Taking Time for Preventive Maintenance: An Update for Genie Scissor Lift and Telehandler Owners and Users

I came across this handy piece of advice from the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based on-line magazine Utility Products.  While their respective focus is power, telecom and cable tv product solutions, they recently came out with updated guidance on aerial lift safety-specifically Genie Scissor and Telehandlers.  The writer noted that maintenance time and costs are being reduced with a consolidated maintenance protocol for all Genie GS-scissor lift models and Genie GTH-telehandler models in North America. It appears that following updated procedures and simplified intervals, new Genie maintenance instructions now provide rental companies, including those here in the Western Pacific, the flexibility needed to keep their equipment on rent longer while making routine tasks a priority.

With rental equipment constantly going out and coming in, the streamlined maintenance procedures reduces the number of visits a Genie scissor lift or telehandler needs to make to the shop for preventive care. That means that less time in a lift shop translates to more time out on rent, lowering customers’ total cost of ownership and driving a higher rental return on invested capital. 

With this maintenance protocol, Genie has condensed six separate maintenance manuals into one easy-to-use manual. This one-stop maintenance manual contains complete performance specifications, as well as a streamlined list of maintenance tasks to complete. And it is available in hard copy or digital format for easy integration into custom electronic systems.

Designed to save and simplify, the protocol also includes recommendations for extended service intervals opportunities; for example, many periodic procedures for scissor lifts have moved from quarterly and semi-annually to annually. 

Commissioning has changed, too. Rather than perform some of the tasks at the 30-hour mark and some at 50 hours or longer, now all of the commissioning assignments for scissor lifts and telehandlers sold in 2016 and beyond are set for 50 hours and 150 hours.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Warning! Hazards with Improperly Installing Lighting Retrofit Kits

Even for the most savvy and skilled of Do-it-yourselfer, the prospect of installing a lighting retrofit kit to save money on the installation and operations is very attractive.  But the premier safety science organization this week announced that there may be some adverse consequence for the un-educated and or novice electrical worker.

The 120-year old global independent safety company UL sent out a warning to building owners, installers and consumers that  there is a growing number of reports of improperly installed and non-certified retrofit lighting kits that may pose a fire or shock hazard. 

The move to more modern and efficient lighting fixtures is a positive step towards energy savings and sustainability, but care must be taken to use certified retrofit kits and install them properly. A qualified electrician must complete the retrofit according to accompanying installation instructions, as improper installation may pose a fire or shock hazard.

UL say that many retrofit installations are completed in ways that create safety hazards where none existed before, creating unintended consequences in the name of energy efficiency. The components used in the retrofit may have individual certifications, but if the kit (including the accompanying installation instructions) is not certified per the applicable Standards for Safety, problems can occur. 

"The common thinking is that LED retrofits are low-voltage. This is not true. All retrofit kits will include branch circuit connections, and should be treated with proper safety precautions," said UL Lighting Division Principal Engineer Bahram Barzideh.  "A retrofit kit is more than just parts. When a luminaire is modified using off-the-shelf parts, there is no way to know if the luminaire is compliant or even safe." 

UL urges those installing a lighting retrofit to use only third-party certified retrofit kits and follow the accompanying installation instructions. UL Certified lighting retrofit kits can be verified in UL's Certification database found on ul.com at http://iq.ul.com/ssl/ and selecting LED Retrofit Kits from the product category pull-down. 

GET,LLC can provide you with one of those kits-the Deco Lighting Linea LED Kit. They come in 1x4, 2x2 and 2x4 configurations. We have seen these kits in action already as the Guam International Airport Authority is utilizing the Deco Lighting Linea Kits as part of an Emergency Lighting Pilot Project in the main terminal of the A.B. Won Pat International Airport.

To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!

Working at Height in Windy Conditions-Be Safe, Not Sorry

As an owner of an aerial work platform, we spend much time to understand the challenges of working at height and how to help our customers with their unique requirements on the job site.  While much of our discussions center on getting the right lift for the job, I stumbled across an interested read that led me to a resource and particularly a section about working at height outdoors in windy conditions.

