OSHA updates scissor lift hazard warning

All of the incidents were preventable, the agency stated, and most stemmed from employers not addressing fall protection, stabilization or positioning.

The hazard alert provides the following recommendations:

• Scissor lifts should be installed with guardrails.
• Only trained workers should be allowed to use scissor lifts, and that training should include never standing on the guardrails and keeping work within easy reach to avoid leaning away from the lift.
• Employers should ensure scissor lifts are stable by following the manufacturer’s instructions and using the device outside only in good weather conditions.
• Position scissor lifts at least 10 feet away from electrical power sources and implement traffic controls to prevent workers or vehicles from approaching the lifts.

The alert initially was developed following the death of a University of Notre Dame student and employee in 2010. The untrained employee was 39 feet up in a scissor lift filming a football team practice when winds – which were gusting at more than 50 mph – blew the lift over and killed the worker.

For more information on training and the safe operation of aerial work platforms, visit www.ipaf.org.