Detailed Analysis of the Safety Management of Aerial Work Platforms in Construction Engineering

With the rapid development of China’s economic level and scientific technology at the present stage, high-rise construction projects are becoming increasingly widespread. As a result, the frequency of using aerial work platforms in construction is also increasing. However, due to the fact that some construction enterprises do not pay enough attention to the safe use and safety management of aerial work platforms in construction, safety accidents occur frequently, which seriously affects the construction progress of buildings. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to ensure the safe use and safety management of aerial work platforms in construction. In this article, the author will conduct a detailed analysis of the possible problems, causes, and safety management measures of aerial work platforms during the construction process of construction projects.

At present, the frequently occurring accident problems of aerial work platforms in construction and the causes of these accidents mainly fall into three categories: the first is the reasons existing in the design of aerial work platforms in construction; the second is the reasons in the manufacturing of aerial work platforms; and the third is the reasons in the use of aerial work platforms in construction. Among these three reasons, the reasons in the use aspect account for a relatively large proportion, mainly including the following factors: the selection of the actual position and model of the aerial work platform in construction; illegal operations or misoperations of the aerial work platform in construction (among which disassembly and assembly are more common); the absence or failure of the safety protection devices of the aerial work platform in construction; improper safety management, and inadequate maintenance work during the use of the aerial work platform in construction; external environmental factors of the aerial work platform in construction, such as typhoons and earthquakes.

The anti-fall safety device at the construction site of a construction project is an important safety protection component for the effective operation of construction work. Construction workers rely on it to effectively reduce the probability of the occurrence of cage falling accidents and ensure the personal safety of construction crew members. Therefore, the inspection of the anti-fall safety device before leaving the factory is of great importance. Before leaving the factory, it must be measured for torque, critical rotation speed, and spring compression amount by a legal inspection institution or unit, and the factory calibration date should be marked, and a relevant test report should be issued. Then, it is assembled on the elevator, and a falling test under the rated load should be carried out. The elevators used on the construction site must undergo a comprehensive falling test every three months. For the anti-fall safety devices that have been out of the factory for two years, even if they have been idle for two years, they must be sent to a relevant legal inspection institution for professional testing to test the safety and reliability of the construction elevator, and it is necessary to ensure that the inspection is carried out once a year in the future.

However, up to now, few people send the anti-fall safety devices for inspection. In severe cases, some construction sites do not even conduct the inspection and falling test every three months. They take a chance and think that the anti-fall safety devices of the construction project are without any problems. But once a safety accident occurs, it will be too late to regret. Why don’t they conduct regular tests or send them for inspection according to the system? It is very likely that the using units blindly believe that as long as the anti-fall safety device has no faults, it is safe. In fact, it is impossible to determine whether it is in good condition during daily operation. The construction elevator in a construction project should undergo an anti-fall test by a specialized department every three months during use, and for some anti-fall safety devices that have exceeded their service life, they must be sent for inspection as soon as possible. Only by taking preventive measures can we effectively nip serious accidents in the bud.

The layout of the construction site in a building determines the final installation location of the construction elevator. Usually, the number of workers during the peak of daily operations also determines the rated load capacity of the construction elevator, and thus the model of the elevator can be determined accordingly. The construction elevator should not be too far away from the building, which can effectively avoid affecting the installation of the wall-attaching system. If the building in the construction project is an irregular-shaped building, such as a building with a sudden change in cross-section or a twisted main body, then an irregular-shaped elevator should be selected according to the actual situation, or a relevant construction elevator manufacturer should be invited to customize it specifically. The construction elevator should be selected strictly in accordance with the above requirements, and the safety of the aerial work platform in construction should be ensured from the aspects of positioning and selecting the appropriate model.

Formulate a set of safety operation and management regulations for aerial work platforms in construction projects; formulate maintenance and repair regulations for aerial work platforms in construction projects; establish a management system for the training of operators and their employment with certificates; establish a strict “four-inspection” system, that is, the installation acceptance and inspection of aerial work platforms in construction, the shift handover inspection system for operators of aerial work platforms in construction, the special inspection by safety officers at the construction site of the construction project, and the safety inspection system of the construction company. It is necessary to gradually improve the management materials and establish a safety management system with a file for each machine. After the aerial work platform in construction is purchased, a technical archive management system should be established for it, and it should run through the entire process of the use of this machine until the aerial work platform in construction is scrapped. All previous installations, operations, uses, maintenance, repairs, replacements of important parts, technical improvements, and safety accidents of the aerial work platform in construction should be accurately recorded. Therefore, the technical archive materials of the aerial work platform in construction should be properly archived and stored. The commonly stored materials include: the operation permit of the aerial work platform in construction, the production permit, the product safety certificate, the supervision and inspection certificate, the operation manual, the electrical principle manual, the hydraulic system manual, the foundation manual of the aerial work platform in construction, the inspection reports of previous installations, the on-site survey materials, the disassembly and assembly plan of the aerial work platform in construction, the safety technical disclosure instructions, the quality assurance manuals of the main components, the handover management records with the project department after each installation, the maintenance records, and they should be signed by the relevant responsible persons and kept.

