Make a man cage they say

[BuiltnotBought]

So I'm on a roll tonight, its been ages since I have been on here and even longer since I did it on a laptop. What with it being so easy to upload pictures I thought id do some sharing.

I was asked to make a 'man cage' by the depot manager the other week. So I knocked on out. Came out really well... I think.

Worked a treat and looked mint.

However, turns out there is ALOT of H & S involved in making one of these and OMG did a get a bollocking for having built it. Even though I tried to point out it wasn't my idea "I should have known better"

I had to scrap it, so I cut the fork carriers off of the bottom, flipped it upside down, ground the writing off of it and put it back on the other way up, then it magically became an oil tank rack for 2, meter cubes of oil in the work shop. Daft isn't it, my work wasn't substantial for a man or two to be in it incase it failed, yet it happily holds 1.5tons of oil and no one says anything about safety or it collapsing etc.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Sounds like the usual rubbish often encountered.

I can understand not wanting just anybody to be making things that have the potential to fail as there are some appalling 'welds' done by so called welders where you wonder if the coat of paint lathered on top is providing more support than the metal.
But at the same time it should be that those inspecting can recognise what is and isn't decent and accept when things are clearly OK.

I'm sure I'm not qualified to weld a man cage yet I have welded an uncountable number of things where should the weld break there's a high risk of someone being killed.
It really makes no sense at all!

 

[Pete.]

The regulations are more concerned with the suitability of using a non-integrated working platform at all, rather than potential mechanical failure of the platform. They just don't like you using them full stop due to the high number of accidents that occur and the severity of consequences, they would prefer to see work done off towers and MEWPs. Your company would be in serious lumber if someone got trapped between a handrail and a rack or structure if they were found to be using it outside of the 'acceptable use' guidelines. Aside from that if you have it there, it would need 6 monthly thorough inspections as does anything designed for lifting people.

 

[evobilly666]

Iirc the man basket should have controls for raising and lowering and the tilt function of the machine must be mechanically disabled. I think all of the hydraulic circuits involved must have check valves. The complete setup including the forklift or telehandler used must undergo 6 monthly LOLER inspections. Weight, wind speed and harness point stickers need to be in place too.

Our Genie just failed its LOLER test as the wind speed sticker has faded to the point it is unreadable.

Good job on the cage, looks nicely built, shame it cannot be used for its intended purpose.

 

[BuiltnotBought]

yeah see if I had taken a step back and thought about the job at hand, I knew all of those regulations were in place. But I was so bored and I had had no work on that I jumped at being asked to build something. Its a pain in the ass but it is life. I cant argue that I should have known better. I was shocked to find out about the tilt and controls requirement. That bit I didn't know prior to my telling off. Must make making them a seriously expensive job now.

 

[Jim Davey]

It's more expensive than buying a scaffold tower, but when you need it a man cage is so convenient.

 

[armalites]

If you have given it a lick of yellow paint and put in an agricultural machinery auction it would have sold all day long.

 

[Daveville30]

I'd rather be up in that then standing on a pallet like I used too. Can you not get someone to have a look at it and certify it for 6 months say you bought it somewhere.

 

[Jim Davey]

I use an old air Liquide gas pallet with a piece of box section clamped accross the open front, and a ratchet strap round the back of the pallet and the mast when I change bulbs in the security lights out front of the shop. My dad drives the forklift, but we are family, I wouldn't dream of sending a staff member up in it. If we hurt ourselves it's our own silly fault.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I'd rather be up in that then standing on a pallet like I used too. Can you not get someone to have a look at it and certify it for 6 months say you bought it somewhere.

I have stood on just the pallet forks!
At work we use an IBC with the top cut out and a strap to stop it tilting off the forks. Tbh it's rubbish and I prefer standing in an ordinary bucket, it's a pain to climb in and out of, isn't wide enough to allow the forklift to get close enough and there's nothing to climb on to get that bit extra reach. Suppose you aren't meant to do that mind

I use an old air Liquide gas pallet with a piece of box section clamped accross the open front, and a ratchet strap round the back of the pallet and the mast when I change bulbs in the security lights out front of the shop. My dad drives the forklift, but we are family, I wouldn't dream of sending a staff member up in it. If we hurt ourselves it's our own silly fault.

That's the kind of approach I would usually take, though chances are that from a legal standpoint you'll be doing it wrong as your own safety is just as important (even though you won't be claiming for compensation if an accident happens).

 

[WorkshopChris]

I use an old air Liquide gas pallet with a piece of box section clamped accross the open front, and a ratchet strap round the back of the pallet and the mast when I change bulbs in the security lights out front of the shop. My dad drives the forklift, but we are family, I wouldn't dream of sending a staff member up in it. If we hurt ourselves it's our own silly fault.

As i see it this is the problem with health and safety today, to much regulation and not enough common sense.
Have done the same many times myself, i consider the risk of danger minimal and as a far safer alternative to working off a ladder.
And the cost to hire kit could not be justified just for changing a bulb or removing a cobweb from a cctv camera.

 

[Revs1972]

Health and Saftey ??? Never heard of em ......

I give you the ACME man basket

 

[roofman]

View attachment 96704 Health and Saftey ??? Never heard of em ......

I give you the ACME man basket

Well according to a recent crane/weld thread you should be fine as the H&S police are all on holiday or sat in the office with the phones turned off

 

[Rig Pig]

safety first!

 

[mr migwire]

farmer just outside the village lost a barn last year to a fire, they are rebuilding at the mo and using telehandlers and tattie boxes as man lifts, got to love farmers.

 

[Bill Edwards]

farmer just outside the village lost a barn last year to a fire, they are rebuilding at the mo and using telehandlers and tattie boxes as man lifts, got to love farmers.

They're doing it the posh way then!
Round here we'd be using a bucket to stand in and hoping that the old timer operating the machine remembers you're there and doesn't tip you out!

 

[dannyp]

imo a lot of tmes a telehandler bucket is better and probaly safer than a cherrypicker / platform

 

[Bill Edwards]

imo a lot of tmes a telehandler bucket is better and probaly safer than a cherrypicker / platform

When/why?

I don't generally mind it but at the end of the day you're relying on the operator to not tip you out, brake sharply or go flying over bumps. Even jerky movements of the boom can make it easy to lose your footing and you have nothing on one side at all and in a small to medium bucket the back and sides aren't worth much.
Plus sometimes the bottom of the bucket can be like an ice rink.

 

[dannyp]

on uneven muddy ground, with a nice big clean grain bucket. its not like you get driven around stood in a bucket

 

[Bill Edwards]

on uneven muddy ground, with a nice big clean grain bucket. its not like you get driven around stood in a bucket

Oh, I do...
And the man behind the wheel is an expert at milking cows, but shouldn't be allowed anywhere near machinery.