Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) play a key role in many industries, providing a safe, efficient, and flexible way to work at heights. However, without regular maintenance, minor issues can quickly escalate into serious problems, including increased risk of accidents, sudden breakdowns while working at heights, and unexpected downtime on site.
Regular MEWP servicing helps to keep equipment in optimal condition by identifying wear, damage, and faults at an early stage. This proactive approach reduces repair costs, improves safety, and extends the overall lifespan of your equipment. We explain what a MEWP service entails, why it’s essential, and which checks are performed during a service.
What Does a MEWP Service Entail?
A MEWP service is a thorough inspection, testing, and maintenance process designed to keep equipment safe and performing effectively. Services typically include engineers checking mechanical components, hydraulics, electrical systems, and safety features. These checks enable them to identify wear or potential faults before they become serious issues.
MEWPs should be serviced at regular intervals to ensure compliance and prevent costly breakdowns, with the frequency of servicing determined by both the manufacturer’s guidelines and the level of usage. At Elite Access Repairs, we provide servicing for all types of MEWPs, ensuring they operate efficiently, safely, and without unexpected problems.
The Importance of Professional MEWP Servicing
MEWPs are used across many demanding environments, including warehouses, construction sites, and industrial facilities, where they lift people and materials to heights on a daily basis. This means that components experience constant strain, which can lead to deterioration, wear, and the risk of faults developing over time.
This makes regular servicing an important part of MEWP maintenance, helping to keep equipment in good working order and preventing issues from developing. Here are three reasons why regular servicing is essential for MEWPs:
Improves Safety
Regular servicing directly improves MEWP safety by reducing the risk of accidents and injuries for operators. It allows trained engineers to inspect key components such as brakes, hydraulics, controls, and safety devices, and identify any faults, wear, or damage.
Without servicing, these issues can lead to loss of control, platform instability, and sudden failure, all of which increase the risk of injury when working at height. It ensures any failing components can be repaired or replaced before they become dangerous.
Prevents Expensive Breakdowns
Unexpected MEWP failures can cause significant disruption to projects and lead to costly emergency repairs. Minor issues, such as worn hoses, loose fixings, low hydraulic pressure, or minor electrical faults, can quickly escalate into major mechanical failures if left unchecked.
Regular servicing identifies and addresses these problems early, allowing for planned maintenance rather than reactive call-outs. This reduces downtime, maintains productivity, protects project timelines, protects the equipment, and helps keep long-term repair and operational costs under control.
Extends Lifespan
Having a MEWP serviced regularly also helps extend its lifespan, ensuring the equipment continues to perform reliably over the long term. Inspections, lubrication, adjustments, and component checks during servicing reduce unnecessary wear and tear, preventing minor faults from escalating into major mechanical failures.
This protects vital components, preserves resale value, and ensures your access equipment operates safely and dependably. It provides peace of mind while maximising long-term value and maintaining optimal performance throughout the life of a MEWP.
What’s Checked During a MEWP Service
During a MEWP servicing appointment, engineers carefully inspect various components to ensure the equipment remains safe, reliable, and fully operational. These checks are crucial because they allow problems to be identified, repaired, and addressed before they escalate. Engineers also provide recommendations to extend the lifecycle of a MEWP. We outline some of the key checks carried out during a service:
Inspection of Mechanical Components
During a service, engineers examine all moving parts of a MEWP, including scissor arms, hinges, rollers, and platform supports. Any wear, misalignment, or damage is addressed through repairs or replacement. This ensures smooth operation, prevents mechanical failure, and maintains the platform’s stability, giving operators confidence that the MEWP will perform safely and reliably during every use.
Hydraulic System Checks
Hydraulic system checks are performed to ensure safe and smooth operation of a MEWPs’ lifting and lowering functions. These checks allow engineers to identify issues such as fluid leaks, low hydraulic pressure, worn hoses, or damaged cylinders. Early detection and repair maintain proper hydraulic pressure, prevent unexpected failures, and ensure safe and controlled movement.
Electrical and Control Testing
Switches, wiring, and control panels are thoroughly tested to identify faults that could cause malfunctions, operational errors, or unexpected stops. Any damaged or worn components are repaired or replaced, restoring full control of the MEWP. These checks ensure reliable operation, reduce downtime risk, and give operators confidence in the platform’s overall performance and safety.
Safety Feature Verification
All safety mechanisms, including brakes, emergency stops, harness points, and alarms, are thoroughly inspected to ensure compliance with manufacturer and regulatory standards. Any issues are corrected to maintain safe operation and prevent potential accidents. Regular verification protects operators, ensures legal compliance, and provides peace of mind that the platform is fully reliable, secure, and safe to use.
Lubrication and Component Adjustment
Servicing also includes lubricating moving parts and adjusting key components to reduce wear and enhance performance. These measures maintain smooth operation, extend the MEWP’s lifespan, and prevent minor issues from becoming major faults. Correct adjustments also ensure the platform operates efficiently, reliably, and safely, giving operators confidence and reducing the risk of downtime or unexpected problems.
Contact Elite Access Repairs to Schedule MEWP Servicing
At Elite Access Repairs, we provide professional MEWP servicing to help avoid breakdowns and remain safe and compliant. We service a wide range of MEWPs, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, and static booms, either on-site at your location or at our workshop. Our servicing includes thorough inspections, testing, and maintenance to assess all components of your MEWP, identify any issues, and carry out necessary repairs. To schedule MEWP servicing, contact us today or fill out our online contact form, call 01908 756 056, or email info@eliteaccessrepairs.co.uk.
