Explore Critical Safety Equipment That Elevates Job-Site Safety

Construction sites involving high-rise towers, bridgework, or heavy industrial facilities pose serious risks to their workers. From extreme heights to swinging loads and confined spaces, the potential for injury is high. Choosing the right safety equipment is essential to significantly reducing accidents and helping you meet OSHA requirements.

This blog highlights three essential site safety equipment solutions from Lakeshore Industrial: crane-suspended man baskets, forklift and telehandler work platforms, and emergency rescue cages. Each construction safety equipment is designed to protect your crew while helping your site stay safe, compliant, and productive.

Why Purpose-Built Cages Matter

A single misstep on an I-beam or a dropped wrench from a 200-foot scaffold can result in catastrophic injuries. Lakeshore’s OSHA-compliant man baskets, forklift work platforms, and rescue cages help transform standard lifting equipment into reliable safety systems.

Safety equipment for construction equipment can include:

• 5:1 structural safety factor on all welds and structural members
• Expanded-metal side panels that comply with the half-inch opening rule
• Integrated anchor points for fall-arrest harnesses
• Inward-swinging, self-latching gates for secure entry and exit
• Certified load testing, with documentation included for every unit

These construction safety equipment features are built in from the start. This allows supervisors to spend less time developing temporary safety solutions and more time keeping projects on track.

Crane-Suspended Man Baskets

When workers need to be lifted to hard-to-reach areas, site safety equipment features must be built into every lift component. Lakeshore’s crane-suspended man baskets are purpose-built for this challenge.

Design Highlights

Lakeshore’s crane platforms — like the popular four-person Custom Cage® personnel basket — feature all-steel tube frames, full-height guardrails, and solid toeboards. Under the hook, a four-leg sling or rigid bail distributes weight evenly while keeping the platform level.

OSHA Compliance in One Package

Per 29 CFR 1926.1431, personnel platforms must support five times their maximum intended load and include standard guardrails, mid-rails, and toeboards. Lakeshore designs every crane basket to meet these requirements and tags each unit with its rated load. This ensures operators can confirm it remains within 50% of the crane’s capacity.

Typical Use Cases

• Hoisting facade installers on high-rise builds
• Raising ironworkers during structural steel erection
• Lifting tower crews for wind turbine maintenance
  

Forklift & Telehandler Work Platforms

Not every job site can accommodate a crane, but that doesn’t mean safety equipment for construction should take a back seat. Lakeshore’s forklift and telehandler work platforms offer a secure, compliant way to elevate personnel using your existing equipment.

Safe Elevation Without a Crane

When a crane isn’t practical, a rough-terrain telehandler or warehouse lift truck can raise personnel, but only with properly engineered platforms. Lakeshore’s forklift man baskets are designed specifically for these machines. Each unit locks securely behind the forks, features a full seven-foot rear panel to protect workers from the mast, and includes certified tie-off rings that meet industrial fall protection standards.

Key OSHA/ANSI Rules Met

ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 requires that the platform be secured to the forks and that the operator remain at the controls. In addition, the basket width cannot exceed the truck width by more than 10 inches to each side of the tires

Lakeshore sizes each platform to match its host truck. Load ratings and occupant limits are permanently stenciled on each platform for easy reference and compliance.

Best-Fit Tasks

• Overhead pipe repairs in factories
• Warehouse lighting maintenance
• HVAC access on tilt-up buildings
  

Rescue Cages and Stretcher Platforms

When an accident happens aloft, minutes matter. Lakeshore’s rescue baskets include a stretcher bench, tie-down straps, and space for two medics, allowing injured workers to be lowered quickly and securely.

A low-profile access door lets crews load a patient without tilting the stretcher. Integrated anchor points keep rescuers safely clipped in during the lift. The same 5:1 structural safety factor applies, with certification paperwork included, which is crucial for documenting any emergency action plan.

Typical deployments include bridge projects, refinery turnarounds, and high-rise core work where conventional elevators aren’t yet operational.

Material-Handling Cages That Prevent Dropped-Load Incidents

Beyond personnel lifts, Lakeshore manufactures crane material baskets and task-specific cages — gas-cylinder lockers, drum handlers, skip pans, and more. Built to the same rigorous standard, these platforms secure loose loads, eliminate sling slippage, and protect workers below from falling objects.

Straightforward OSHA Compliance

Meeting OSHA’s requirements doesn’t have to be complicated — especially when your equipment is built with compliance in mind. Lakeshore’s construction safety equipment platforms are engineered to align with key regulations, making inspections faster and documentation easier.

Because Lakeshore documents every critical spec, safety officers can attach the paperwork directly to their job-site files.

Choosing the Right Platform

Selecting the correct safety equipment for construction projects starts with understanding your job site’s specific needs and equipment. These steps ensure safety, compliance, and a seamless fit with your lifting operations.

1. Define the Lift: Is the platform for personnel or materials? Will it be used with a crane, telehandler, or forklift?
2. Count Occupants & Tools: Calculate total weight, including workers and gear, to determine the correct platform size.
3. Check Clearance: Ensure the basket width fits through doorways, aisles, or other tight spaces.
4. Match Machine Capacity: Confirm that the host crane or lift truck can safely handle at least twice the platform’s rated load.
5. Plan for Emergencies: Always have at least one rescue cage available on multi-story or confined-space job sites.

Lakeshore’s in-house engineers can create a Custom Cage® that meets unique project needs without delaying the schedule.

Real-World Benefits

Investing in engineered site safety equipment delivers practical advantages on every job site:

• Faster Work Cycles: Crews ride directly to the work face, eliminating time spent climbing scaffolds.
• Lower Liability: All equipment is purpose-built — no makeshift plywood decks or non-compliant forklift cages.
• Simpler Inspections: Load-test certificates and permanent ID plates satisfy OSHA inspectors and insurance auditors.
• Emergency Readiness: A pre-rigged rescue basket on-site shortens response time during critical incidents.
  

Make Safety Your Competitive Edge

Every Lakeshore platform — whether a four-person crane basket, a telehandler work platform, or a medical rescue cage — carries the same promise: engineered, tested, and proven safe before you ever hook up a sling.

Outfit your site with fully certified lifting solutions with Lakeshore Industrial. Request a quote and let our specialists match the right cage to your equipment.