Does their maintenance union hang lights? Because otherwise that could be impossible without a ladder or a lift (hanging lights off a ladder massively sucking of course)
Working at Heights Practices
- Thread starterMNicolai
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Does their maintenance union hang lights? Because otherwise that could be impossible without a ladder or a lift (hanging lights off a ladder massively sucking of course)
Max Warasila
Member
A fair portion of the ballrooms around here won't let you do anything that requires a lift unless you're from a specified vendor, but in other cases your summary is usually how it works.
I took a lift class for using our Genie mast lift after our district's insurance deemed it necessary (granted the training was for boom and scissor lifts and the instructor knew less about mast lifts than us, but whatever). In the Genie manual we were using there was nothing about clipping in. This was a newer 36s. We got into the same debate with our instructor who wanted us to clip into the 1/4" diameter D-Ring mounted bolted to the mast. There's no way that's rated hardware and nowhere in the manual did it indicate you should trust it with your life.
Not trying to be argumentative at all here, I'm just trying to get better info- where does Genie specifically say you should clip into in the bucket? It makes me uncomfortable just because I've never seen any evidence that it's any safer than not clipping in. Will a fall actually topple the mast?
I was only posting what i was remember hearing from a USITT session. I'm going to be researching this issue further.
My Genie lift includes a rated clip-in point and my jurisdiction requires the use of a harness and lanyard (PPE). Actually the interpretation of the law is not quite as clear-cut as that. PPE is required for boom lifts at all times. Scissor lifts and their ilk only require PPE if the "vehicle" is moving horizontally while above 2.4m.
Clearly the railing is the primary safety feature but the lanyard makes it much more difficult to do stupid things like standing on said railing. I suppose there's always a chance of ejection in any moving lift, however remote it may be for a mast lift on a level stage.
http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/resources/ipg/065.shtml
Edited to add: None of these regulations actually apply to my venue because we are all-volunteer; hence we have no employees. So OHSA (not OSHA but serves the same purpose) has no jurisdiction. They won't investigate us no matter how hard we beg. Still their regulations make good sense and we follow them as much as possible.
Clearly the railing is the primary safety feature but the lanyard makes it much more difficult to do stupid things like standing on said railing. I suppose there's always a chance of ejection in any moving lift, however remote it may be for a mast lift on a level stage.
http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/resources/ipg/065.shtml
Edited to add: None of these regulations actually apply to my venue because we are all-volunteer; hence we have no employees. So OHSA (not OSHA but serves the same purpose) has no jurisdiction. They won't investigate us no matter how hard we beg. Still their regulations make good sense and we follow them as much as possible.
https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/aerial_lifts_safety.pdf
Though OSHA definitely doesn't have jurisdiction over all of our members, here's a good quick fact sheet to go by regarding aerial lifts.
Though OSHA definitely doesn't have jurisdiction over all of our members, here's a good quick fact sheet to go by regarding aerial lifts.
Will Elphingstone
New Member
Question-
I work at a school theater that has a genie lift, however they (custodians) will not let me use it because I am not a custodian. The alternate is a very wobbly and sketchy rolling A frame extension ladder. I use genies all the time at other theaters, but they won't budge on letting me use it. What is the best argument I can male with them for letting me use the Geine vs the sketchy ladder.
I work at a school theater that has a genie lift, however they (custodians) will not let me use it because I am not a custodian. The alternate is a very wobbly and sketchy rolling A frame extension ladder. I use genies all the time at other theaters, but they won't budge on letting me use it. What is the best argument I can male with them for letting me use the Geine vs the sketchy ladder.
If they won't give you the training, get the training and certification card from your local lift rental company. Then if they continue to refuse you access, escalate the issue to the head of your buildings and grounds dept as a dire safety concern.
Most of my projects are active construction sites and the recent trend on those sites is toward "Ladders as a Last Resort". In general, working off a lift is much safer than using a ladder. If you want to use a ladder on these job sites, you have to fill out a permit request with the general contractor stating your intended use of the ladder, the type of ladder you will be using, and why you are unable to perform your work out of a lift. They restrict your use of ladders to caged ladders and platform ladders. No A-frames or extension ladders allowed, and you must be tied off above 6'.
The idea that someone without fall protection would use an 18' rolling A-frame would be unconscionable.
Most of my projects are active construction sites and the recent trend on those sites is toward "Ladders as a Last Resort". In general, working off a lift is much safer than using a ladder. If you want to use a ladder on these job sites, you have to fill out a permit request with the general contractor stating your intended use of the ladder, the type of ladder you will be using, and why you are unable to perform your work out of a lift. They restrict your use of ladders to caged ladders and platform ladders. No A-frames or extension ladders allowed, and you must be tied off above 6'.
The idea that someone without fall protection would use an 18' rolling A-frame would be unconscionable.
Are you a student worker? There may be specific rule that separates you. Does the school district require individuals go through a training procedure? This is common. They could even have specific work at heights requirements that you are not following by being on the ladder, it's just not as easy to prevent its use.
When you think a short fall isn't so bad, just look at the forces involved.
Article regarding recent OSHA changes to working at heights.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/osha-fall-protection-update-2016-loui-mccurley
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/osha-fall-protection-update-2016-loui-mccurley
