If you have ever seen the utility company, typically the telephone and electric company, working at the side of the road chances are they were using a bucket truck. Bucket trucks come in various sizes, but their main goal is to make your job easier and safer by lifting workers to hard to reach places, usually much too high for traditional ladders. Although in most cases a bucket truck is safer than a ladder there are still some risks involved. The following these five simple steps will make using a bucket truck much safer:
Step 1 - Pre-Safety Check
Before using a bucket truck, a safety inspection should always be performed:
a) Check for any signs of wear
b) Check for oil leaks
c) Look for rust or cracks
d) Check all controls to ensure they are working properly
e) Look for broken or damaged parts
Step 2 - Parking
It is essential to park on level ground when using a Bucket Truck. You will also have to pay attention when it comes to different weather conditions. Parking on the snow or ice is much different then parking on solid ground. Even in the summer months, ground area may be soft, so make sure you are aware of the conditions, as soft ground, such as mud or snow may cause tipping if the truck is not properly parked.
Step 3 - Emergency Procedures
Like any type of machinery, there is the potential for things to break down. There may be a time when the lifting arm could malfunction. If this ever happens there are emergency procedures to follow. This is why it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself all emergency operations of the bucket truck. If the lifting arm fails to retract you need to know exactly how to lower the bucket if the power system malfunctions.
Step 4 - Fuelling Up
As the trucks engine can power the hydraulic lifting arm you should ensure that the tank is full of fuel before heading out on a job. If there is an auxiliary motor to power the lifting arm you must also ensure that motor has plenty of fuel.
Step 5 - Post-Safety Check
After you have finished for the day you should do another safety check ensuing all the same things as you did on your Pre Safety Check. Also it is a good idea to keep the truck free of debris and cover the bucket when it is not in use.
Well if you have read this far and you are still confused an bucket truck, also know as a cherry picker, boom lift, man lift, basket crane or hydraladder is a type of arial work platform that usually consits of a bucket at the end of a hyrdalic lifitng arm. Usually this piece of machinery is attached to a truck. Hence a Bucket Truck. Th only other consideration that you should keep in mind before using a bucket truck is the weather, especially times of high wind, where it can be very dangerous to operate a bucket truck.
Author Resource:-
Corey Rozon offers a Canadian ghost writer service in Ottawa.
This article about reconditioned digger derrick trucks and bucket trucks was written with the help of i80 Equipment.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://articlesofdistinction.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
