Hi, in my view you should go out for certain reliable industrial lifting equipment suppliers who can offer you some lifting equipment that may fit your needs. There are many leading suppliers like Bishop Lifting Services is a recognized and trusted supplier who offers wide range of lifting equipment.

It feels great to join people that talk about lifting equipment supplies and business.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the information and insight you all provided. It has been most helpful.

The biggest safety implication with using a forklift to elevate personnel is the fact that one is using a machine that is inherently unstable by design and which becomes more unstable the higher the work platform is raised. Most straight mast forklifts and variable boom forklifts have a three point suspension system. This is a definite safety disadvantage. Most aerial work platform machines designed for lifting personnel have a four point suspension system which increases the safety factor. This is a definite safety advantage.

Straight mast forklifts are more stable when lifting than variable boom forklifts as the combined center of gravity shifts toward the mast on the front end of the machine. This is the wider portion of the imaginary stability triangle. Variable boom forklifts are less stable when lifting than straight mast forklifts as the combined center of gravity shifts toward the variable boom base on the rear end of the machine. This is the narrow portion of the imaginary stability triangle.

Rough terrain forklifts also are affected by many unpredictable physical factors that can cause the combined center of gravity to move beyond the imaginary stability triangle. These include wind gusts, ground shift, and uneven tire pressure from tire air leaks. These factors have a greater impact on the variable boom forklifts due to the combined center of gravity location on the narrow end of the imaginary stability triangle.

Straight mast machines usually require the operator to raise the forks and in a few cases to also drive forward slightly. These operations are not to be conducted simultaneously. Variable boom machines require the operator to boom up/down, to boom out/in, and to maintain the forks level simultaneously, This is done while also ensuring that the boom angle and boom length do not exceed the load chart diagram. This requires that a variable boom forklift operator have a greater degree of skill and knowledge of their machine.

NIOSH fatality reports indicate that many variable boom forklift operators had neither the skills nor knowledge to operate the equipment safely. How many similar operators are out there on construction sites?

The question that should be asked is do you want to risk lives to perform a work task by using a personnel work platform attached to an unstable machine?

cjm8232:

I am retired from the occupational safety and health field after 40 years of public and private sector experience. I have worked in two federal OSHA program states and in two state plan OSHA program states. ! cut my OSHA teeth on the original 1970 OSHA federal regulations when they were first introduced nationwide.

Federal OSHA interpretations and state plan OSHA interpretations are fairly consistent with the following statement given in Question/Answer 4 of the OSHA Standards Interpretations, 09/30/1999 - Forklifts in construction: elevating personnel and operator training:

"Question (4): You mention that the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B56.6-1992, Safety Standard for Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks, contains provisions (section 5.15 and 8.25) for controls located at the elevated platform level. Under B56.6-1992, rough terrain forklift trucks may only be used as an elevated work platform if there are no other "practical options" available. You ask us to explain the kind of efforts an employer must make before concluding that there are no other practical options.

Answer: Our standard incorporates the ANSI B56.1 - 1969 standard, not the ASME B56.6-1992 standard that you reference. Before using a rough terrain forklift truck as a work platform, the employer would normally have to consider the feasibility of equipment such as scaffolds, scissor lifts, aerial lifts and ladders. Only after determining that alternatives such as these were infeasible would the use of the forklift be permitted.

The kinds of efforts required of a contractor to determine that there are no other practical options would be those necessary to make an informed judgment about whether equipment such as scaffolds, scissor lifts, aerial lifts and ladders could be used."

All U.S. OSHA programs (state or federal) also have a General Duty Clause in the act which created the program. The General Duty Clause requires employers to protect their employees from all "recognized hazards" and not only the regulations promulgated by the OSHA program. An employer can be cited by any U.S. OSHA program for a violation of a mandatory worded (will, must, shall, etc.) portion of a U.S. national consensus standard or recognized body consensus.

The General Duty Clause also gives lawyers ammunition in lawsuits even if the OSHA program does not cite. The lawyers merely have to prove to a jury that a "recognized safety hazard" existed and that the employer failed to provide adequate employee protection.

