Everyone loves scissor lifts. They're easy to use, versatile, and generally considered safe when operated correctly. However, fall safety remains a critical concern, especially when working at heights. OSHA's fall protection requirements for scissor lifts are straightforward, but many argue they don't go far enough. Scissor lifts can elevate workers up to 60 feet or more. A fall from such heights can be fatal, and even a 60-foot fall is likely to result in severe injury or death. While scissor lifts are typically regarded as safe, accidents still happen. Many believe that with proper training and adherence to procedures, accidents are nearly impossible. But this overlooks numerous risks present on any job site. We’ll explore these challenges further below. OSHA mandates fall protection for employees working at heights of four feet or more in general industries and six feet or more in construction. For scissor lifts specifically, OSHA requires fall protection measures like guardrails or personal fall arrest systems. Additionally, employers must ensure regular inspection and maintenance of scissor lift equipment to maintain its functionality. Employers are also obligated to provide comprehensive fall protection training. This includes educating employees on the correct usage of protective gear and awareness of height-related hazards. Training records should include details like the date of training, participant names, and the nature of the training received. Fall protection for scissor lifts is relatively straightforward. You need either guardrails or a fall arrest system. Let's delve deeper into each option. Most scissor lifts come equipped with guardrails. As long as these rails encircle the entire platform perimeter and meet OSHA specifications, they suffice as fall protection. Even lifts reaching heights of over 100 feet require only a 35"-45" high guardrail to prevent falls. However, many in the industry feel this minimal requirement is insufficient. While OSHA sets the baseline, companies should aim for higher safety standards. Some businesses mandate the use of additional fall protection alongside guardrails, especially at greater heights. A personal fall arrest system (PFAS) consists of a full-body harness, a lanyard/lifeline, and an anchor point. This system arrests a fall and prevents the worker from hitting the ground. Most scissor lifts already have anchor points. Workers would need to wear a harness and attach it to the anchor point using a lanyard or SRD. Learn more about SRDs and retractable devices. Situations may arise where some guardrails need to be removed, such as when a worker needs access to one side of the lift. In these cases, OSHA requires the use of a personal fall arrest system in addition to the remaining guardrails. The ongoing debate surrounding OSHA's lenient fall safety standards stems from numerous incidents involving workers being ejected from lifts due to unforeseen circumstances. Many of these incidents result in serious injuries or fatalities. The OSHA website provides an accident log detailing these events. One notable case occurred in 2021, when a worker driving a scissor lift over an unmarked hole covered with plywood lost control. The weight of the lift broke through the plywood, tipping the lift and ejecting the worker, who tragically fell to his death. Performing pre-use inspections is one of the most vital safety practices. Before using a scissor lift, employers should thoroughly check the equipment to ensure it's in excellent condition. This includes looking for any damage, wear, or malfunctioning safety features. Regular inspections help guarantee that workers use safe and reliable equipment. Correct usage and operation of scissor lifts are equally important. Employers must ensure workers receive proper training on safe equipment handling, including moving around the platform and using fall protection gear. Workers should also be trained to recognize and avoid height-related hazards. Regular maintenance is another key best practice. Employers should schedule routine servicing to keep equipment functioning optimally. Replacing worn or damaged parts promptly helps prevent accidents by addressing potential issues before they escalate. Employers should establish comprehensive safety protocols beyond OSHA requirements. This includes emergency plans for accidents and clear warning signs to alert workers to potential dangers. Such measures ensure that workers are aware of risks and know how to respond during emergencies. Understanding OSHA regulations is crucial, but industry standards provide further guidance. Organizations like ANSI and ISO develop additional recommendations for fall protection on scissor lifts. One relevant ANSI standard is ANSI A92.20-2018, which covers the design, construction, testing, and maintenance of mobile elevating work platforms. This standard specifies requirements like guardrails when the platform is elevated and personal fall arrest system anchors. ISO 12100-1:2010, which focuses on machinery safety, also applies. This standard outlines design and construction requirements to ensure scissor lifts are safe. It includes specifications for fall protection systems and support mechanisms. At PowerPak, we specialize in providing safety equipment. While we don't sell scissor lifts, we focus on ensuring workers and companies have quick access to necessary safety gear. Waiting two to three weeks for a safety harness or fall protection device could lead to workers proceeding without proper equipment. Read more about how to use safety harnesses effectively. PowerPak operates on four core principles: fast delivery, immediate shipment processing, local deliveries within a day, and no backorders. Our inventory ensures all products are available when you need them. We pride ourselves on responding within 30 minutes to inquiries via phone, email, or chat. No waiting 24 hours just to place an order. Finally, as leaders in the utility and infrastructure sectors, we’ve been safeguarding workers for over three decades. Explore our offerings at PowerPak.net. pneumatic parts Ningbo Hengnuo Hydraulic Drive Co.,Ltd , https://www.hnhydraulic.com
Fall Protection and Scissor Lifts
Scissor Lift Safety Requirements
Types of Fall Protection for Scissor Lifts
Guardrails
Fall Arrest
Best Practices for Scissor Lift Safety
Industry Standards for Scissor Lifts
ANSI Standard
ISO Standard
How Can PowerPak Assist?