The University of Kentucky Aerial Lift Safety Program is a document that is provided to all of their employees and contractors who work at height.  As part of the program, each operator is required to complete a Work Area Checklist for Aerial Lifts before and during use.  Among the items that crews are asked to look out for on the job is wind and weather conditions.  The University directs lift operators that at 20 miles per hour wind speeds or anticipated gusts, lifts will be lowered to a maximum height of 20 feet. With wind speeds or anticipated gusts of 25 miles per hour or more, all lifts are grounded for that day.

Such wind hazard reporting is important for the safety of those working at height and for the integrity of projects that could be compromised by less that ideal work in higher wind conditions. A number of universities across America have similar wind policies relative to working at height including the University of New York, Temple University and the University of Montana just to name a few.  State Governments and private sector companies in the U.S. also have such wind safeguards in place as well.

All organizations must address the hazards of operating aerial work platforms in windy conditions as the hazards can include the lift falling over,  a worker slipping off the platform if the lift is used during bad weather or high winds, positioned on soft or uneven ground, overloaded with heavy objects and driven over uneven, unstable ground, or surface in poor condition, with the lift in an elevated position.

While all lift owners and operators stress following their manufacturer’s instruction regarding operation in windy conditions, If at any time, personnel feels unsafe, due to weather or wind conditions prior to using an aerial lift, they may make a decision to ground the lift and cease. 

No questions asked

The lift industry has recognized for years that we all have a responsibility to do our part in supplying safe, efficient equipment to users, and to ensure that those users know how to operate the equipment in a proper manner so that the job is completed safely... and then go home.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-483-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Training vs. Compliance-What is best for Work At Height?

A great article was posted today by the on-line version of the Lift and Access Magazine. The Fort Dodge, Iowa based publication continues their support of the aerial lift industry with a intriguing look at training in the construction industry-specifically the safe use of lift equipment while ensuring local and federal compliance for jobsite safety and competency.

Got us thinking here at GET,LLC that training that does both should be the goal for any employer of lifting equipment operators. Safety experts agree that the best training combines elements of classroom, online, and hands-on training. It must cover general topics, practical instruction, assessment of knowledge, and familiarization. 

“There is a difference between familiarization and training, and that’s one of the most misunderstood concepts in our industry,” says Scott Owyen, Global Training Manager for Genie Industries. 

Owyen notes that classroom or online instruction followed by hands-on demonstration and practice should take 5-9 hours. Familiarization simply reviews the operational manual, controls and decals specific to the make and model not previously operated by a qualified operator.

Blended learning, which combines self-guided online instruction training with hands-on training, is viewed as more effective according to a 2010 U.S. Department of Education study called “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning. According to the report: “Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s study also reports that “online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection.”

Online program delivery ensures consistent and standard delivery of topics. With online training, employees can complete general material on their own time and at their own pace, which means less productivity downtime for employers and convenience for employees.

Additionally, the related assessment process is designed to verify the operator’s competency. Course results and proof of completion certificates are stored in databases-that allows employers or operators easy access to their records.

While OSHA prescribes specific expectations for forklift operator training, the industry has lacked any cohesive guidance when it comes to training operator of aerial work platforms. But that may be changing in the near future. We hope so and look forward in it being an iterative process. 

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Aerial Lift Safety Tips-Advice from Terex

GET, LLC is a very proud partner of Terex and Genie.   

We continue to appreciate their advocacy to help lift owners like us and others prevent workplace accidents and encourage our customers and end users further safety advice when working at height.  

On the eve of National Fall Prevention Stand Down Week, GET, LLC and Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) offer up the following:

"1) Make sure that you have received proper training (both general training and hands-on practical training) as well as familiarization on the AWP you will be using. Thoroughly read the operator’s manual and safety signs on the machine, and understand the function and location of all safety devices and controls before beginning operation.

2) Always read, understand and obey employer’s safety rules and worksite regulations, as well as all applicable local, governmental or provincial regulations that apply to AWP operation before operating the machine.

3) Always perform a pre-operation inspection and function tests on the AWP before each shift. A level sensor, alarm or any other safety device cannot do its job if it has been disabled or has malfunctioned. If the machine fails any of these tests, make sure it is immediately tagged and removed from service until it can be repaired by a qualified service technician.

