Accessing safety
October 1st 2006

The introduction of the new Working at Heights (WAH) legislation has had a massive impact on many industries including the food manufacturing and distribution sectors, as companies strive to comply with the new laws

Over the last 10 years leading producer of Aerial Work Platforms, JLG, has taken a pro-active role in ensuring the machinery it manufactures is in line with changes in working practices.

Anticipating a stronger emphasis on health and safety in the workplace, JLG introduced a range of industrial products to suit a variety of applications. It now boasts a range of vertical lifts starting at just 10ft (3m) platform height, which is useful in applications that would previously have relied on more traditional access solutions such as the ladder.

Ease of operation The ES Series offers a way for users to meet the WAH regulations and is particularly suited to the industrial sector as it comes with many features designed to maximise health and safety and ease of operation.

Working closely with its distributors, JLG is now concentrating on helping its end users understand the new WAH regulations, as well as providing comprehensive training on machinery available.

One of the first direct users to purchase an ES model – a 2630ES – was Finlay Beverages, a Yorkshire-based manufacturer of tea and roasted ground coffee. In order to comply with the new legislation, the company looked into what access solutions the market had to offer. After extensive research JLG's machine offered the best solution, an indoor unit which was suited to a variety of applications, particularly factory maintenance.

The JLG 2630 ES has one-handed operation by joy stick, anti slip deck and pot hole protection that make the machine easy to use and maintain. In addition, the machine's batteries do not need charging as often due to JLG's direct electric drive system, which uses battery power more efficiently than hydraulic drive.

The model 2630ES has an integrated parts system which features just two hydraulic hoses and an exclusively designed lift cylinder, motor, pump and valve assembly. This means that the machine carries much less hydraulic oil than traditional scissor lifts and has fewer leak points. Non-marking tyres and extremely quiet operation make the machine suited to use in indoor, hygiene controlled environments and its extremely narrow width of just 0.76m makes it especially useful in areas with restricted space such as narrow aisles.

Paul White, engineering manager at Finlay Beverages said: "When the new Working at Height Regulations were introduced we had to ensure the appropriate equipment was available for staff in order for them to work safely and efficiently. The 2630 ES lift has proved to be a very reliable and safe machine; it has all the features necessary for indoor use while remaining easy to use."

JLG has sales and customer support operations based in the Manchester and Glasgow area and it provides a comprehensive range of services including product sales; service parts; service training; technical services; customer service helpdesk; and a network of field service engineers. In addition, JLG offers certified operator training with recognised training board accreditation.

White continues "We were extremely pleased with the training package that JLG offered; it ensured all appropriate staff knew how to use the machine correctly and were fully briefed on how the new legislation would impact upon them. I would recommend JLG to customers and competitors. The introduction of the machine has enabled us to save time and cost which is always important for a growing business."

Platform size choice The ES range boasts five machines, the 1930, 2030, 2630, 2646 and 3246, which come with a choice of platform sizes to cater for a variety of applications. Three of the models have an overall width of just 0.76m making them suitable for narrow aisle applications, while two of the models have a wider platform width of 1.17m catering for work which may require additional room for men, tools or materials.

The elevated platform height ranges from 5.72 to 9.68m making them perfect for use in factories, warehouses and on the shop floor.

JLG offers a wide range of machines suitable for indoor use such as the Mobile Vertical Lifts (MVL) series which includes two models; the 15MVL and the 20MVL, which provide maximum working heights of 6.4 and 7.9m respectively; the Mobile Stock Picker (MSP) range which also includes two new models, the 10MSP and the 15MSP which provide working heights of 4.9 and 6.4m respectively. These machines complement JLG's range of stock picking units, which includes the models the SSV10, DVSP and Toucan Duo.

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