Smart Tips for Work and Access Platform Rental
Check your IPAF training before you hire your work platform
Checking your operators' International Powered Access Training (IPAF) qualifications is essential before hiring equipment. With recent changes to the IPAF Categories make sure that your team have the correct IPAF certification before hiring.
It’s easy to assume that if you or your employees have got an IPAF card then they are covered to use any powered access work platform. IPAF categories changed last year which might make knowing whether you have the right training harder to determine when say a VMP26 is now Category 1b, and now also includes trailer mounted access platforms. The important thing however is to carry out an audit of what categories your staff currently have and then compare against what powered access platform you do use or may wish to use. If in doubt check the IPAF web site to check the new categories and approach your powered access provider to understand what training categories they offer. For more info, visit our section on IPAF Training.
Accessorise to maximise safety while working at height.
When working at height, safety is paramount, and ensuring that the equipment that is used is suitable should be paramount at all times. In date safety equipment and the correct equipment for the job is paramount at all stages of planning a job.
Assuming your satisfied that your staff are suitably trained then what next? It’s highly recommended that you conduct an audit of the equipment your staff use at height when using access platforms, cherry pickers and MEWPs. Are your company’s safety harnesses and lanyards in date and both suitably inspected and that inspection documented? Are you using the right safety harnesses for the type of work or access platforms that you are using and are your staff actually using the harnesses provided for them? A new generation of working at height safety harnesses are available that include integrated hi-vis vest and snap to fittings that aids the ease of use and also maximises their visibility on the work site. In addition, wind meters are becoming increasingly adopted by contractors that are obviously more accurate than rule of thumb. Click for for more information on safety equipment and access platform accessories.
Fitting your access platform usage to your business practices
Planning the best use of access time is the most beneficial and cost effective solution when an access platform is required. Mobility and ease of use means that vehicle mounted platforms are often an ideal alternative for short term access hire requirements compared to self propelled cherry pickers and scissor lifts.
If you generally only need to work at height for a few hours or a couple of days at most per job then why pay for a minimum three day hire (many access companies charge the same for a self propelled platform for a three day hire as for a one day). Again if you get your staff to operate self propelled booms and scissor lifts on site then consider getting them to pick up a truck mount access platform prior to getting on site. This also means you’re ensuring that your staff arrive on site with the access they need with no waiting for access to arrive or for it to be taken off site. Again, if you programme work in sequence on multiple sites why hire a platform for each site when you hire a vehicle mounted platform that could undertake all the jobs. The rental of that platform can thus be spread across all of these jobs meaning a reduced cost and increased efficiency. Click here for more information on the access platform solutions available from Smart Platforms.
Check on the hidden costs of other access platform and cherry picker hire solutions.
When comparing access solution costs make sure you’re getting a like for like costing. Delivery/collection operator charges can all add up as can the cost to your business with access you have less control of.
When comparing the spectrum of access methods, from cherry pickers to scissor lifts through to mobile elevated work platforms, it is easy to compare prices without taking into account hidden costs. If you compare the cost of a self propelled boom versus a self drive truck mount keep in mind the delivery and collection costs of the self propelled boom which often may be alone more than the cost of the truck mount hire! Of course to be fair you may want to consider the time taken for your staff to pick up the truck mount but then you could also consider the time spent on site that you have maybe left waiting for a self propelled boom to turn up. Smart Platforms access platform hire rates.
Self operation truck mounts can help in a squeeze
Short on time? Then the fewer external resources you need to accomplish your work at height then the more responsive you can be.
If your work is highly reactive then you may need access platforms on a same day or next day basis. In these situations when consulting your access provider as to availability you may be unsurprised that they can’t help. After all, they may need to be looking to arrange haulage if self propelled platform or to obtain an operator if a truck mount is requested. A more flexible option might be self drive where you pick up the truck mount and then operate yourselves and then your access provider literally only has to check on the platform availability, so a positive answer is a lot more likely. Click for more information on our flexible self drive work platforms.