4) Always perform a workplace risk assessment prior to moving the AWP to the jobsite. Look for drop-offs and holes, slopes, slippery or unstable surfaces, overhead obstacles, power lines and any other hazards that may exist. Then consciously think about and avoid those hazards through all phases of machine operation. A full list of hazards you need to be aware of can be found in the operator’s manual for the machine you are operating.

5) Always wear the proper fall protection when operating either a telescopic or articulating boom. A properly fitted full body harness and appropriate lanyard or self-retracting lifeline is an absolute requirement. Most operators do not understand the potential for being catapulted from the platform of a boom. The slightest jar at the base of the machine can equate into a sudden and powerful whiplash at the platform that may have the potential to toss the operator into the air. If this were to happen, wearing the proper fall protection may reduce the chances of serious injury or even death.

6) Never sit, stand or climb on the platform guardrails for any reason. The guardrails on an AWP provide fall protection only if the operator maintains a firm footing on the platform floor at all times. If an operator is required to reach an overhead work area that is too small for the platform guardrails to allow access to, the use of a manufacturer-approved device that has been specifically designed to provide additional access to confined spaces is recommended.

7) Never exit an elevated boom or scissor lift platform unless you have been properly trained to do so, maintain 100 percent tie-off at all times, and are in possession of an approval letter from the manufacturer that provides the proper guidance.

8) Never climb down from the platform when it is raised. Whenever possible, keep a cell phone or two-way radio with you while you are in the platform. Always have a rescue plan in place in the event that the MEWP is not equipped with an auxiliary lowering system or if that system malfunctions. Rescue plans should at a minimum include steps to ensure that other personnel are aware that you are operating the MEWP and that they have been trained and familiarized to operate the machine from the ground controls.

9) Always keep the platform floor clear of debris. Scrap materials, buckets, large tool boxes and other items can cause a serious tripping hazard. You should remove any item from the platform that is not absolutely necessary to do your work. Utilize special manufacturer-approved attachments such as fluorescent tube caddies or panel cradles (where applicable) to lift large or bulky items.

10) Always lower the platform entry mid-rail or close the entry gate before operating the AWP. The entry mid-rail or gate is an integral part of the platform guardrail. Never tape or prop the entry open and never use a AWP if the gate does not properly latch."

Be safe everyone.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Your Choice of Lighting for Safety and Efficiency Outdoors-Light-Emitting Diodes

Our friends at Deco Lighting spend much of their time educating partners like GET, LLC about how we should advise our customers and potential customers about the use of specific lighting products for their respective facilities.  For us, outdoor lighting has been one area we get plenty of inquiries on and finding the right product that is safe and above all efficient-a growing trend were finding with property owners and facilities managers alike.  This week, Deco Lighting shared the following on this specific issue:

"Outdoor lighting is key in guaranteeing the safety of your facility. Not only does a well-lit outdoor area ensure that employees and guests are able to come and go during the night hours without concern, it also acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves and criminals. It’s hard to sneak into a building if that building offers no shadows in which to vanish — dark areas are perfect places for break-ins and other criminal activities.

The problem with outdoor lighting, of course, is that it represents and enormous energy cost. Running outdoor lights all night, every night can quickly raise your electric bill into the stratosphere. And performing maintenance on lights every few months certainly comes with costs of its own. That’s why outdoor light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has become such an in-demand alternative for organizations that still want beautiful outdoor lights but also want more efficiency and lower energy costs.

LED lighting solutions have been shown to provide higher quality light with a dramatic reduction in energy burned. While traditional lights burn into heat a great deal of the energy they pull, LEDs use almost all of the energy they pull for light generation. LEDs also have a longer lifespan than traditional lights and can be installed in much more interesting ways due to not being so reliant on decades-old fixture shapes and designs.

Replacing your existing outdoor lights with outdoor LED lighting will result in a dramatic reduction in energy used, lower maintenance costs (LEDs last longer than traditional lighting solutions), and more control over how you light the area. The light created is also purer and cleaner; say goodbye to harsh yellow tones fired off by aging lighting systems. You’ll find outdoor LED lighting solutions to fit all purposes, from lighting a small garden to keeping a loading dock secure.

There are two big benefits to LED lighting in general: It’s more efficient and flexible. Outdoor LED lighting solutions are no different in this regard from their indoor counterparts."

Thanks Deco Lighting.  

