We have a man-riding cage/basket that we only use for non-planned, infrequent access to height. However, a question was asked yesterday from someone who was adamant that it is now a requirement for an emergency stop should be fitted in the cage. This is allegedly to allow the operator in the basket to prevent unsafe movement eg if he/the basket is becoming trapped under a structure etc. Whilst it may sound like a good idea or a good practice, I can't find any reference to this, let alone it being an absolute requirement. Any ideas anyone? Thanks Pete

As with all such statements of "fact" ask the provider for their evidence. Several employments have used man cage attachments for FLT's in the manner you describe and none were fitted with an E-Stop. If E-Stops were mandatory all FLT's would have some form of connector jack fitted as standard to allow the button to kill the engine. Excellent communications are required between driver and operative - when briefing before an activity the absolute mantra has always been that the FLT driver only operates the truck when and as instucted by the person in the basket (lift / lower / forward /back etc.) - part of the RA like checking the cage is securely attached, operative in harness and hooked on

“Non-integrated” platforms do not have controls in the platform so logically there would be no requirement for an emergency stop. The HSE 2013 guidance on non-integrated working platforms on fork lift trucks does not mention emergency stops. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/pm28.pdf. This also states there are ‘Permissioning control working platforms’ which are “are non-integrated working platforms with hold-to-run controls that link to and nullify the truck lift/lower and traction controls until the controls in the platform are actuated by someone in the platform; ie adjusting platform height or truck movement can only occur by the truck operator operating the truck controls when the platform controls are held by an operator in the platform. “ Your questioner may be thinking of those?

I know nothing about man-riding cages on fork lifts but I did notice the first line of this thread “We have a man-riding cage/basket that we only use for non-planned, infrequent access to height.” Hopefully you mean “not pre-planned” as oppose to “non-planned”. I think that any infrequent operation requires more planning than a routine one.

Thanks everyone for your comments..... I'd already reviewed PM28 but glad that I hadn't missed anything - thanks Ian and Granlund. Ian - I did mean pre-planned and not non-planned! We are in the process of looking at alternatives to the basket anyhow but wanted to ensure that if/when we get rid of it, we do so with it in the correct state. Thanks for the help and comments. Pete