For every fleet of bucket trucks, inspections are necessary in order to meet the rules and guidelines implemented by the big three agencies that deal with health and safety issues for every employee directly engaged in heavy equipment operations. These agencies are: the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which require annual inspections to maintain compliance with industry standards.
Importance of Inspections
An exhaustive regular inspection helps fleet managers know and identify problems at an early stage before they can develop into a more major operation-stopping problem. When defects are discovered earlier, the huge cost of repairs caused by major failures can be avoided. By obtaining competitive bids for inspections and tests, more companies can experience savings and receive professional servicing for their bucket trucks and other such equipment.
DOT Required Structural Inspection
A licensed professional who is approved by the DOT is the only person who can conduct bucket truck structural inspections. These are required inspections by the DOT for meeting industry standards. This inspection consists of testing the 13 areas of the bucket truck which include: the platform; elbow structure; lower and upper booms; turntable; rotation bearing; pedestal; chassis; and outriggers. Included with these inspections are the equipment's general parts - operation placards and load rating chart.
OSHA Required Acoustic Inspection
Another set of tests that are required by OSHA to meet industry standards that focuses on the steel and fiberglass structure of the bucket truck is the acoustic inspection. The objective of conducting such inspections is to search for damage ranging from outriggers to chassis by the use of sensory devices that detect noises.
During the inspection, a sensory device is attached from the outriggers up to the bucket which lead to a computer. With the permission of business owners or the fleet company's representative, the bucket will be loaded up to 150 percent more than the specified load limit; this load is applied to the boom. The computer then checks the level and nature of the sound which the components have emitted to the sensors and generates the ratings automatically.
ANSI Required AC and DC Inspection
Bucket truck AC or DC dielectric inspection is ANSI's functional and operational test that is required annually to meet industry standards. With this type of inspection, managers can verify the strength of electrical insulation for bucket truck parts such as the FRP lower and upper boom including digger derricks FRP extensions; bucket and bucket liners; upper control system; and tool circuits.
Certification
When defects are detected and found during the above inspections, the vehicle is classified accordingly. Any vehicles that must be repaired are required to re-test and undergo the above mentioned inspections for certification.
Bucket truck inspections set by these three agencies to meet industry standards should be complied with not only because it is required; it must be complied with to increase operational efficiency and overall safety. In order to save money and time, be sure that a thorough inspection is done with every bucket truck in the fleet!
Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. Click here to find out more about Altec Bucket Trucks.