For more information on bringing an LED lighting solution to your facility, please contact us at GET, LLC at 671-483-0789 or see our website at www.get-guam.com for details of the technologies that can be of significant value to all building owners-All Made in America!!!

Innovative Boom Lift Alarm Introduced by Genie

As an owner of the Genie TZ-50, GET, LLC has been impressed by the safety features of this particular aerial lift.  Safety should always be paramount when using this piece of equipment with work up to 50 feet from the ground.  Alarms do help give operators some level of comfort knowing when trouble arises either working at height or simply setting up on a job site.  Genie has rolled out yet another bit of innovation for boom lifts. 

Genie announced recently that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Lavendon Group plc. for its "electronic secondary guarding solution" also known as the SkySiren. This system is designed to alert ground personnel when an operator makes contact with the platform control panel. The system interrupts boom movement, sounds an alarm and causes a light to flash. 

Based on Lavendon's SkySiren technology, the Genie operator protective alarm (OPA) system can be retrofitted to any Genie articulating or telescopic boom lift manufactured after 2002. It is now available as an aftermarket option but will soon be offered as a factory-installed option.

"Our customers requested an additional option for operator overhead protection and we are responding by offering the Genie operator protective alarm," said Terex Booms Product Manager Frank Schneider.  "By offering the OPA along with the Genie operator protective structure, our customers will be able to configure the machine as appropriate to the job site conditions."

The system is designed to be as unobtrusive as possible to operators and features a pressure sensitive horizontal bar that is fitted at around waist height below the boom lift's control panel. When pressure is placed on the bar, as may be the case if an operator makes contact with an overhead obstacle, the system is activated. The system also features a reset button that can be pressed if the system is inadvertently activated.  Genie also will continue to offer the operator protective structure (OPS).

"We are incredibly pleased to reach this agreement and hope the global availability of this secondary guarding technology can aid the working at height experience of many end users worldwide," said Lavendon Group Chief Executive Officer Don Kenny.

The SkySiren system has been named the 2012 IOSH Innovation of the Year, the 2012 Construction Health and Safety Group Beaumont Safety Trophy and the 2012 IAPA Contribution to Safe Working at Height and most recently the US Leadership in Lifting Equipment and Access Platforms Platinum Award. 

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Safe and Flexible with Bunk Beds

A recent article by Atlanta, Georgia based on-line magazine Student Housing Business.com featured a Q&A with Savoy Contract Furniture Marketing Manager Kelly Uhland with the focus on Bunk Bed Safety in boarding schools, colleges and universities.  One of the most experienced teams in the furniture business specializing in student housing and residence hall furnishings are based at Savoy's Home Office in Montoursville, Pennsylvania.  

Foremost in these professionals' thoughts? Student safety. 

Property management firms, designers, and school administrators all need to take a hard look at the realities of students sleeping six feet off the floor and what can be done to protect them.

"Estimates show more than 2,000 instances each year where 18-22 year old students seek medical treatment for bunk-bed related injuries," said Uhland. "Recent litigation has cited both institutions and manufacturers liable for the injury, even when alcohol was involved."

Uhland noted that Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations provide voluntary measures to be taken by manufacturers like Savoy Contract Furniture-just one of the many companies that make institutional beds for the 7,000 higher education institutions in America serving 15 million students.

"Limited budgets create tough decisions for builders even as risk managers shake their heads. Lawsuits continue to be on the rise, and people are taking notice," said Uhland.

She offers some advice to housing managers and school and college administrators  to make sleeping on campus safer:

• Look for adjustable height beds that do not exceed 30 inches. 

• Bolt on guard rails.

• Documentation is key. 

Uhland noted that there are many questions to ask and answers to seek when procuring residence hall furniture. 

Keep in mind that versatility, storage, style and budget may drive decisions from one vendor to the next, but safety must drive the final decision to make that purchase without compromising  design.

For more information on how GET, LLC and Savoy Furniture (GSA Dorm and Quarters Contract #GS-27F-3019D (John Savoy & Son, Inc.)) can assist with your case goods needs, call us at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com.

Maintain Safe Distance from Power Lines When Using and Aerial Work Platforms

GET, LLC currently has for rent a Genie TZ-50.  We have been proud to be able to put this specialty lift into the Guam and Micronesia marketplace and spend much time with our customers going over the safety features of this  trailer-mounted lift when delivered to a respective job site.  We can never forget that safety is key in using all aerial work platforms (AWP)-including the TZ-50.  More importantly we should pay close attention when using an aerial lift outdoors, especially around overhead power lines.

