The RIGHT Weather Information for aerial lift safety.
High winds and the possibility of lightning make an aerial, scissor or boom lift a dangerous place to be. Anyone who operates a lift, as well as all designated Safety Contacts, should have access to ACCURATE, REAL-TIME weather data. It is also imperative that every institution adopt a wind limit above which no one is permitted to operate a lift.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) has adopted a 28 mph wind limit for aerial lift usage, but every institution should consult each of their lift’s operating manuals to determine an overall safe wind speed limit for their school.
The RIGHT Weather Information can come from a variety of locations, and it is recommended that several be utilized, including:
- Centrally located, real-time anemometer readings at every aerial lift site
- Centrally located, real-time lightning meter readings at every aerial lift site
- Handheld anemometer readings – real time – at the aerial lift site
- Local radio/television
- Websites such as:
- Mobile apps
- Weather forecast data and wind advisories, though unreliable, should also be consulted to provide context to real-time weather information and its trends.
While the websites listed above are good resources, please note that they do operate with a delay, which is why it is also important to have real-time information and readings whenever possible.