In the construction world where everything is extremely competitive it is all about who can win the bid. When pricing tends to be similar for any product that a construction company may need to purchase for a specific job it all comes down to who can be the most efficient and productive in their work. A Man basket or a personnel platform is the perfect asset for increasing efficiency.
What is a Man Basket
When put into simple terms, man baskets are steel cages meant to lift personnel to heights that are otherwise inaccessible. Sounds pretty simple right? Well there happens to be a lot that goes into the construction of these baskets. Man baskets have been around for a long time, dating back to at least the 1980’s. In 1987 OSHA created what they refer to as “final rule” for man basket design specifications. This would set forth the future guidlines followed by manufacturers, including Lakeshore Industrial which opened shop in 1998. 25+ years later Lakeshore Industrial has become an industry leader in man baskets, material handling cages, and more.
When built properly, man baskets are built to stringent OSHA standards. Perhaps the most important of these standards, is the platforms are tested by the manufacturer at 200% of their rated capacity. By testing the man basket much higher than it’s rated for the manufacturer can ensure their product leaves the facility ready to lift personnel to extreme heights. To read more about the testing process feel free to refer to our blog on “the importance of a test weight for a man basket.”
Other Man basket regulations
A man basket should also come equipped with guardrails, safety lanyard tie offs, a lockable gate, be wind resistant, and be built by a certified welder. The top guardrail of a man basket must be located 42″ from the floor to the top of the guardrail. By following this regulation manufacturers are able to keep the user from potentially falling. An OSHA certified crane man basket should even go a step further in keeping personnel from falling by installing safety lanyard tie offs. It is required by OSHA that any person operating in a man basket wear a safety vest with safety lanyards.
One area where some manufacturers fail to meet OSHA regulations are with wind resistance. Crane man baskets are required to withstand wind of 20 mph, any more than that and you should withstand from using the basket at all. Lakeshore Industrial provides the most wind resistant baskets on the market. Some other manufacturers may use solid steel enclosures but Lakeshore Industrial uses expanded metal which is much more wind resistant. When winds are greater than 20 mph an operator should with stain from lifting personnel. Crane operators should also avoid any hazardous lift locations like near power lines or anything flammable.
Additional safety
When utilizing a crane man basket there are some additional safety concerns to keep in mind. First, only a trained and certified crane operator should ever perform the lift. Next, you should always have a safety plan ready before lifting any personnel. Safety plans may include the number of people lifted at a time. This should never exceed the capacity of the man basket. Every certified man basket should include a non corrosive tag stamped with markings such as capacity, net weight, and a serial number. A safety plan may also include an exit strategy if conditions happen to become unsafe. Crane operators should make sure they never panic in these situations and always move the basket in a slow controlled manner. Rigging is also an important safety factor, we’ll discuss more on rigging next.
Man Basket Rigging
Now, let’s talk rigging. In the U.S. OSHA states man baskets should be lifted by a tear and rotation resistant system. At Lakeshore Industrial like to use a wire rope bridle assembly for this. OSHA also states bridle assemblies should be capable of supporting 5x the total amount lifted. In some parts of Canada this number is actually 10x, meaning a 2,000 lbs. lift needs a bridle rated for 20,000 lbs. There are three factors that determine the strength of a bridle, the length and the thickness of the legs and the angle at which it is being lifted. When lifting a man basket with a bridle assembly, OSHA requires the bridle is lifted at no less than a 45 degree angle.
How do man baskets help?
Time efficiency, safety, accessibility. Have you ever been out on a job site and had to set up scaffolding? It’s a process that takes countless hours. Scaffolding is an outdated method of lifting personnel to various heights. When utilizing a man basket simple test the basket for 5 minutes, step inside, hook up your safety lanyard and your good to go. Man baskets are also much safer than traditional methods because they are built to such stringent ASME standards. Guardrails and lanyard hookups ensure workers are kept from falling out of the basket. When jobs require mobility to work in many different locations, you just can’t be the versatility a man basket offers. Just make sure to test the man basket again every time the crane moves to a new location as required by OSHA.
Why a Lakeshore Industrial basket?
When a company is tasked with performing work at extreme heights they need to rely on a safe solution. Our man basket platforms are backed by an industry leading three year warranty. We do this because we want to ensure our customers feel 100% safe when working at extreme height. Our products are 100% OSHA and ASME compliant with industry leading quality. We now also offer a free welded on toolbox on all personnel lift cages. We believe this gives our cages a distinct advantage in usability and working efficiency over our competitors.
In conclusion, by purchasing a Lakeshore Industrial custom cage man basket you will win more bids by being efficient with your time, while at the same time keeping your workers safe while they work at dangerous heights. Check out our extensive line of Man Baskets here.