This important issue was highlighted recently by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) who called  on aerial work platform operators and managers to always be aware of and keep safe distances when working near power lines. The IPAF used the CONEXPO in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this month to highlight this important safety message.

The IPAF says that a fully extended boom should always be at least 50 feet from electrical pylons, and 30 feet from cables on wooden poles. These recommended safe distances meet or exceed those specified in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) requirements.

IPAF reiterated that electrocutions are one of the largest causes of AWP-related fatalities in the United States.

“Operators or supervisors are often not in a position to know the voltage in the power source,” said IPAF North America Manager Tony Groat. “it is possible to work closer to power lines than the IPAF-recommended safe distances, but this should only be undertaken after seeking expert advice from the power supplier and implementing extra safety precautions.”

The IPAF's Accident Reporting Project and Powered Access Rental Market Reports found that  in 2013, all seven reported cases of electrocution worldwide occurred in the U.S., where the AWP rental fleet is estimated at 510,000, which is 54 percent of the world rental fleet.  

 “AWPs are probably the safest way of doing temporary work at height, so the onus is on managers and operators to stay safe when working near to power lines/conductors," said IPAF Technical Officer Chris Wraith. "Electrocutions can be prevented through proper planning, risk assessment and management of work at height, including thorough operator training and familiarization."

Bottom line:  Be safe when using an aerial work platform.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, including the rental of our TZ-50 or the purchase of equipment or parts for any of Terex or Genie's AWP Products, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Hawaiian Power Outage Caused by Genie Lift Touching Power Lines-Aerial Lift Safety Reminder

Normally this blog keys on a major issue related to the business of GET, LLC. 

Something completely different here. 

The Maui News is reporting that earlier today, two power lines in Kahului burned and fell to the ground after coming in contact with a Genie Lift.  According to the Maui Electric Company, the downed lines on Hobron Avenue cut power to about 60 customers and traffic signals in the area at 2:41 p.m. local time.

The Maui Police Department said the power outage affected a number of traffic lights on Hana Highway from Hobron Avenue to Haleakala Highway. Police officers were stationed at Hana Highway intersections with Kamehameha and Hobron avenues and traffic was light and with limited traffic delays.

There were no injuries or accidents as a result of the power outage.  Power was restored to the area about two hours later.

From one island to another, now is a good time to remind you all of how to protect yourself when using an aerial lift.  Ever see the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Quick Card?

Things that could have prevented the accident in Maui and can help you when using an aerial lift on a jobsite where ever in the world you are:

• Make sure that workers who operate aerial lifts are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment.
• Maintain and operate elevating work platforms according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Never override hydraulic, mechanical, or electrical safety devices.
• Never move the equipment with workers in an elevated platform unless this is permitted by the manufacturer.
• Do not allow workers to position themselves between overhead hazards, such as joists and beams, and the rails of the basket.
• Maintain a minimum clearance of at least 10 feet, or 3 meters, away from the nearest energized overhead lines.
• Always treat power lines, wires and other conductors as energized, even if they are down or appear to be insulated.
• Use a body harness or restraining belt with a lanyard attached to the boom or basket to prevent the worker(s) from being ejected or pulled from the basket.
• Set the brakes and use wheel chocks when on an incline.
• Use outriggers, if provided.
• Do not exceed the load limits of the equipment-Allow for the combined weight of the worker, tools and materials.

GET, LLC is committed to providing responsible information to avoid and or prevent accidents like the one that happened in Maui today.  We all should do our part to be safe on the jobsite. If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789.

Two Groups Combine Forces to Reduce Scaffold and Aerial Lift Fall Hazards

Last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the renewal of an alliance with the unified voice of the scaffold and access industry-the Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA).  American and foreign small businesses, like GET, LLC, scaffold builders, erectors, and equipment CEO’s will again benefit from the two groups advocacy efforts to reduce and prevent fall hazards and issues related to frame, mast climbing and suspended scaffolds and aerial lift equipment. 

