A key part of safely working at heights is making sure that you have the right MEWP for the job. This can make all the difference for the smooth running of the project with no two jobs exactly alike. This is why we’re committed to making sure that you have access to the right MEWP hire here at Cherry Picker. We’re amongst the foremost sellers and hire firms in Ireland, offering all sorts of MEWPs to our customers, making sure you have everything you need to get the job done safely and accurately.
What is a MEWP?
MEWP stands for Mobile Elevated Working Platform, which, as the name suggests, provides a platform that allows a person or persons to carry out work at height in a safe manner. These can include things like scissor lifts and cherry pickers. Choosing the right one of these can seriously change the way that you handle a job, which is why it’s important to have the right one.
We know that it can be difficult to know which will work best for you but we’d like to offer you some advice taken from our considerable experience in the industry. Not only would we like to introduce you to the many MEWPs available but we would be happy to arrange for you to hire or purchase one from us.
You can do this by getting in touch with us today, either by calling us on +353 1 835 4788 for hiring purposes or 0818 228 229 for purchases or by emailing us at sales@cherrypicker.ie.
How do you Choose the Correct MEWP for your Construction Project?
- Start with your Location
Your location is perhaps one of the most influential factors when picking out your MEWP because some locations are just completely unsuitable for certain MEWPs. For example, cherry pickers are entirely unsuitable for uneven ground, where they could easily topple over, posing a serious risk to the health and safety of those running the machinery. There are sturdier options available and our team would be more than happy to advise you if that’s what you need.
You’ll also want to consider how high you want to reach while working. Every MEWP works at their own unique height and it couldn’t be more important for you to make sure you have the right height for your project. Working with an MEWP that is too short for your needs will significantly increase your risk of slipping and falling, resulting in life threatening injuries.
Take some time to really consider the height that you need to get to and if you’re sure, then you should always lean on the side of caution and either purchase or hire something a little taller than your needs.
- Consider How Many People you Have to Help
Different MEWPs require different numbers of people to operate. Some only require one person to effectively operate the entire system, while others need significantly more. Take some time to consider how many people will be working on the project and which will be the safest solution for all your needs. Again, this is something that we can help you with if you need a specific solution to a problem.
- Review How Much Space you Have
Space is another important aspect that you should review before you pick your MEWP. Fortunately, there are so many different MEWPs available to you choose from, allowing you to fit them in almost any space. For example, if you’re working in quite a tight space, you’ll want to consider using a spider lift, which is small enough and mobile enough to be used in almost any location. For the sake of ease and efficiency, perhaps you’ll want to take some measurements before you start looking at different options, just to make sure that you have the space.
We’d also recommend ensuring that you’ve double checked how much height you have. Ceilings, overhead lines, and tree branches can all pose a risk to the safety of those on the platform. It’s important that you make sure your MEWP is going to hit the right height without risking the health and safety of those working at height. Some MEWPs are better suited for working in these sorts of conditions, for example battery scissor lifts, which are ideal for indoor work.
- Inspect the Ground Conditions
It’s important for you to take some time to properly review the ground conditions in your working area before you bring in an MEWP. As you might expect, these platforms are usually incredibly heavy and the wrong ground conditions will see the machine sinking into the ground, de-stabilising the platform, resulting in injuries or even loss of life. Some MEWPs are more stable than others but other times, you’ll need to wait until the ground conditions have improved slighting before choosing the lightest and most stable MEWP available.
- Make Sure it Works for the Amount of Work you Need it to do
Another big influencing factor in choosing the right MEWP is knowing what you need to do with it. Some MEWPs need to be manually moved once the platform has been returned to ground level (like cherry pickers), while others can be moved while extended (like scissor lifts). These are both great choices for different situations.
Cherry pickers are ideal if you need to reach across to reach things, like wires or tree branches, but don’t need to stay at height while moving. On the other hand, if you’re painting a ceiling or in some other similar situation, then you’ll want a scissor lift, which is safe to move and can be controlled from the platform rather than the ground.
- Which MEWPs are your Staff Trained to Work with?
If your staff hasn’t been trained to work with particular MEWPs, then it’s a good idea to choose something else instead. Remember that MEWPs are potentially incredibly dangerous and not taking the time to really understand how they work can end in disaster for everyone involved. Always choose the platforms they know rather than something that could throw them off and risk their health and safety.