Five things you need to know before you hire a cherry picker
If you need to get high access either inside or outside of a property, one of the key pieces of access equipment you could use is a cherry picker. These highly versatile pieces of machinery allow for individuals to be easily moved to different parts of a building in order to carry out work. Many choose to hire a cherry picker to carry out tasks – but is the right choice for you? Here are five things that you need to know before you hire a cherry picker.
- Hire from a specialist
There are many businesses that can offer you the hire of cherry picker machines and your first thought might be to opt for the cheapest service available. Of course, budget has to be a consideration, but remember that if you are hiring for a business simply offering the lowest prices, they may not also be offering expertise.
It is a great idea to hire from an experienced business that you can speak to about the ideal cherry picker for your needs, as well as keeping you aware of other considerations. Whether you are carrying out plumbing, gutter cleaning, window cleaning, or simply building maintenance, it is important to be able to speak to professionals who can provide useful advice.
- There are many different models available
You might have decided that you need a cherry picker for your job, but you need to be aware that there are actually many different types of picker available for different scenarios. It’s not just the overall height of the size of the platform that you need to be thinking about, but also how much space you are going to have available on the ground.
This is where it becomes important to be able to take expert advice from a company that really knows what they are doing. They will be able to talk you through the wide variety of options available and make the right choice for the task.
- Consider the terrain you are working on
You also need to be aware that not every type of cherry picker is suitable for your work. Part of the issue comes down to the terrain that you are going to use your cherry picker one. For example, some models are designed exclusively for indoor use, and trying to use them outdoors could actually put your in danger.
Additionally, if you are working indoors it is important have a cherry picker that is designed for that purpose. Outdoor cherry pickers could damage floor surfaces if used indoors, or may even be liable to slip or move.
- Always prioritise safety
The key here, as with any kind of working at height is to consider safety the number one priority when you carry out your work. It may, for instance, actually be possible to carry out the work at height without the use of a cherry picker, or there may be a safer method such as using scaffolding or a ladder.
Make sure that you carry out a thorough safety assessment of the task before you commit to hiring a cherry picker. Also consider who is going to be working on the cherry picker and be sure that they have the experience and skills required to do so.
- You might require operated hire
If you are hiring a cherry picker, it is important to consider who is going to operate it. These are complicated pieces of machinery – it’s not the case that you simply pick up a manual and learn how to do it with a few minutes reading and a bit of practice. If you do not have the experience and skills to operate the cherry picker, you may require operated hire, which many companies do offer.
Questions to ask yourself before you hire:
- How high do you need to reach? The height of a cherry picker is measured from the ground to the highest vertical reach as well as the average person’s reach.
- Are you working indoors or outdoors? The location of the work will determine the type of cherry picker than you need.
- Are you legally allowed to operate a picker? Do you have the experience and training to operate the cherry picker yourself.
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