How Does A Cherry Picker Work
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- Posted date:
- 16-11-2022
How does a cherry picker work? Find out more about what cherry pickers are and the uses of cherry pickers.
What are Cherry Pickers?
MEWPs (Mobile Elevated Work Platforms) or Cherry Pickers are a form of efficient and safe aerial work platform consisting of a hydraulic lifting system with a guarded surface or bucket around the end, which is an integral part of its structure.
A telescopic arm is used to raise and position the bucket of the cherry picker lift so that it can rapidly access various angles and heights. Whilst workers traditionally used them in the past to pick fruits, through plenty of research and redesigning, many modifications were made so that it became a machine that could be skilfully interpolated and utilised across various industries to complete a diverse number of other tasks.
For example, its benefits include helping perform routine maintenance, construction work above ground level, painting, lifting equipment, filming and entertainment, stock picking and many other things, like multiple rescues.
What are the Uses of Cherry Pickers?
Cherry pickers are incredibly versatile machine models that are flexible and multi-purpose, making them the ideal and best alternative for a broad range of working at height jobs and tasks, especially those in challenging or awkward locations.
Fruit picking
The original purpose of the cherry picker truck is how it gained its name, as people previously used it to pick cherries.
Whilst this method is dated, you still find it has been used for many years at numerous orchards to collect hard-to-reach fruit in challenging locations or at the tops of trees.
Many machines helped reinvent and revolutionise how we navigate the fruit harvesting industry to ensure all the best fruit is picked safely.
Workers are functioning at height, working efficiently without the risk of falling off ladders or losing ripe fruit.
Construction
Cherry pickers are most commonly used on construction sites or engineering environments to gain access to impossible or hard-to-reach areas and upper floors to perform maintenance repairs, office window cleaning, building projects and renovations, etc.
A cherry picker is a much safer way of completing these tasks without cranes or scaffoldings. Their flexibility and mobility provide rapid access to great heights and varying locations.
Telegraph poles
These different types of cherry picking machines ensure engineers can reach telegraph poles at the top and perform repairs on the cabling or inspect it for any faults. Introducing cherry pickers and boom lifts has ensured this highly-skilled job is far less complex and dangerous for its business workers.
Before using cherry pickers, engineers could only gain access to telephone and electricity poles by using a ladder or climbing up them using the small handlebars implemented onto the posts for extra support. However, with all of this taken into consideration, now workers can get to the top safely, with their cradles filled with all the necessary tools to help.
Fire & Rescue Service
The fire and rescue service skillfully uses cherry pickers to save lives and fight fires in high places. It can enable firefighters to reach higher floors of large buildings, creating a sturdy and safe platform should the fires services need to rescue individuals from a dangerous building or high working environment.
Cleaning
Building maintenance is essential to a company's branding and outward appearance. However, completing all cleaning and repairs can be challenging due to the extreme heights of specific building structures and the lack of access to the highest points or hard-to-reach shapes and angles.
Cherry pickers allow you and your employees to ensure that maintaining and cleaning your building is much more straightforward and safe. Workers may no longer struggle carrying tools onto scaffolding or ladders, as they can store the equipment needed inside the bucket truck or platform.
Filming Events & Stage Shows
Cherry pickers are also utilised in the entertainment industry, and professional filmmakers can use them for aerial shots or elevated camera angles above a scene or location, to capture a stunning bird's eye view.
You can successfully mount a camera inside or onto a remotely controlled cherry picker to get the sweeping shots you desire.
Cherry pickers are also commonly incorporated into stage shows and concert halls, allowing an artist to reach more of the crowd and add a more dynamic and exciting touch to a live performance.
You can use a cherry picker at large sporting competitions, for example, during a diving or swimming tournament to capture various different angles.
What is the proper name for a cherry picker?
The cherry picker is an elevated platform, and it goes by many names, such as man-lift, boom lift, hydra-ladder or basket crane. It is an aerial work platform that allows individuals to work at height or perform impressive stunts.
The cherry picker has a bucket or platform at the end of its hydraulic lifting system to secure those inside and prevent them from falling.
What happens if my cherry picker gets damaged on-site?
If you discover damage to your cherry picker that you suspect has occurred accidentally, you may be liable to receive the full cost of repairs. Many companies offer insurance plans that remove the financial disruption or stress you may experience when facing a damage assessment or hefty repair payment.
You're only expected to pay for the scheme when you purchase the cherry picker for hire, as it is included in the overall costs. There isn't any liability for the accidental damage costs, and the package covers the numerous charges that may occur during an insurance excess; it also could help the company cover loss of hire income during a lack of productivity or downtime.
How safe are cherry pickers?
Cherry pickers are heavy-duty machines, and much like any machine, their functionality depends on plenty of maintenance and proper, accurate operation.
By law, all machinery used in construction or professional settings must experience an MOT-style inspection every six or twelve months to ensure it is in good condition; it also helps to have the machinery checked before usage.
The inspection results in a LOLER record, which will include information that is kept throughout the lifespan of the cherry picker machine.
Hire companies will carry out a regulation test on their machines and vehicles before transporting them to customers and clients, and finally, they receive another check after they are returned.
If you need more clarification about operating the cherry picker safely, we encourage hiring a fully trained operator.
It will come with an additional fee; however, it is incredibly cost-effective to save money, as you are less likely to damage the equipment and have to pay for costly repairs. On the other hand, you may apply for and attend IPAF Category 3B courses online or at numerous machine-hiring stores. These workshops will allow you to become fully certified to operate such machinery in the future.
Do I need anything to operate a cherry picker?
Cherry pickers are highly specialist equipment and machinery, meaning employees will require specific qualifications such as an IPAF 3B licence to utilise on construction sites or any particular area you require. You will require such certification because these forms of equipment are classed as self-propelled booms.
It involves operating yourself or someone else inside the basket, so you must ensure you have all the skills to do it accurately and safely. We recommend taking some time to read through the operator's manual before strapping yourself into the basket.
There are plenty of videos available online that you can utilise as a refresher to refamiliarise yourself or your employees with the controls and operating procedures. Depending on whereabouts you purchase or hire your equipment from, you may be issued a link that will send you to an appropriate guidance video to tell you all about the machine you have hired.
Ensure there are spotters and competent individuals on-site for assistance, to monitor the operation from all high angles; that way, you can ensure your staff's safety at all times to comply with all health and safety regulations.
We hope you got some useful information about the uses of cherry pickers. If you require access equipment hire in Daventry and Northampton contact our specialists today.
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