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• Walk-around inspection — Is the unit safe, mechanically? • Worksite assessment — Is it safe to operate on the work site?

• Function test — Does the unit function safely? • Proper operation — Am I operating safely? • Proper shutdown — Is the unit in a safe place and shut down properly? Aerial-work platforms are typically used by people who are trained in the trades — iron workers, welders, masons, etc.

The machine is a means to reach their work, and operating it is secondary to their trade. Zhurnaljnaya rublenaya shrift. That's why the industry — OSHA, ANSI, ISO, lift manufacturers, and others — is working to train operators. Aerial-work platforms (AWPs) are fairly simple, stable machines but because they raise people to heights, there is inherent risk in their operation. Mike Popovich, training director at JLG says his company's trainers start with an approach to teaching accident avoidance for all equipment operators that asks five important questions: Essentially, all operators' manuals explain how an operator should answer each of these questions for each make and model of machine.

The intent of this story is not to repeat all of that detail, but to focus on some of the key safety issues common to AWPs. Worksite assessments are particularly important on changing construction sites because of the risk of contact with power lines or crushing obstacles, and because of the risk of tipping on unimproved surfaces. Walk around the site to check ground conditions. You're looking for uncompacted fill, holes or ditches, cellars and basements. Make sure any floor or other structure you'll be driving over is strong enough to support the machine's weight (individual tire loads should be marked on the machine, just above each tire).

Weather conditions play a role in AWP stability. Underfoot conditions that were safe when the site was dry in the morning could become dangerously unstable in the afternoon, after a rain. Don't use a lift in winds greater than 28 miles per hour.

Unless someone has an anemometer handy, this is an operator's judgment call. Aerial Work Platform Training Inc., the training subsidiary of an independent AWP-safety organization backed by most equipment manufacturers, recommends using the Beaufort Scale for estimating wind force.

This scale describes winds in the 28-mph range as a strong breeze capable of putting large tree branches in motion. The wind may whistle over power lines, and umbrella users have to be careful to stay in control of their shelter. In contrast, winds up to 24 mph will cause small trees in leaf sway and will whip up small whitecaps on ponds and lakes. Do not increase the surface area that wind can work on by carrying or attaching sheets of plywood or other materials to the platform. You don't want create a sail that will catch the wind and decrease machine stability. Manufacturers that build lifts or accessories specifically to carry these types of materials will account for the load's affect on stability, but if carrying capacity is added by anyone other than the manufacturer, it's hard to be sure of its affect on stability.

Look carefully at all of the air space where the platform is likely to work. Check in all directions within the machine's working envelope for building projections or other overhead obstacles and power lines or electrical equipment. Few AWPs are insulated from electrical strikes, and unless a machine is clearly identified as such, operate it as if you and the machine will be the easy path for current to flow to ground if you come too close to voltage.

You don't have to touch wires carrying more than 300 volts to become the path to ground. As voltage increases, the gap that electrical current can arc across grows.

The minimum safe approach distance (MSAP) is 45 feet for the highest voltages that you are likely to encounter. If voltage is unknown, the AWPT recommends a simple rule of thumb: Maintain an MSAP for any part of the machine of 50 feet from wires mounted on steel towers and 30 feet from wires on poles.

Don't forget to allow room for wires to sway in the wind. The AWPT recommends using ground-level barriers to mark boundaries where a work platform is safe from entering a dangerous space. Another option is high-level markers that make the wires or the MSAP more visible to lift operators.

Wear a hardhat, or other approved headgear when operating an aerial lift. After all, your head becomes the highest point when operating.

Full-body harness with adjustable lanyard as short as possible is required for boom-lift occupants. People in a boom's platform can be bounced around and even launched over the guardrails if the platform rolls over a sudden change in grade or if obstacles interfere with the boom in motion. Lanyards should only be attached to the anchor provided by the manufacturer specifically for that purpose, not the guard rails and never to any other object or a structure outside the platform. Stepping from a lift platform to an adjacent structure is not recommended because of the fall risk inherent in the maneuver but, if it's necessary, you'll need a safety harness and two lanyards.