Harness use in a cherry picker

[scbk]

Hi folks, I'm after people's opinions/advantages/disadvantages on whether a harness should be worn (and if so, what type) when using a small towable cherry picker.

Not sure on max height, but it will roughly reach up to the roof of a 1.5/2 storey house, which is the height you'd go up on a ladder anyway.

 

This is not in a work setting, and there might not be a 2nd person nearby to rescue in the event of things hitting the fan.

 

 

If a harness is to be worn, is a normal builders/scaffolding one suitable (leaves you hanging by your back)

And should it be a fall arrest or restraint (fixed strop)?

[Conor Wright]

Any time I used to hire a mewp there was a cheap and nasty harness included. Very basic fall arrest type.. have seen people use full climbing harness.
The advantage of wearing one is obvious, you wont end up with broken everything if you fall out.
Fall arrest may give you a softer stop if you do fall out.
If your on your own maybe make it as safe as possible for yourself.

[openspaceman]

40 minutes ago, scbk said:

If a harness is to be worn, is a normal builders/scaffolding one suitable (leaves you hanging by your back)

And should it be a fall arrest or restraint (fixed strop)?

 

 

It's a while since I did MEWP  but a simple restraint  as you are not going to be walking around.

 

I used my climbing harness clipped to the basket and passed CS48 (using chainsaw from MEWP).

 

I also took my climbing rope up with me as I never trusted the things wouldn't leave me stuck up there.

[monkeybusiness]

A mewp harness should restrain you within the basket/prevent you climbing/falling out. Fall arrest is no good as the chances are it’ll pull the MEWP over onto you as it arrests your fall...

[donnk]

there is a video doing the rounds, one of those genie cherry pickers is being driven with the basket up and it drops abut a foot into a hole. The result being the 2 occupants are ejected out the basket. Fortunately they were wearing a harness and didn't fall and die. They did smash into the side of it though.

 

Made me think twice.

[woody paul]

If you fall out of a MEWP it's not the fall what will hurt it's when you hit the ground and stop. 

I wear climbing harness if I can't reach some parts of tree just climb from basket cut and return. 

[Conor Wright]

3 hours ago, monkeybusiness said:

A mewp harness should restrain you within the basket/prevent you climbing/falling out. Fall arrest is no good as the chances are it’ll pull the MEWP over onto you as it arrests your fall...

It shouldn't fall over. They are rigorously tested for such things. Smaller spider lifts and very light tow behinds may be at more risk but none should go over if there is a single occupant who goes overboard. Poorly levelled outriggers and unsuitable ground conditions cause more incidents which lead to occupant ejection. 

 

 

[monkeybusiness]

2 minutes ago, Conor Wright said:

It shouldn't fall over. They are rigorously tested for such things. Smaller spider lifts and very light tow behinds may be at more risk but none should go over if there is a single occupant who goes overboard. Poorly levelled outriggers and unsuitable ground conditions cause more incidents which lead to occupant ejection. 

 

 

If you are wearing a fall arrest system and fall out of a mewp there is a good chance the shock loading will pull it over (particularly if it is working near its limits) as they aren’t designed to have such loads imposed upon them. 

You need a harness that keeps you in the basket (which would also prevent you being ejected as in donkk’s scenario). 

Mewps are designed to carry a specific weight within a known working envelope. Those that are self-limiting (ie use sensors to limit their working envelopes, unlike those that are able to work in any physical position when loaded) often rely on pressure switches in their outriggers. Once weight comes off an outrigger further outreach is prevented. At this point of balance the machine is relatively unstable - it wouldn’t take much to topple one over. 

If you do a mewp test they are pretty clear about using a harness with a lanyard that keeps you within the basket. 

[woody paul]

1 hour ago, monkeybusiness said:

If you are wearing a fall arrest system and fall out of a mewp there is a good chance the shock loading will pull it over (particularly if it is working near its limits) as they aren’t designed to have such loads imposed upon them. 

You need a harness that keeps you in the basket (which would also prevent you being ejected as in donkk’s scenario). 

Mewps are designed to carry a specific weight within a known working envelope. Those that are self-limiting (ie use sensors to limit their working envelopes, unlike those that are able to work in any physical position when loaded) often rely on pressure switches in their outriggers. Once weight comes off an outrigger further outreach is prevented. At this point of balance the machine is relatively unstable - it wouldn’t take much to topple one over. 

If you do a mewp test they are pretty clear about using a harness with a lanyard that keeps you within the basket. 

There is a video on YouTube were they set a geine MEWP on a slope to full height and pull heavy dummy out of basket with fall arrester on and it doesn't go over.

[Khriss]

6 hours ago, monkeybusiness said:

A mewp harness should restrain you within the basket/prevent you climbing/falling out. Fall arrest is no good as the chances are it’ll pull the MEWP over onto you as it arrests your fall...

 

13 minutes ago, woody paul said:

There is a video on YouTube were they set a geine MEWP on a slope to full height and pull heavy dummy out of basket with fall arrester on and it doesn't go over.

...... I think you will find you will hit the ground before the shock absorber has slowed you down ? k