Hire and Rental News - Access in Action - August 2018

ACCESS in ACTION 44 ACCESS IN ACTION • AUGUST 2018 A prototype of the Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system for Genie GS slab scissor lifts and Genie GR, GRC and QS vertical masts was shown in Australia at HIRE18 in Brisbane, May 30–31. “Operator safety and productivity are key considerations in the Genie design process,” Tim Merritt, Genie National Product Support Manager, Terex Australia said. “The Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system for slab scissors and vertical mast lifts is designed to supplement a trained operator’s situational awareness and provide a secondary layer of guarding while working at height. Showing this prototype during HIRE18 gave us the opportunity to engage with Genie customers and end users, gaining feedback from them so we can tailor our future protective solution offerings to best meet their needs and expectations.” According to Tim, the standard configuration for the Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system for slab scissors and vertical mast lifts will include two activation whiskers — one mounted on the front of the platform and one mounted on the rear. The global trade association for the lifting equipment industry, Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) recently met with IPAF (The International Powered Access Federation) to discuss shared approaches for supporting members as well as exploring opportunities to work closely together in the future across the sector. Genie has launched an electronic secondary guarding solution for its slab scissor and vertical mast lifts which is designed to activate when an obstruction makes contact with an activation whisker mounted to the lift’s platform guardrails, alerting operators, occupants and ground personnel to a potential hazard. New Contact Alarm prototype for slab scissor and vertical masts The Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system is designed to activate when an activation whisker is deflected by an obstruction, triggering the limit switch in the base of the assembly. When the system is activated, all machine motion will stop, an alarm will sound and beacons will flash. The operator will be able to continue driving or elevating the platform into the desired working position after acknowledging the activation system and machine stopped condition. Tim said a free-movement zone will exist between the activation whisker and guardrail, to allow mobility for operators and occupants after the system is activated. “Genie customers are committed to workplace safety and we want to support their efforts with focused market solutions. We designed the Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system for slab scissors and vertical masts to provide a level of secondary guarding equivalent to that on boom lifts, in a package that meets the unique needs of scissor and vertical mast lift applications,” Tim said. The Genie Lift Guard Contact Alarm system for slab scissor lifts and vertical mast lifts will go into production in late 2018. A retrofit kit will be available at time of production to allow for compatibility with Genie Smart Link system-enabled scissor lifts and vertical masts produced from 2011–2018. Visit: www.genielift.com.au LEEA CEO, Dr Ross Moloney, met with TimWhiteman, CEO of IPAF and Richard Whiting, UK Market General Manager for IPAF. “This meeting is part of our determination at LEEA to work across the sector to deliver more benefit for our members. We see this as the start of an exciting period of cooperation between our two organisations,” Dr Moloney said. IPAF promotes the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide through technical advice and information, influencing and interpreting legislation LEEA and IPAF join forces to benefit members across the sector and standards, and safety initiatives and training programs. The not-for-profit organisation is owned by its members, which include manufacturers, rental companies, distributors, contractors and users. IPAF members operate a majority of the Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) rental fleet worldwide and manufacture about 85% of platforms on the market. LEEA was established in 1944 and incorporated in 2000 as a not-for-profit company owned and controlled by its members. With over 800 member companies in 56 countries in every continent, LEEA is the largest trade association in the lifting industry. An Australian members group and local committee was formed in 2009 to provide a local focus, ensure compliance with Australian regulations and standards and provide networking opportunities across the industry. Member companies work in lifting equipment design, manufacture, service and repair, distribution, inspection and hire across Australia. Visit: www.leeaint.com/au Genie has launched electronic secondary guarding for slab scissor and vertical mast lifts