Mark Vaughns
Director of Product Safety & Reliability
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JLG Industries
Part of the updated ANSI A92.22 standards, now in effect in the United States, include requirements for annual machine inspections (AMI) on mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
Specifically, the standards state the following as pertaining to the completion of an AMI:
“Owners shall ensure an annual inspection is performed no later than thirteen (13) months from the date of the prior annual inspection. The inspection shall be performed by a person qualified to inspect the specific make and model of MEWP. The inspection shall include all items included in the frequent inspection plus items specified by the manufacturer for an annual inspection, to include manufacturer's bulletins. The inspection shall verify that the MEWP is registered with the MEWP manufacturer and that any open safety-related bulletins are addressed as part of the inspection. The MEWP shall not be placed back into service until all malfunctions and problems identified in the inspection have been corrected.”
For owners and operators of aerial equipment fleets to be in compliance, JLG requires that an AMI be accomplished on JLG® MEWPs in accordance with most current ANSI standard in effect at the time.
In the updated standards, ANSI also requires that the AMI be performed by a person qualified to inspect the specific make and model MEWP. ANSI defines a “qualified” person as a: “Person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated his/her ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter, the work or the project.”
According to the ANSI standards, it is the equipment owner’s discretion, based on ANSI’s definition above, to determine if the mechanic is qualified to perform an AMI.
Because compliance with the ANSI standards is critical to reducing the risk of safety hazards and preventing unplanned equipment downtime, JLG recommends that a Factory Trained Service Technician performs the AMI, which the company recognizes as a person who has successfully completed JLG Service Training for the specific JLG product model.
Guidelines for JLG MEWP annual machine inspections are outlined in both the appropriate JLG Operator & Safety manual and Service & Maintenance manual, as well as in AMI forms available here.
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