Bucket truck safety

Bucket trucks provide aerial access to hard to reach locations, but they also cause accidents that result in 26 fatalities per year, according to the Bureau of Labor. Deaths occur from falls after lifts are struck by vehicles, cranes or crane loads, when a lift suddenly jerks, or from electrocutions when overhead power lines contact the bucket.

Bucket truck operators must be trained to use them properly and comply with the OSHA standard for aerial lifts (1926.453). Worker training should include:

* pre-start walk around inspection – before traveling to the worksite, perform a visual inspection of the vehicle and its lift system as outlined in the operator’s manual
* work clothes and PPE – operators may be required to wear hard hats, steel toed shoes, eye protection and electrical gloves and should inspect fall arrest equipment for wear and tear
* pre-planning – preplan the route of travel to avoid overhead obstructions
* on the job – park the truck on level ground, install wheel chocks, never exceed the rated lift capacity, watch the overhead and bottom line, never sit on the edge of the bucket and keep feet firmly on bucket floor
* prevent tip-overs – don’t drive with the lift platform elevated; don’t exceed vertical or horizontal reach limits
* electricity in the air – maintain safe distances from overhead power lines