Council access platforms at Christmas

Council access platforms are powering up for Christmas to help switch on lights and displays. These displays are made possible by the safe and speedy working of powered access platforms.

Councils and private companies use access equipment to set up the festive displays we love at this time of year. Council access platforms enable the electricians who plan and install the displays to work safely at height with electricity, lifting and installing thousands of feet of cable and hundreds of bulbs to light up streets, buildings and trees.

Setting up Christmas decorations on an industrial scale poses a number of health and safety risks including working with electricity, installation in tight spaces or areas with restricted access, and trying to get the job done in adverse winter weather conditions including wind, rain or snow.

Access platforms have a number of benefits and specialist features that can make the job faster and safer:

AccessibilitySpider lifts and compact access platforms can fit and operate in tight or confined spaces such as narrow streets or courtyards and can also operate indoors.
Mobility – Lifting equipment which is mounted on a van or truck bed and can move easily between jobs, providing a stable work platform for setting up fixed lights or decorating large trees.
Stability – Access platforms with a tracked chassis spread the weight of the machine over a wider surface area. This means they can operate safely on lightweight interior floors or tracks and pathways that are not used to heavy loads.
Safety – Access platforms can withstand adverse weather, sloping ground and varied ground conditions. Most models have a maximum wind capacity which can be found in the owner’s manual and gadgets such as an anemometer can measure safe wind speeds at height.
Flexibility – Overcoming obstacles may be an issue when setting up a christmas tree or light display. Boom lift access platforms have outreach and extension to overcome obstacles at ground and elevated level and move the working platform to hard to reach areas.

The festive season wouldn’t be the same without the Christmas trees and light displays that illuminate town centres and public buildings across the world, with the help of powered access platforms.They are suitable for public or private use; indoor or outdoor displays, and lifting heavy weights and awkward shapes such as light displays and decorations. They may have hundreds of other uses throughout the year but they definitely make Christmas brighter.