Page 23 - Occupational Health & Safety, November/December 2019

models can be used on tile, laminate and raised floors without the risk of damage. Some push-around units weigh just 575 pounds and have wheel loads as low as 115 psi. Some self-propelled units are more impressive yet, with dual front wheels that enable them to achieve wheel loads as light as 75.8 psi.
We’ve proven low-level scissor lifts can get into nearly all the same areas as ladders, but the impact these small machines can have on worker safety are much larger than their small stature.
Rise Above the Risk
High-reach work comes with challenges, and when using a ladder to perform that work, those challenges become compounded and can test the human body. For example, HVAC and plumbing tech- nicians installing pipes and ductwork overhead need ample mate- rials and tools as the job progresses. When they’ve completed one section, they must step down, move the ladder, grab more materi- als and climb back up. This is not only inefficient, but the repetitive climbing can cause injuries to knees and hips, and standing on the rungs for long periods can lead to painful plantar fasciitis. This sce- nario also sets the installer up for a fall. In fact, ladder users should never carry heavy objects or tools up the ladder.
In addition, once workers are on the ladder their lateral reach is limited, restricting how much work they can accomplish in one spot. As a result, many are tempted to—and often do—overreach and risk the ladder toppling over. These reasons are why improper ladder usage continues to make OSHA’s top 10 most cited viola- tions, year after year. In fact, according to the last study provided by the Center for Disease control, 81 percent of all fall injuries among construction workers in 2011 involved a ladder. All of those inju- ries likely could have been prevented with a low-level lift.
Some self-propelled low-level scissor lifts can hold as much as 750 pounds and offer as much as 15 square feet of platform space, including their extensions. That’s plenty of capacity for ample ma- terials and supplies. Also, loading the lift with those supplies is substantially easier and less taxing on the body due to lower plat- form heights. Operators simply load the lift, step up the 20 or so inches to get on the lift, then drive and elevate. And because work- ers can load the lift with more materials, they make fewer trips up and down, which enhances productivity. In addition, some units feature integrated pipe racks, which give installers a place to rest longer materials, while ensuring balance even with two people on the lift. These types of features help boost efficiency while main- taining safety.
Don’t Pay the Price
Most would agree a low-level lift is substantially safer and more efficient than a ladder, but there is still one problem—accessibility to a low-level scissor lift. If a lift isn’t available on the jobsite, an employee isn’t likely to ask for it and wait around for it to show up. They will instead move ahead with what they have, which is often a stepladder; and just like that the risk of injuries from a fall on the job skyrockets.
It’s not just injuries employers need to worry about, though. Those falls aren’t cheap. Just one worker’s compensation claim can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is just a fraction of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s estimated $24 billion in annual costs associated with ladder injuries.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are
responsible for providing employees with a safe workplace. Making safer equipment, such as low-level scissor lifts, available to employ- ees is just one part of the equation, however. Employers must also train employees on when and where to use that equipment, and to understand that ladders should always be considered last. If a scissor lift can get in the space, it should always be used in place of a ladder. In fact, some contractors who clearly understand the risks and associated expense of ladders simply do not allow them on the jobsite unless absolutely necessary and with specific proto- cols enforced.
Aside from minimizing injuries and worker’s compensation costs, there is one more benefit to offering low-level lifts not many talk about: employee retention. The workforce is a different land- scape than it was 30 years ago and keeping employees is harder than ever. The younger workforce simply doesn’t want to put their bodies through the day-to-day physical demands of construction work, and those who have been in the industry for years take a bit longer to recover from those tasks.
Providing all employees, whether 25 or 55, with equipment that allows them to do their jobs safely and efficiently not only minimiz- es their risk of injuries, but also demonstrates that employers value their workers and the time they dedicate to their businesses. The benefits of that are twofold—employees get a safe worksite and are generally happier while employers get more productive employees.
Putting Ladders in Their Place
Just like a runner wouldn’t expect to win a race injury-free wearing sandals, a contractor shouldn’t expect optimal safety when using a ladder. Safety isn’t a race, but if it were, ladders wouldn’t stand a chance against low-level scissor lifts’ safe and spacious platforms, easy maneuverability or ergonomics. Ladders will likely always be an option when it comes to work-at-height jobs, but there is a time and place for them, and typically it’s last.
Justin Kissinger is the VP of Marketing for Hy-Brid Lifts. He has been with the family-owned business since 1998. Contact Justin at 262-644-1300 x5214 or justin@hybridlifts.com.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | Occupational Health & Safety 19