Keeping Out The Volts – Care Of Insulated Booms

An insulated boom like a Linelift® or a Versalift is a top quality piece of equipment, and you want it to stay that way – in peak working condition, reliable in both operation and safety. That’s why you need to take good care of it. Here’s how…

The Importance of an Insulated Boom

The primary thing to remember about an insulated boom is that it’s insulation prevents electricity from being conducted through it to the operator – but any debris, moisture or dirt in the workings of your insulated boom has the potential to compromise the insulation properties. That means your operator is at risk to electrocution. Even a build-up of dust inside the boom can conduct electricity through to the operator using it, which is extremely dangerous.

To prevent losing the insulation properties of the boom on your EWP (Elevated work platform) it needs to be consistently kept clean and monitored for damage. You should make it a regular part of your schedule to fully extend your boom and inspect it to ensure it’s still safe to continue with operations.

Steps to Ensure Safety of your Insulated EWP Boom

First check the exterior of the boom, where the more obvious issues will be. Any contamination of the exterior should be cleaned immediately. Contaminants can include tree sap, grease, dirt, excessive moisture, and oil. Clean the boom with a non-abrasive detergent and low-pressure water source, and dry and wipe it with a silicon cloth. While doing this, it’s also important to keep an eye out for damage to the exterior – any damage to the gel coating or fibreglass structure, such as cracking, breaks, wear, or missing wear pads and boom rollers should be immediately reported to be fixed before using it again.

Next, it’s important to check the internal cleanliness of your boom. It’s possible for contaminants to find their way inside the workings of the boom, posing a serious risk of electrocution; this can include bird’s nests, dirt, grease, excessive moisture, and oil. Clear any debris, wash the interior with a non-abrasive detergent through a low pressure drain jetting nozzle, then wash with clean water and leave the boom extended to dry in the sun.

Finally, to ensure your boom is kept in peak condition, acoustic testing should be carried out at least every two years, and electrical testing should be done at a minimum of every six months (or more often according to your company policies).

For linesworkers, insulation is the most important thing a boom has to offer. Keep yours maintained and keep them safe!

Find out how you can keep your boom in peak condition – contact Allister Moore today!

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Reach out today to Allister our Specialist Vehicle Consultant for pricing and availability