Commercial airline travel is considered the safest form of transportation. Buses and rail cars are also relatively safe, while motorcycles and passenger cars present the most significant risks.
However, safety is not only a matter of operator competence. Before a pilot climbs into the cockpit, a conductor enters the cab, or a driver takes a seat, safety involves proper training, advanced technology, and exceptional maintenance and inspections.
Furthermore, the safety of workers performing maintenance on aircraft and other vehicles is just as critical to ensure that “all systems are go.” Overhead rigid rail and work access platforms are fall protection systems fundamental to worker safety. Confident that their risks of working at heights are minimized, technicians can perform their tasks more efficiently for the greater safety of all.
Rigid rail is the right kind of overhead
Rigid rail fall protection systems offer excellent overhead worker safety by arresting falls more swiftly than traditional cable-based lifelines. Their enclosed track design ensures the lifeline remains directly above the user, minimizing swing falls and reducing fall distances.
These systems can support multiple users, enhancing productivity without compromising safety. Rigid rail systems are versatile, with configurations that include intersections, curves, and turntables, accommodating the complex environments often encountered in vehicle and aircraft maintenance facilities.
Types of rigid rail systems include:
Designed for a wide range of industries, these track-and-trolley systems offer optional bypass capability.
Aircraft Maintenance Rail
Provides fall protection for heights as low as four feet and can be configured in spans from 6 to 100 feet to accommodate a wide range of aircraft.
Ideal for tight spaces and where precise technical work is required. Can be installed into various roof designs and reconfigured if the facility needs or layout changes.
Truck & Trailer Rail
Features an enclosed track design with bypass ability and eliminates snow or ice buildup.
Railcar Rail
Meets the unique requirements for accessing the tops of railcars and tankers for maintenance, inspections, and loading/unloading.
Access platforms are not just for stations.
Safe access platforms provide workers with secure, stable, elevated surfaces during inspection, maintenance, and repair tasks on aircraft and other vehicles. They feature anti-slip, self-draining treads for steps and platform decks and are constructed from strong, durable, corrosion-resistant aluminum or galvanized steel frames and guardrails.
The modular design enables work platforms to be configured for specific aircraft or vehicles and reconfigured if necessary. They can be fixed (static) for permanent installation or mobile for station-to-station portability. These work platforms comply with relevant Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations such as:
- Support at least four times their intended load: OSHA 1910.23(e)(1)(iii)
- Are secured or stabilized to prevent accidental displacement: OSHA 1910.23(c)(4)
- Have stairs with uniform riser heights and tread depths between landings: OSHA 1910.25(b)(3)
- Guardrails have a top rail of 42 inches (+/- 3 inches) above the walking-working surface, appropriate mid-rails and intermediate vertical members, and withstand a force of at least 200 pounds (890 N) applied in a downward or outward direction anywhere along the top rail: OSHA 1910.29(b)(1-3)
Special types of safe access platforms for aircraft and vehicle maintenance include:
Multipurpose Maintenance Stands & Platforms
Can be fabricated and engineered for adjustable height capability.
Hopper & Dump Trailer Stands
Provides access to tall trailers and large vehicles.
Flatbed Trailer Stand
Mobile platforms to match the height and length of standard flatbed decks.
See us for your safety solutions.
Installing robust fall protection solutions like rigid rail systems and work access platforms protects maintenance workers from the risks of working at heights, contributes to improved productivity, and advances the cause of safety for operators and passengers of aircraft and other commercial vehicles.
If you are responsible for fall protection at your organization, contact Lighthouse Safety for compliant safety solutions. We will discuss your concerns about regulations and what it will take for you to comply. Our services can include as little or as much as you need, from design, engineering, and fabrication to installation, training, inspections, and other support.
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