The disassembly and assembly plan of the aerial work platform in construction is the fundamental criterion for the disassembly and assembly operation. The disassembly and assembly plan of the aerial work platform in construction should include: the construction conditions and operation environment in the construction project, the main performance status, weight, size of the aerial work platform in construction, the disassembly and assembly methods and construction technology, the safety technical measures, the arrangement of construction personnel and the responsibilities of each position, the equipment and relevant tools used for disassembly and assembly, etc.

The installation and disassembly methods of the aerial work platform in construction projects should be inspected and reviewed by the professional technical personnel from the relevant departments such as construction technology, safety management, and quality of the construction unit, organized by the technical management department of the relevant installation unit. For the construction elevator that has passed the review, it should be approved by the technical director of the installation unit and signed by the technical director of the general contracting unit. For the inspection of the construction operation environment and construction conditions in the construction project, before the operation, the construction project department, the mobile crane, and the relevant parties should jointly conduct a comprehensive review and inspection of the road, site, and environment of the project to finally confirm whether it can meet the conditions for safe construction operations before carrying out the orderly disassembly and assembly operations. Before the disassembly and assembly operation of the aerial work platform in construction, a technical disclosure meeting on safe operation should be held, and the general commander of the operation should explain the specific disassembly and assembly plan and content to all the operation personnel in the construction, and put forward relevant safety technical management measures to strongly strengthen the basic requirements of safe construction operations. Do a good job in the monitoring and safety management of construction operations in construction projects, clarify the personnel and responsibilities of each position, be familiar with the key points of key operations in construction, and the safety operation supervisors should go to the site for supervision, deal with relevant accidents and problems, completely eliminate illegal command and operation behaviors, and conduct safety management throughout the operation process of the aerial work platform in construction.

The core of the safety management of aerial work platforms in construction projects is still the safety management of operators. The relevant operators must ensure good physical health, fully master and understand the internal mechanical structure and working principle of the aerial work platform in construction, master and be familiar with the operation process, mechanical principle, and maintenance rules of the aerial work platform, and be required to work with a certificate. The driver of the aerial work platform in construction must carry out maintenance and repair work on the crane in accordance with the regulations, have a high sense of work responsibility, earnestly do a good job in cleaning, lubricating, reinforcing, adjusting, and anti-corrosion of the aerial work platform in construction, and must not work after drinking alcohol, and must not work when ill or fatigued. They should operate strictly in accordance with the mechanical operation standards and rules and regulations of the aerial work platform in construction, and must not have any illegal operations or barbaric operation behaviors, and have the right to refuse any illegal command. When working at night, sufficient lighting support is required.

Fully apply the microcomputer processing system of the aerial work platform in construction to the safety devices and monitoring systems. Analyzing from the current situation of aerial work platforms in construction projects, most of the safety protection devices still remain at a relatively low level, with relatively low sensitivity. Therefore, their reliability and adaptability during operation are relatively poor, the failure rate during construction operations is very high, and the functions are relatively single. In particular, they lack some self-detection and display functions, which is far behind the more advanced levels in some foreign countries. At present, the aerial work platforms in construction projects are developing towards large-scale, automated, and multi-functional directions, and a real-time status monitoring system has been introduced, which can accurately measure and display the operations and various parameters of the current aerial work platforms in construction, thus realizing multi-functional safety protection work, which is imperative.

In conclusion, while the design and production quality of construction elevators urgently need to be improved, it is even more important for relevant construction enterprises to strengthen their own supervision. In addition, managers need to enhance the safety awareness of the daily use of construction elevators and effectively improve the emergency rescue technology for accidents during the use of construction elevators. This will help to ensure the safety of construction operations and the smooth progress of construction projects, and reduce the occurrence of safety accidents to the greatest extent, protecting the lives and property of construction personnel and the interests of the construction project. Moreover, continuous improvement and innovation in safety management measures are needed to adapt to the development and changes of the construction industry and ensure the long-term safety and stability of construction operations. By strengthening the management of each link, from the selection of equipment to the operation of personnel, and from the establishment of systems to the introduction of advanced technologies, a comprehensive safety management system can be established to effectively prevent and control potential safety risks. This requires the joint efforts of all parties involved in the construction project, including construction enterprises, equipment manufacturers, operators, and regulatory authorities, to jointly create a safe and reliable construction environment.