• Accidents involving scissor lifts tend to be due to lacks in fall protection, stabilization, or positioning.
• Scissor lifts should be carefully placed and operated to avoid crushing and electrocution risks.

Over a one-year period, the Occupational Safety & Health Association (OSHA) investigated 10 preventable fatalities and more than 20 preventable injuries resulting from a variety of incidents involving scissor lifts. OSHA’s investigations found that most injuries and fatalities involving scissor lifts were the result of employers not addressing:

• Fall protection
• Stabilization
• Positioning

Employers need to assess the jobsite to identify all possible hazards in order to select the appropriate equipment for the task. Employers who use scissor lifts must evaluate and implement effective controls that address fall protection, stabilization, and positioning.

Only trained workers should be allowed to use scissor lifts, and employers should make sure that those workers show that they can use a scissor lift properly.

Safe scissor lift use includes properly maintaining the equipment, following the manufacturer’s instructions, providing workers with training and needed personal protective equipment (PPE), and implementing safe work practices.

Positioning the scissor lift to avoid crushing or electrocution hazards is important for safe use. Crushing hazards are present in workplaces with scissor lifts and may expose workers nearby, even those not working on the scissor lift. Scissor lifts present similar crushing hazards to vehicles and other mobile equipment at jobsites.

Employers should train workers to be watchful when:

• A moving scissor lift is near a fixed object.
• A moving vehicle and the scissor lift are operating closely.
• The scissor lift passes under a fixed object, such as a doorframe or support beam.

Energized power lines

To safely use scissor lifts near energized power lines, the scissor lift must be positioned to avoid electrocution, arc flash, and thermal burns. Since electricity can arc or jump from the power line to the scissor lift or worker, electrocution can occur even if neither the scissor lift nor the worker touches the power line.

Employers should use the following work practices to ensure that scissor lifts are safely positioned:

• Implement traffic control measures around the scissor lift to prevent other workers or vehicles from getting too close.
• Use ground guides when operating or moving the scissor lift around the workplace.
• Select work locations that are at least 10 feet away from electrical power sources (e.g., power lines, transformers) and that do not pose other overhead hazards (e.g., other utilities, branches, overhangs).
• If the job task requires work near an electrical source, ensure that the worker is qualified and has received the required electrical training.

Fall protection

Scissor lifts must have guardrails installed to prevent workers from falling (see 29 CFR 1926.451[g]). Employers should train workers to:

• Check to see that a guardrail system is in place before working on the scissor lift.
• Only stand on the work platform, never on the guardrails.
• Keep work within easy reach to avoid leaning away from the scissor lift.

If all the manufacturer’s guardrails are in place, there is no requirement for having to wear a personal fall arrest harness and tie-off in the scissor lift.

Scissor lift stability

Employers should ensure that scissor lifts are stable and will not tip over or collapse. Some safe work practices to ensure safe, stable conditions for scissor lift use include:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe movement (this usually rules out moving the lift in an elevated position).
• Isolate the scissor lift or implement traffic control measures to ensure that other equipment cannot contact the scissor lift.
• Select work locations with firm, level surfaces away from hazards that can cause instability (e.g., drop-offs, holes, slopes, bumps, ground obstructions, or debris).
• Use the scissor lift outside only when weather conditions are good. Scissor lifts rated for outdoor use are generally limited to wind speeds below 28 miles per hour.