The re-birth is in line with the SAIA's mission to providing resources and programs that promote safety, training and education while advancing the interests of its 1000 member companies and 200,000 workers worldwide.  In a release from the U.S. Department of Labor,  Assistant Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels said that worker injuries and deaths from scaffolding hazards can be prevented when employers provide training on safe set up and use of equipment.

“By renewing our alliance with SAIA we will expand our outreach to employers and workers and provide important training to protect workers in the scaffold and access industry,” said Dr. Michaels.

As part of the alliance,  OSHA and SAIA will also use injury and illness data in selected industries to help identify areas of emphasis for alliance awareness and outreach activities.

We stand with all advocates to work with local agencies to develop more effective safety standards while using scaffolding and or aerial lift equipment. By taking an active role in policing the industry, we can do much to reduce accidents which has a corresponding reduction in overall insurance costs.  In the long run it means a more efficient and profitable business.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Local NAWIC and OSHA Alliance to Promote Health and safety Through Website

Great news out of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).  

Recently, NAWIC Region 10 Safety and Health Chairwoman Ann Marie Pelobello and NAWIC Guam President Bing Mejia announced a two year alliance contract between NAWIC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to consult, train and educate Guam's women in the construction trades. 

"Safety and health problems in construction create barriers to women entering and remaining in this field," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Through this alliance, we will work together to forge innovative solutions to improve the safety, health and working conditions for women in the construction trades and retain them during a critical time of job shortages in this industry."

The alliance will focus on musculoskeletal and sanitation hazards and issues related to poorly-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) and will utilize a new web page that will address these issues and highlight these matters with associated training programs.

Based on a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, OSHA also unveiled its new Women in Construction Web page, a site that outlines and addresses safety and health issues specific to female construction workers, including PPE, sanitary facilities and other resources.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.

GET, LLC is proud to be a member of NAWIC and the Guam Chapter-one of 150 chapters with a network of 4,500 members nationwide.  We hold NAWIC's core values close to our business- Believe.  Persevere.  Dare. Check out our website at www.get-guam.com or drop us a line to help us do our part to grow this important industry.

Aerial Work Platform Tip Sheets Rolled Out

A great set of products have been rolled out by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in cooperation with the Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA).  The two organizations collaborated on five new tip sheets focused on safety at work using aerial work platform (AWP) equipment.

“The AWP industry needs documents like this available for use," said SAIA President Marty Coughlin.  “The more tip sheets we get out the safer the industry is.”

The five tip sheets are a AWP Jobsite Checklist and AWP Prestart Safety Checklist, Preparing AWP for Transport, Rescue Plans for AWPs and Selecting and Implementing a Fall Protection System for an AWAP.

The tip sheets are designed to help the industry understand their responsibilities when operating, transporting and using AWP equipment.

I went through each of them and I was very impressed with what the documents laid out and how they can help aerial lift owners, like GET,LLC, and frequent users of these important job site tools of the trade. 

They were all easy to read.  The sheets can be added easily to project binders and can be easily stored with the equipment user manuals. Also, it allows end users to work with equipment owners to ensure among other things that the aerial lifts are in safe working condition, shows a record of repair, guides users through the development of safety plans and offers great guidance on choosing fall protection.

The key here-these tip sheets are for informational purposes only.  They do not replace formal aerial lift training and certification.  The sheets do not decrease the liability when operating a lift on a job site.  The tip sheets are great when used with common sense. 

I encourage you to take a look at these tip sheets at the SAIA website at www.saiaonline.org.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789. 

Aerial Lift Safety-Tips from your Friends at GET, LLC

GET, LLC has a Genie TZ-50 that is available for rent for all your aerial lift needs.  Today we decided that since it has since rolled out in support of our local Make A Wish Foundation, we're going to review some safety tips for those working with and around this particular piece of equipment:

As with other powered vehicles, inspect the lift prior to utilizing it. 

Walk around and ensure there are no leaks, check to ensure all the controls are functioning correctly.

Never walk under the boom to gain access to the platform.

Only utilize the lift on level ground.

Only stand on the platform floor. 

Never stand or sit on the railing.

Always look in the direction the machine is moving.

Do not rest the boom or basket on a steel structure of any kind.

Wear safety harnesses and tie-off to the manufacture provided anchorage point within the platform at all times when you're in the basket-this includes when you are lowered and moving the equipment to another location.

