Working platforms (non integrated) on forklift trucks. IS IT THE LAW?

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
saw on facebook last week that a tested man basket was not legal on a machine that could reach more than 7m

our loadall is 8m and far more stable than our old 7m machine

is this right ? tester or insurance have never mentioned it, its only usrd occasionally perfectly safely with harness etc to clear gutters

shed building and grain plabt contractors we have hsd here use msn cages in much higher reach machines than ours

confused !


feel like getting rid of it and using a ladder ...... which would be far more dangerous
 

ACEngineering

Member
Location
Oxon
Everything is planned. It's just some things are planned sooner than others....... :unsure:

Honestly. If they don't like man baskets, just ban them and be done with it. Have there been any accidents with these recorded ? Loads of near disasters on Youtube with folks using cherry pickers. Driving these things around the yard from a basket detached from the main chassis of the machine doesn't look very safe.......

yes, had a basket fall off a JCB a couple years ago, think the 541-70 was at least half way up if not more? broke lots of bones and put in induced coma for a good while.

Not really the baskets fault or the machine, just hadn't been fitted properly on the floating forks.
 

ACEngineering

Member
Location
Oxon
saw on facebook last week that a tested man basket was not legal on a machine that could reach more than 7m

our loadall is 8m and far more stable than our old 7m machine

is this right ? tester or insurance have never mentioned it, its only usrd occasionally perfectly safely with harness etc to clear gutters

shed building and grain plabt contractors we have hsd here use msn cages in much higher reach machines than ours

confused !


feel like getting rid of it and using a ladder ...... which would be far more dangerous

i think anything over 7 metres has to have controls in the basket.

If thats right a 540-70 jcb wouldnt actually be legal as they are just over 7m but a manitou 741 for example would be as they are 6.9m
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
saw on facebook last week that a tested man basket was not legal on a machine that could reach more than 7m

our loadall is 8m and far more stable than our old 7m machine

is this right ? tester or insurance have never mentioned it, its only usrd occasionally perfectly safely with harness etc to clear gutters

shed building and grain plabt contractors we have hsd here use msn cages in much higher reach machines than ours

confused !


feel like getting rid of it and using a ladder ...... which would be far more dangerous
The HSE guidance says nominal lift height of telehandler to not exceed 6m.

No idea where HSE have got that figure from; recon they might have just thrown a dart blindfold at dart board.

Want to be both safe and within the law, but surely a telehandler and basket isn't all so much worse/different than a cherry picker. From what I've seen, the transmission is a lot more controllable on a telehandler.
 

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
yes, had a basket fall off a JCB a couple years ago, think the 541-70 was at least half way up if not more? broke lots of bones and put in induced coma for a good while.

Not really the baskets fault or the machine, just hadn't been fitted properly on the floating forks.

Therein lies the problem, fitted to forks (particularly floating ones) How many folk fit the securing pins?

We have some (apparently) self tipping skips that we use around the potato grader - slide onto tines, big handle to pull to tip - except unless the load within is in the correct place, and the tines are at just the right angle to tip the skip without the thing sliding off the tines, it won't tip. Bloody dangerous when (for example) tipping stockfeed potatoes into a trailer.

So we modified them - welded a robust frame on the back, c/w pin and cone brackets so that they fit securely to the telehandlers, and can be safely and quickly tipped with precision control. Much better.

We have a frame that mounts to the same brackets as our bucket brush, used on random occasions to change lightbulbs, clean guttering etc, and have a harness to connect the person within securely to the bucket. Safety switch on the locking pins on the forklift, tilt lock activated when in use. We think it's safe, but is it legal? As stated the guidance isn't clear.

For bigger jobs (like washing the inside of a shed) we hire a cherry picker, but personally I don't find them very stable.

To even contemplate spending a grand on a proper man basket, I need it to be fitted with brackets like our skips, or the bucket is the safer option.

At the end of the day, the safest way needs to be made to be the easiest way, or folk cut corners. Its human nature.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
The Highway Code isn't the law

Thats not true, a lot of the Highway Code is indeed law, or at least backed up by law. Some of it is just guidance, that if not adhered to may be used in court to determine guilt, but a lot is black and white 'thou shalt/thou shalt not' legal requirement that is backed up by statutory law.

And I don't see why we can't have the same in H&S. Instead of this ludicrous pretence that its every business persons requirement to assess each and every risk themselves, but having done so they must all arrive at the same answer! If they can't come to a different conclusion (ie decide that using a man cage on a telehandler, if done sensibly is a perfectly safe method of working at height) then whats the point? If the end point always has to be the same, why have the pretence risk is assessed by the individual? It obviously isn't because HSE have already decided what the answer should be. But won't put those answers down in black and white so everyone can know where they stand. Its setting people up to fail, so as far as I can see actual safety has nothing to do with it. Its all about creating hidden rules and then prosecuting people for not applying them.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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