What is the safest elevated platform?
November 8th, 2018
What is the safest elevated platform?
I have been in the safety management role a little over 10 years now and as I am sure many of you know, everyone’s idea of “safety” has varying degrees.
While the safety of workers is a main concern for many companies, how they go about achieving maximum safety with the equipment being used comes down to a simple comparison of the equipment’s features and the application they are looking to accomplish,
As most companies tend to you standard ladders, stands, and platforms from Little Giant, Cotterman, and AllMetal, sometimes working with basic safety equipment isn’t always the safest route to go, or the most practical.
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make with their equipment is going with the cheaper options that provide the workers with the bare minimum. Aside from the possibility of slipping and falling, using a ladder that a worker must set up on uneven ground, walk up, and have a 3 – 5 foot area of reach that requires them to constantly stretch to maximum their reach and then move the ladder along the work area can be expensive, time consuming, and has a high risk of injury (Werner).
So what is the best option that provides maximum safety, stability, and productivity?
A piece of equipment that was recently brought to my attention at a Safety Trade Show from a company out of Bardstown, Kentucky is the X-Deck. The X-Deck was specifically designed to address all of the issues mentioned above – safety being the biggest feature. I will briefly highlight some of the ways the X-Deck is able to maximize productivity in the work place, reduce risk of injury, and offer a convenient option that pays for itself in the long run.
The X-Deck is described as an “always assembled scaffold” that is ready for set up right out of the box and takes no longer than sliding out a pin, choosing the desired height, then securing the pin back in place – our shop workers are able to set it up in under 20 seconds.
With safety equipment comes the need for OSHA compliancy which usually comes with inspection, paperwork, and more paperwork. However, the X-Deck is OSHA compliant right from the start – requiring none of the usual processes to certify safety equipment.
