You would not think about not having your car’s oil changed when it needed it, would you? Regular car maintenance is essential to keeping it running efficiently and happily. The same can be said for other kinds of equipment that you may use. Anything with an engine needs proper maintenance on that engine. Genie lifts are no different. It is good to get into a routine of doing maintenance on your genie lift. Many people who own or operate them do not realize how much of a difference regular maintenance can make.
Doing regular maintenance on your lift does more than prevent the need for genie lift repair services. Yes, your lift will run better with the maintenance but it will also run safer. When left unmaintained the engine on the lift can end up emitting dangerous gases. There have been instances where propane powered engines in forklifts have put out so much carbon monoxide that they have killed people. Regular maintenance would have prevented those deaths. Because there are different kinds of Genie lift, you will have to tailor your maintenance to your lift. They can be powered by electricity, gas or propane.
Maintenance and safety go hand and hand when it comes to Genie lifts (and a lot of other things such as most of the equipment that is used in construction). Anyone who is going to use a Genie lift or any other kind of forklift needs to be thoroughly trained on its use. This is just as important in terms of safety as proper maintenance. It may seem easy to operate the Genie lift when the warehouse is well lit, there is plenty of room to maneuver it and things are relatively quiet but the same cannot be said when the opposite is true. Often these lifts are used in less than optimal conditions and the lift operator needs to really know what they are doing.
Tips for Operating a Genie Lift Safely:
Pay attention to what is going on around you. People walking by may not be paying attention to where they are going much less where you are going. Because of this, you need to pay attention to them. You also need to pay attention to the items that you are passing and be careful not to run into or over anything.
Keep the area where the Genie lift is going well lit. It is much safer to operate a Genie lift in a lit area. When possible, it is a good idea to add safety lights to the area just to make sure there is enough light. This will help the lift operator. It will also help people walking in the area see the lift and where it is going.
Use a back up alarm. The beeping these make is just annoying enough to get the attention of the people around the Genie lift. They will look to see where the sound is coming from, if for no other reason than to get away from it.
Pay attention to the size of the lift. When you are going through narrow spaces, pay attention to what you may or may not hit. Remember you have a 360 degree zone of influence meaning you can rub up against things on all sides.
Operators need to be trained. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has regulations that pertain to the safe use of a Genie lift. They recommend only letting people who have bee trained and certified to use a Genie lift be allowed to do so. You should implement the same policy.
Understand your Genie lift’s capacities. If you ask too much of your Genie lift, someone can get hurt. Make sure you know what exactly you can and cannot do, stick to those guidelines. It is just not worth it to push this envelope.
Like with so much other equipment, you need to be careful with Genie lift operation. You would be careful while welding, right? It is important to do what you can to properly maintain your Genie lift train the operators and do whatever you can to keep your team safe. When tools break, you go to a tool service company, right? The same should be true with a Genie lift.