Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs)
What you need to know
In many cases, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) provide safe and quick access to trees and a secure working platform.
However, MEWPs can still topple if they are overloaded or poorly maintained, as this case study[1] shows.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 Brief guide[2] do not say you have to use MEWPs for all tree work. But you should always consider MEWPs when planning work. MEWPs are particularly suited to:
- Tree work in urban areas
- Work on diseased or dying trees where tree climbing is difficult or arduous because of tree species or tree form
- Where there is a reasonable number of trees to be worked on.
What you need to do
When selecting work equipment for work at height the Work at Height Regulations require that collective protection measures take priority over personal fall protection systems (eg rope and harness).
Find out more
- A guide to the use of MEWPs in arboriculture (Arboricultural Association)[3]
- Work at Height Regulations 2005[4]
- The selection, management and use of mobile elevating work platforms GEIS6 (PDF) [5]