The inevitable cold weather will soon be upon us bringing with it the usual challenges - icy roads, mountains of snow and the early mornings defrosting your car windows. It doesn't have to mean the slowing of work though, with precautions MEWP's can still be used in the winter.
Before Using the Machine
Looking past the machine operator, it is always worth letting your machine run for a
while prior to the first usage in the day - especially if you are using a diesel powered unit. Allowing roughly ten minutes for the the engine to fully warm up prior to any work will minimize the risk of running into any problems brought on by the temperature.
Depending on the machine you are using, you will also have to take into consideration the battery being used. Any battery that's acid content is on the lower end of the scale will be liable to freezing - for extremely cold job sites (colder than -18°C) it may be worth considering a gel based battery which would help to combat any freezing issues.
It may be useful to consider keeping a handful of peripherals on site for days it gets extra cold. Things like block heaters, battery blankets and hydraulic tank heaters can be used as an extra layer of defense against the weather. They might not always be necessary but it certainly doesn't hurt to keep around.
While Using the Machine
Though machines should be handled with care at the best of times, it is critical in the winter that you take your time. With colder weather comes slippy platforms and icy handrails and while many operators will have hundreds if not thousands of hours of experience with these machines, few of them will have extensive experience in the winter weather.
While 'taking things slow' and 'be cautious' might sound obvious, it is still worth reiterating.
While using access platforms in the winter is more than doable you should still limit the time spent using them - jobs may take longer, however it isn't worth risking damage to the machine or worse, potential injury to yourself or your operator. For a job that would take an hour, try and stretch it over two/three hours taking breaks often.
During this down time, be sure to keep the ground that the unit is working on clear from snow and ice - even if there isn't anything visible it is always worth doing a double take for black ice.
Wrapping up warm is essential for the winter but be aware that any additional layers will contribute to the weight limit of the machine - again, this may not be a concern for most users but it is something often overlooked.
Be sure to keep an eye on the changing weather - while the start of the day might be okay for works, it can quickly change, both snow and wind can pick up as the day goes on so be sure to assess frequently.
The information given above should be taken as guidance not as a rule - use of any machinery in adverse weather should be taken with extreme caution.
Images taken from https://www.genielift.com/.
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