Whether for routine inspections, cleaning or maintenance tasks, working at heights is a common and sometimes non-avoidable part of industrial operations.
Facility managers then find themselves with several existing access options to choose from, each solution having its inherent benefits and challenges for different applications. This article will briefly review a set of highly robust, optimal and ideal access solutions; Cherry Pickers.
Cherry pickers are roughly defined as a hydraulic crane, mounted on a vehicle that has an elbow joint or telescopic arm supporting a basket-like platform enabling a person to carry out the required operations above the ground.
These access systems provide much faster and more adaptable ways to get access to the high areas. When using them, workers can be swiftly moved into working positions, allowing them to carry out tasks ergonomically, quickly and efficiently. As a result, the use of a cherry picker not only reduces the amount of time needed for setting up the equipment; but also ensures that people spend as little time working at heights as possible.
Cherry pickers have replaced a number of traditional access systems like ladders, scaffolding, bosun’s chairs and rope swings in many industrial applications. Some examples of cherry pickers include the following:
Scissor Lifts
Articulated Boom Lifts
Telescopic Boom Lifts
Aerial Work Platforms