ANSI/ITSDF B56.6 (2005), Safety Standard for Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks, 5.15 Elevating Personnel is very definitive. Rule 5.15.1 "A rough terrain forklift truck shall not be used to lift people unless there is no other practical option."

Canadian Standard Association (CSA) B335-04, Safety standard for lift trucks, 4.9.9, Elevating Personnel is also definitive. Rule 4.9.9.1: "A rough terrain forklift truck shall not be used to lift personnel unless there is no other practical option."

American Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Best Practices 3/08 also refers to "no other practical option available".

I interpret "no other practical option" as an emergency breakdown situation which requires immediate corrective action to minimize further property damage or danger to personnel, the environment, etc.

Routine tasks, tasks which are or should have been part of a planned work activity, tasks that do not require immediate corrective action, tasks merely for convenience, or tasks to reduce costs (do not want to rent or purchases approved aerial work device) are not exceptions for which there is no other practical option.

Forklifts (rough terrain or otherwise) are designed to handle material. If there is a system failure, it is usually material that is damaged. Aerial work platforms are designed to lift people. They have more redundant safety systems in case of system failure.

My position is the safest device is always<

Joseph, you are very knowledgable about Rough Terrain Forklift safety!

Are you familiar with nationwide OSHA interpretations? Or just Michigan? Do you work for OSHA?

It seems like your experience/expertise is against using a Telehandler as a work platform. However, there must be some situations where it would be OK, right? JLG makes a work platform attachment. Is it a state by state case where they would be acceptable?

I would love to talk live with you, call me sometime. I think I would learn a lot!

To see the "Best Practices Bulletin"

1.)Go to AEM's homepage

2.) On the left side click safety and training

3.) When the new page comes up, go down to the second section called: AEM ALLIANCES

4.) In that AEM ALLIANCES section, click the link for OSHA

5.) Another new page comes up and then go to the section called BEST PRACTICES BULLETIN and then click download a copy.

I would love to get people's feedback on those Best Practices...I am not an expert on OSHA and I am not in the field nearly as much a lot of you other guys are, so I wonder what this means to real field people.

Persons considering using or marketing non-integrated forklift work platforms should read Safety Alert #39, Is a Forklift a Safe Substitute for an Aerial Platform? which is published by the Fluid Power Safety Institute.

Google: FLUID POWER SAFETY INSTITUTE - SAFETY ALERT #39

dan m:

Google: aem.org best practices 3/08

The key paragraph reads: "Rough-terrain forklifts are intended primarily for use as material handlers, but if there is no other practical option available, and if such use is approved by the forklift manufacturer, then use of an approved work platform is allowed, in accordance with the applicable safety standard: ANSI/ITSDF B56.6 - 2005." Preventing Rough Terrain Forklift Accidents, Best Practices Bulletin 3/08 (AEM)

The key words are: no other practical option available (and) if such use is approved by the forklift manufacturer.

Went to AEM.org. Can you direct me specifically where you wantus to read. Alot of stuff going on that first page so make it easier and direct us to the place on the page you want us to read. Thnx

I guess you cannot post URL's but, to see the new Best Practice Bulletin goto AEM's homepage and then click on safety and training on the right hand side then under the section: AEM Alliances click on OSHA and then click the link under: Best Practices Bulletin.

I would love to get some feedback on those Best Practices from people in the safety field.

To get to AEM's homepage, google: AEM ORG and it will come right up.

retype the address. Not showing up in your post

OSHA/AEM has published the following guidelines on Rough Terrain Fork-Lift Safety, it has some best practices for using them as Work Platforms:

http://www.aem.org/TechSafety/OSHA/Files/Preventing_Forklift_Accidents.pdf

What are you guy's thoughts on those guidelines?

Persons considering using a work platform on a rough terrain forklift in the U.S. should review the following OSHA Standard Interpretations:

Google:

1999 - Forklifts in construction: elevating personnel and operator training.

2001 - Applicable standards to lifting personnel on a platform supported by a rough-terrain forklift.

I always play it safe and tell people: in order to enter or exit a work platform on the end of a Telehandler you must have it on the ground.

Now as far as Canada goes, I am pretty sure that the only way you can put a work platform on the end of a telehandler is if that platform has redundent machine controls.