Keep your hands the external portion of the basket when raising or lowering the basket.

Ensure that a fire extinguisher is mounted in the basket when performing activities that present a fire hazard such as welding or grinding. 

Ensure you have a fire watch person below.

Except in a case of an emergency, ground controls shall not be operated on an occupied lift (lift occupant shall be in full control of the lift at all times).

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789.

Genie Safety Notice 130005

Terex AWP has issued a safety notice requiring an inspection of the secondary boom angle on Genie Z-135/70 booms.

The Great Britain-based KHL Group is reporting that Safety Notice 130005 coincides with the manufacturer’s continued investigation into the collapse of a Z-135/70 belonging to Kimberly Access in London, UK, on 5 June, 2013. The boom’s operator was killed in the incident.

In the statement Terex said it had been made aware that in some instances, machines that were calibrated in the field were not done so in accordance with the machine’s service manual. However, the company made clear it was not suggesting that the accident at Kimberly Access was due to improper calibration.

“This safety notice is being issued to ensure that machines that were calibrated after leaving Terex AWP’s factory were calibrated in accordance with the procedures in the Genie Z-135/70 service manual," according to Terex. “This Safety Notice requires a simple inspection of the secondary boom angle. Completing this inspection procedure will confirm whether the secondary boom angle sensor is properly calibrated and the machine is safe to use.”

In the safety notice, Terex AWP was adamant that the Z-135/70 is safe to use.

GET, LLC stands with Genie and would like to remind those reading this blog that the Z-135/70 machines are safe to use as intended provided the machine is in proper working order, the operators are properly trained, and the owners/operators follow the warnings and instructions provided by Terex which are located on the machine.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line or give us a call.

Fall Protection Equipment-Technology that Could Save Your Life

Aerial lifts are a necessary part of a contractor's proverbial "tool kit".  An aerial lift can make or break a project.  What can impact it further, is ensuring that contractors and their workers are safe when using lifts in and around job sites.

I heard a recent story of a contracting team which was asked by a installation supervisor if anyone had any experience working a lift.  The group of 10 workers all exclaimed to the super that they knew how to operate the piece of machinery.  One steps forward and jumps into the bucket.  No PPE.  No fall protection.  Fires up the machine with no regard to his co-workers nearby.  Without hesitation, the installation supervisor took action and rightly turned off the machine and counseled the laborer and immediately advised the respective workers boss of the lack of knowledge of basic aerial lift safety. 

This is a story heard on job sites all over the world.  It is very important that as a community, the construction trades should take just an extra moment to review their operations plans, workers certifications and at the minimum-check their people's basic knowledge of the lift by simply asking if they looked at the manual that came delivered with the lift.  Such basic inquires and requirements on the job protects that employee and the health and welfare of the others around them.

Back to fall protection.  

There are literally dozens of great solutions to ensure safety on an aerial lift and ways to keep workers or lineman out of harms way.

Did you know that the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued more than 8,500 citations in the last three years associated with improper use, or lack of use of fall protection equipment? 

To bring that number down, there is a product on the streets that would do much to improve operator safety and OSHA compliance and is a great innovation in fall protection. 

The Hi-Line Utility Supply’s Vert-Alert is the world's only aerial lift lanyard safety attachment warning system.  It does a couple of thing good.  First, if the safety harness is not attached to the provided anchorage, a high decibel verbal message states, "Warning, attach safety harness lanyard!" whenever the "UP" control is activated.  When the "DOWN" control is activated, a high decibel verbal message alerts, "Warning, lift descending!"  The system is also a "smart device". It analyzes safety performance which the system records when the alarm activates, as well as the date and time of connect and disconnects of the lanyard, and the number of up and down motions.  The Vert-Alert is easily installed on new and existing equipment.

 It is a pretty cool device that when coupled with the safety features of that your respective lift can protect the operator when doing work on your job site. 

GET,LLC is very conscious of lift safety and encourages you to do the same.  Our Genie TZ-50 is available for rent and ready to hit your job site. This "sustainable" unit is battery powered and is ideal for your interior and exterior aerial lift needs.  And yes-we can provide fall protection gear too.Give us a call at 671-797-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com for more detailed information on the lift (the spec sheet is in our gallery!!!) and the services we provide.