Securing a Safe Drop Zone

It’s getting closer to when the new ANSI A92 standards for mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) are scheduled to become effective, mandating changes in product design, use and operator training.

Establishing a clearly defined and protected drop zone or “landing zone” is essential to nearly all types of tree work and elevated construction or maintenance involving MEWPs.The likelihood of damage to equipment, property and/or personal injury is significantly decreased by instituting a well-outlined area at ground level in which it is foreseeable that items would land, were they to fall or be dropped from above. The larger such a region, the greater the overall safety of the undertaking.

Struck-by accidents are amongst the most common causes of injury and fatality in the tree care industry, as well as in the fields of building maintenance and utility work. Falling tree limbs or sections, operator equipment, waste, suspended loads, construction apparatus or entire trees can most certainly result in tragedy, but even much smaller objects can impact with destructive force when free falling from great heights.

Defining and safeguarding an appropriately proportioned drop zone is absolutely vital to prevent such potentially life-threatening accidents.

Possible struck-by hazards should be identified prior to beginning work on any project. Moreover, all personnel need to be briefed on plans and protocols for struck-by avoidance prior to the commencement of work.

Before even the first steps of prep work begin, a number of factors need to be considered:

• Is the jobsite near a road or sidewalk?
• What are the general conditions of the worksite? Is the ground surface level, tilted, hilly, rocky, muddy or icy? Is the area well lit or dark? Are overall conditions windy?
• Are pedestrians in proximity to the site for whatever reasons?
• What hazards could the proposed drop zone, itself, present?
• At what height will the work be carried out?

Also before beginning work in an aerial lift of any type, all common-sense precautions should be taken to prevent objects from falling. These steps would include: knowing the weight of any object being lifted or handled while elevated; never throwing or tossing objects from height; making use of lifts appropriate in size and capability to the job being undertaken; securing all hand-tools and other gear being used by elevated personnel; and establishing, and adhering to, clear channels of discourse between all personnel on-site.

To that last point, proper drop zone safety protocols necessitate a “command and response” procedure be established between workers in aerial lifts and ground personnel in order to guarantee uninterrupted and unambiguous communication during the execution of a project involving such lifts. Commands from the operator aloft require that ground personnel respond with verbal and/or visual confirmation.

There are plenty of other details related to creating, and effectively using, a safe drop zone, depending on the specific type of work being performed, the equipment used and many other factors, including environment, weather, size and scope of the crew, etc. It’s always imperative to proactively do due diligence appropriate to the type of undertaking and all variable details in order to ensure that individuals, machinery and property remain safe throughout all stages of the project.

Importantly, equipping a fleet with machinery that allows for the largest possible landing zone/drop zone significantly improves the effectiveness of such arrangements. Tracked aerial lifts that feature a rear-mounted turret — such as both the CMC 90HD+ Arbor Pro and 100HD+ Arbor Pro — create an expansive and secure drop zone well away from the base of the machines. The placement of the +/- 400-degree turrets these models are equipped with, paired with both articulating and telescopic upper and lower booms, maximizes reach while minimizing risk to equipment, surrounding landscape and structures, and, most importantly, individuals.

“Being able to put the machine on the other side of the tree allows us to have a greater drop zone and maybe better access to the chipper,” explains Chris Welch, owner/operator of Marion, MA’s Notch Your Average Tree Service, when discussing his business’ CMC 100HD+ Arbor Pro. “Having a longer boom and a longer reach, we’re able to sit further away from the tree to reach up and over trees [and] landscape, just giving us a larger drop zone … safety is dramatically increased. Having the extra versatility and access that the machine provides definitely saves our backs, saves our energy — which, therefore, makes things much more productive, as well as a lot safer for the guys.”

Peabody, Massachusetts-based Lobel Tree Service owner/operator, Andrew Lobel, echoes Welch’s sentiments, offering this assessment of his own 90HD+ Arbor Pro. 

“The guys love the lift,” Lobel said. “It does add a major safety factor. Having the lift has significantly improved our operations. It’s allowed us to do a considerable amount of work in less time, increased some revenue and reduced some costs. It’s helped us grow and preserve our bodies at the same time.”

By leveraging the host of safety-enhancing features baked into the design of some lifts, establishing drop-zone perimeters and taking all the recommended precautions during operation, users benefit from both unmatched safety and industry-leading up and over clearance.