Preparing the ground to use mobile platforms

Ensuring the appropriate ground to use mobile platforms is essential for workers’ safety and their surroundings. Scissor lifts, aerial platforms, self-propelled platforms and other types of platforms must be used on the appropriate ground. All platforms ( apart from hanging platforms) are dependent on the ground which they are situated on. If it is stable, then the machine works in a safer way, which prevents accidents at work. Therefore, each course on platforms involves information connected with preparing the ground to use the machine.

Nowadays, there are different types of scissor lifts, aerial platforms and others in use; also those lifts which are adjusted to be used on the difficult ground. However, always before the aerial platform, the scissor lift, the column lift or another type of self-propelled platform is used, it is necessary to check and prepare the ground. It is responsible for the safety at work, but also additionally for the comfort of moving the whole machine.

Before using the machine, you must examine the ground- you can do it by visual inspection or special geotechnic examination. These are grounds which are most often used and risks carried with them:

  • areas covered with grass- the greatest risk is grass situated near water where the ground can be scoured
  • beaches- the low density of sand and the effect of water causes that this is a difficult area
  • untilled land- previously unknown structures, the risk can be unmarked basements and pits
  • cobbled and tarmac areas- they are generally safe but the risk can be washes out and damages to the ground, especially its edges
  • city centres- the risk is tunnels, canals, basements, catch pits, inappropriately filled pits

It is worth remembering that the condition of the ground is affected by the weather. Prolonged rain causes that the ground is more exposed to slipping and scouring.

Regardless of ground conditions, it can be essential to use special boards under scissor lifts, aerial platforms or others. These boards stabilize the machine and prevent it from damages.

The most important rules of placing boards:

  • you must centre the machine and place it on the edges of the board
  • you must fill potential shortages in the ground, for example by placing the machine in the dip
  • you must not place the board where it is suspected to be empty spaces under the first layer of the ground
  • you must not place the board and platforms whose material can be washed out easily, for example hills

Our course on aerial platforms, scissor lifts and others presents exactly all information connected with placing the machine safely on different grounds. Mobile elevated work platforms, scissor lifts, aerial platforms in Warsaw- we invite you to check our educational offer!