feel comfortable raising safety concerns or addressing potential safety violations. Make employees feel comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns.
With training and certification, aerial lift accidents become much less likely. And if you have good proactive maintenance strategies and a safety culture in place, they become almost impossible.