Can you say bucket truck?

Or cherry picker?

No credit, bad credit? After a decision like this it's no wonder.
You can rent the lifts or a truck and driver for less.
other idea, Perhaps the owner is thinking they're saveing by provideing labor and staging.

People are a "funny" breed.

Wouldn't it depend on how many lights?? I know a small lift around me is a 100 bucks a day. Thats with the tiny tires only made to be on a smooth floor

I agree ... even for a single fixture, the use of a lift of some sort beats the dickens out of scaffolds and ladders.

Scissor lifts are great, but it's amazing just how little 'crown' in the pavement will set off the 'tip' indicator on them. Getting the scissor back on the trailer is also fun.

The best solution for me has proved to be a towable boom lift. Cost is an issue ... around here, renting one costs about $50 more than the $130 needed for a scissor lift and trailer combo. You also get to invest in a harness, if you don't already have one.
Yet, for that extra cost .... it's easy to visit a number of sites, and the boom will usually reach quite easily over and bushes or set-back the pole may have.

It's not just a matter of climbing. As the picture shows, the lights are usually set off from the pole. You need some place up there to place your parts .... and some of those parts are a bit heavy.

With higher pole light, like these (40'?), you can get a tow-behind lift for about $200/24hrs (out here in so cal, anyway).

Worth every penny.

This guy is obviously just trying to get the most out of what he has (scaffolding).

I know I feel a heck of a lot more stable in a double-boom bucket lift than on a bunch of hinky scaffolding, so if the customer doesn't want to spring for the lift, I've gotta pass that job up. I like going home at the end of the day.

One shopping center out here had their painting contractor do that for each pole they were painting at the final trim out before the mall opened.

They had theirs on trailer tires and used the leveling screws at the bottom of each leg take the load off the tires and level it at each pole. You would see 3 painters pushing this rig from pole to pole evey few hours.

That scaffold doesn't meet safety regs here.
Rungs too far apart for climbing. Needs a separate ladder on the inside.
Platforms don't have any side rails.
I'm sure there are others but I can't come with them now.

I seriously doubt that anyone would question the safety aspects of this setup. I'm relatively confident that the original post was more of a "look how dangerous this is" kind of thing.

This was taken in Northern Virginia. I'm pretty sure they go by OSHA standards, so it doesn't meet safety regs there, either.

The way it's set up not only did they have to crawl over the edge of the top platform to get on it, but they had to lean out away from that platform (with no rails) to get to the light.

-John

We just rented some scaffolding from the Orange Box to do some work onstage, and it didn't come with a ladder, just the rungs built into the upright. It did come with rails and toeplates, however. I guess rental houses aren't required to provide OSHA-compliant equipment.

Your right, they are not.

It is up to the renter to comply with any and all OSHA rules.

I used to turn that type of work down as I couldn't safely reach it. I bought a 1989 bucket truck that once belonged to Verizon for doing this type of work. Got to a job this winter where I had to relamp a few 18 to 20 ft tall yd lights. Thought I'd better make sure the bucket went up and down before going to the top. Went up a few feet, wouldn't come down:). rotated it left, wouldn't go right:). Hopped out of the bucket and tried the solenoids manually and 2 of them were frozen stuck. Finally got them loosened up and it worked fine. This summer I've got to get the moisture out the system:)

Umm,
Where are the pics?

Using the rungs to climb is not a problem if the spacing is proper. Older scaffold with spacing over 1 foot does not meet the requirement.

2 guys 10per/hr= $20
1 electrician $50per/hr=$100.


$120. to do job

This is if the scafolding is owned and doesn't need transportedand is only one or 2 units needing service.
For example I do lots of work for a private school and they have maintance personal that would set this up for me and all I would do is climb up there and change the ballast. Heck I think the guys might even be salary. Or I could rent boom truck or lift for $250. for 1 day or $750 a week., and I would have to pick it up. or pay $50 for delivery and $50 for pickup.
I just went through this with them about 3 weeks ago. However I did end end up with the lift as we came up with some other projects to use it on. Like fix the ball on top of flag pole. Troubleshoot riding rink lights and some others.



Ob

at one time, we all had our first job!!!!

And everyone typing on this board lived to see the second, too. Others... maybe not so lucky. And with a contraptions like we see so often here, survival is depending entirely on luck!

....Over this side of the pond the Euro meddlers are trying to eliminate the use of scaffolding and ladders on construction sites resulting in a boom in access equipment which is great news for me as an access engineer.



....Most ansi spec scissors allow 5 degree of tilt on both axis but Euroland CE spec machines only allow 3 degrees sideways tilt and 5 degrees front to back. The french also insist on overload cutouts and all manner of limit switches that can cause problems on sites. The best scissors for loading and unloading onto trailers and trucks are the JLG ES range of scissors, They have traction motors instead of hydraulic wheel motors like Genies and Uprights. Most 'fun' is had when using transport that is not specifically designed for access equipment making a good winch essential for your own safety I've had scissors sideways, spinning, running away from me and all manner of scary situations on the ramps of a truck but have thankfully managed to keep them rubber side down. most 19' scissors weigh about 1500 to 1800kg. Add at least another 1000kg for a 26' or 32'. You start talking about some serious weight when you move the big decks or the booms.



...I'm not a big fan of trailer mounts as they are not self propelled which lends to operators leaning too far out the basket to finish that awkward last termination or fixing screw rather than lower the boom and reposition it.




Most scissors have extending decks and Z booms are great for up and over work. I agree that some machines have limited storage space for tools and parts. Most machines are rated for two persons and a small toolbox (500lbs)

Sorry if I've gone a wee bit off topic. If anybody needs advice on access equipment just ask.

"Access Engineer" sounds like a legalistic term for what we might call a "burglar" here

It's not often I see a post of mine so well dissected. Keep in mind that my comments were a brief summary of what I've encountered so far.

The last excerpt, mind you, was meant as a complaint about the use of ladders and scaffolds. Both ladders and scaffolds also require you to carry the stuff up or down ... and it's hard enough to climb without adding to the challenge.

LOL... Never heard it put like that before.



Its not often a subject comes up that I can put my tuppence worth (0.02 cent) in.

Although I'm a time served spark I'm so long out the trade that most of whats posted on this site I can't really comment on. I still do the odd bit of electronic work building amps, radios, xmitters etc although my main interest is restoring antique plant, tractors and trucks. After serving my time I spent the following 16 years working on torpedos. Got into the access game about 4 years ago and haven't looked back as I'm all over the country on breakdowns and recoveries and see some interesting sights.

There I go off on a tangent again........

Gidday Simon, long time no see!

Personally, as an ex-Power Board worker, I can say nothing beats a bucket truck!
Everything is with you there in the bucket, they are really easy to move around, with dual lamp poles.
You position the bucket under the fitting, so if you do drop a screw, it doesn't land where you can't see it or even worse, in long grass!
Some of my best days at work were spent in a bucket truck.

Finally, there is only one thing I like about scaffolding.....Nothing!

Hi Mike,

Not had much chance to get online recently hence my absence.

I agree with you about the bucket but scissor lifts have solid decks and you should see what gets returned to the workshop when a machine is offhired. Also, theres nothing worse than repairing a joystick on a boom on a construction site in scotland in the middle of winter. Drop one of the tiny nuts and bolts that hold it all together and you have a wee problem. The worst is having to replace one of the steering microswitchs in a force 9 gale with a gas soldering iron. Usually I pull it apart enough to bridge out the switch and move the machine to a more convenient place, in other words where i can manouvere the basket under the tailgate of my strategically placed van so I have all the luxuries of shelter, heat and a radio.