Own A Bucket Truck For Your Construction Company? 3 Inspections The Truck Must Have

If you own a construction company and also own a bucket truck, it is very important that you get the bucket inspected on a regular basis. To get started, below are three inspections so you can ensure your bucket truck stays in great condition and also keep your employees safe.

American National Standards Institute Inspection

One type of inspection is from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This is a requirement that you need when you take your truck to department of transportation (DOT) to get the proper paperwork in order to drive the truck. The ANSI will do both a DC and an AC test on the bucket truck. ANSI will also do tests on other things, such as the body parts, oil analysis, and test the mechanical systems on the truck.

How often you have to have an ANSI do an inspection for you will depend on the state that you live in. Ensure that you go by these regulations, however, as if you do not this could result in heavy fines.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Another inspection requirement comes from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This inspection is done on the fiberglass and steel materials on a bucket truck.

The inspector will either drive the truck themselves or ride along with someone else that is driving it. The inspector will listen closely for any type of unusual sounds within the structure of the bucket truck. For example, if the fiberglass or steel has any type of deterioration, the bucket truck would not feel as smooth while driving and would make sounds.

Another way to test the fiberglass or steel is to put sensors on the bucket truck. After the sensors are installed, the inspector will ask you to load the bucket truck over its designated load limit. The sensors will record the sounds into readable data. The inspector will then use the data in order to approve your inspection.

Aerial Inspection

The aerial lift on the bucket truck will have to be inspected on a regular basis. This will ensure the bucket truck is safe to operate. During this inspection, a professional will inspect all functions to ensure the bucket operates properly. The inspector will use the bucket truck in the same way your employees use it in order to listen for sounds that should not be there, jerky movements, and more.  

All cable and chain mechanisms will be inspected and adjusted, if needed. The inspector will check all safety devices associated with the boom truck, as well as check moving parts of the bucket truck to ensure everything is properly lubricated.

Talk with ANSI inspection service, like Power Equipment Leasing Co Inc, if you have questions about any of this and they can give you many more details