The need for additional access on aerial jobsites only continues to grow. When working at height with a scissor lift, operators are often tasked with accessing areas above and beyond where the machine’s platform allows them to reach.
Areas like between ceiling grids, ceiling joists, HVAC system components, roof trusses, plumbing and other existing infrastructure. This leaves operators with limited options to safely complete the work that needs to be done.
“Using ladders, buckets, planks or the platform’s guardrails to stand on is strictly prohibited by the ANSI standards and OSHA safety regulations for safe MEWP (mobile elevating work platform) use because of the potential safety hazard it creates,” says Rafael Nunez, senior product manager scissor and vertical lifts at JLG. “So, the question we get a lot at JLG is: What other options do operators have?”
According to Nunez, JLG saw this real-world job site challenge as an opportunity to create a solution that gives operators an extra 22 in. platform to work from — the QuikAccess Platform. This type of accessory is primarily needed by electricians and plumbers for working around pipes and in tight areas during HVAC installations.
“We purpose-built this new accessory to maximize operators’ productivity and efficiency in this specific scenario when working at height,” continues Nunez. “The QuikAccess Platform gives scissor lift operators a more effective way to reach into extremely tight, hard-to-reach spaces, such as utility areas above drop ceiling tiles, that they otherwise wouldn't be able to access.”
The QuikAccess Platform gives scissor lift operators a more effective way to reach into extremely tight, hard-to-reach spaces, such as utility areas above drop ceiling tiles, that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access
The JLG QuikAccess Platform provides 22 in. of extra reach and complies with the new ANSI A92.20 standard requiring a 43.3 in. railing height. The QuikAccess Platform is available as optional factory-installed equipment on all new JLG R and ES Series 19 ft scissor lifts.
Nunez says that a key benefit to the JLG solution is the ability to drive while inside the QuikAccess platform. This JLG accessory also gives operators the ability to use the platform extension during work at height, which was developed in direct response to end-user feedback about how the QuikAccess Platform would be used on job sites. And, it includes a tool tray for operators, adding to this accessory’s many work-at-height efficiencies.
When using the JLG QuikAccess Platform, Nunez says operators must wear a full-body harness with a lanyard attached to an authorized lanyard anchorage point. And, he also recommends that operators follow all of the recommended guidelines in the machine operation and safety manual, including performing a pre-start inspection, prior to each use of the equipment and accessory.
Solving two real-world aerial job site challenges — the ability to complete work at height more efficiently and adding a secondary level of operator protection when working in overhead environments — means that the QuikAccess Platform offers the industry yet another innovative equipment solution that promotes best practices for safe use, as well as increases operator productivity when using JLG scissor lifts.
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