Bucket trucks can be used in various industries and purposes such as:
- Electric utility and Telecom;
- Lighting and sign maintenance;
- Construction;
- Forestry;
- Tree care and landscaping;
- Film making;
- Window washing;
- Exterior painting;
- Fruit picking;
- Animal rescue;
Regulations And Standards For Bucket Trucks
Moreover, bucker trucks require certification in certain states because they have mounted aerial device to lift people and tools. The states in which bucker trucks must have a certification are: California, Washington, Utah, and Minnesota.
One of the main daily duties of the driver of the truck for the start of the day are to do a safety check of the truck in order to see whether there is any damage. The driver must check the following things:
- To check if there are any hydraulic leaks;
- To check if there are any missing bolts;
- To check the snap pins;
- To check the cotta pins;
- To check the trailer tires and trailer brakes;
- To check the safety/ emergency equipment;
- To check the fall protection (full body harness with lanyard or body belt with two foot lanyard as restraint device).
Besides the daily inspections should also be done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly ,biannually ,annual (FMCSR and ANSL periodic).
Source: www.utilityfleetsales.com
Likewise bucket trucks are under OSHA standard guidance and every company that possesses this kind of trucks must follow that guidance. Part of those requirements for a proper use of bucket trucks by the regulations of OSHA includes:
- Bucket trucks can be modified depending from the industry in which they operate but first they need to receive written approval for modification ;
- Bucket trucks must have fall protection that needs to be used while using bucket trucks;
- Bucket trucks should never be driven while there is an employee in the bucket of the truck;
- Bucket truck driver operators must test and check the controls before using the bucket of the truck;
- The employees who are operating the bucket truck must wear appropriate protective gear all the time, and that gear includes: safety glasses, safety boots, a hard hat, gloves, etc. as a protection from falling objects.
All things considered to avoid bucket truck accidents the drivers operating these types of trucks besides having the skills and abilities required like: coordination and manual dexterity, the ability to work at heights good vision, etc. they must go through special trainings and exams in order to gain the needed certificates.