Loading...
1151 view(s)
Fall Protection and Scissor Lifts
Comments
Leave your comment
Your email address will not be published
window.authenticationPopup = {"autocomplete":"off","customerRegisterUrl":"https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/customer\/account\/create\/","customerForgotPasswordUrl":"https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/customer\/account\/forgotpassword\/","baseUrl":"https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/","customerLoginUrl":"https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/customer\/ajax\/login\/"}
{
"#authenticationPopup": {
"Magento_Ui/js/core/app": {"components":{"authenticationPopup":{"component":"Magento_Customer\/js\/view\/authentication-popup","children":{"messages":{"component":"Magento_Ui\/js\/view\/messages","displayArea":"messages"},"captcha":{"component":"Magento_Captcha\/js\/view\/checkout\/loginCaptcha","displayArea":"additional-login-form-fields","formId":"user_login","configSource":"checkout"},"recaptcha":{"component":"Magento_ReCaptchaFrontendUi\/js\/reCaptcha","displayArea":"additional-login-form-fields","reCaptchaId":"recaptcha-popup-login","settings":{"rendering":{"sitekey":"6LeQs2ElAAAAAA3sXCgaxNYfwlYWvh2tGtwZQDtm","badge":"inline","size":"invisible","theme":"light","hl":""},"invisible":true}}}}}} },
"*": {
"Magento_Ui/js/block-loader": "https\u003A\u002F\u002Fwww.powerpak.net\u002Fstatic\u002Fversion1727934776\u002Ffrontend\u002FFolio3\u002Fsalama\u002Fen_US\u002Fimages\u002Floader\u002D1.gif"
}
}
}
{
"*": {
"Magento_Customer/js/section-config": {
"sections": {"stores\/store\/switch":["*"],"stores\/store\/switchrequest":["*"],"directory\/currency\/switch":["*"],"*":["messages","company"],"customer\/account\/logout":["*","recently_viewed_product","recently_compared_product","persistent"],"customer\/account\/loginpost":["*"],"customer\/account\/createpost":["*"],"customer\/account\/editpost":["*"],"customer\/ajax\/login":["checkout-data","cart","captcha","approved_list_items"],"catalog\/product_compare\/add":["compare-products","wp_ga4"],"catalog\/product_compare\/remove":["compare-products"],"catalog\/product_compare\/clear":["compare-products"],"rest\/v1\/requisition_lists":["requisition"],"requisition_list\/requisition\/delete":["requisition"],"requisition_list\/item\/addtocart":["cart"],"sales\/guest\/reorder":["cart","ammessages"],"sales\/order\/reorder":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/cart\/add":["cart","directory-data","ammessages","wp_ga4"],"checkout\/cart\/delete":["cart","ammessages","wp_ga4"],"checkout\/cart\/updatepost":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/cart\/updateitemoptions":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/cart\/couponpost":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/cart\/estimatepost":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/cart\/estimateupdatepost":["cart","ammessages"],"checkout\/onepage\/saveorder":["cart","checkout-data","last-ordered-items","amasty-checkout-data","ammessages"],"checkout\/sidebar\/removeitem":["cart","ammessages","wp_ga4"],"checkout\/sidebar\/updateitemqty":["cart","ammessages"],"rest\/*\/v1\/carts\/*\/payment-information":["cart","last-ordered-items","captcha","instant-purchase","amasty-checkout-data","ammessages","wp_ga4"],"rest\/*\/v1\/guest-carts\/*\/payment-information":["cart","captcha","amasty-checkout-data","ammessages","wp_ga4"],"rest\/*\/v1\/guest-carts\/*\/selected-payment-method":["cart","checkout-data","ammessages"],"rest\/*\/v1\/carts\/*\/selected-payment-method":["cart","checkout-data","instant-purchase","ammessages"],"customer_order\/cart\/updatefaileditemoptions":["cart"],"checkout\/cart\/updatefaileditemoptions":["cart"],"customer_order\/cart\/advancedadd":["cart"],"checkout\/cart\/advancedadd":["cart"],"checkout\/cart\/removeallfailed":["cart"],"checkout\/cart\/removefailed":["cart"],"customer_order\/cart\/addfaileditems":["cart"],"checkout\/cart\/addfaileditems":["cart"],"customer_order\/sku\/uploadfile":["cart"],"wishlist\/index\/add":["wishlist","wp_ga4"],"wishlist\/index\/remove":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/updateitemoptions":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/update":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/cart":["wishlist","cart","wp_ga4"],"wishlist\/index\/fromcart":["wishlist","cart"],"wishlist\/index\/allcart":["wishlist","cart","wp_ga4"],"wishlist\/shared\/allcart":["wishlist","cart"],"wishlist\/shared\/cart":["cart"],"rest\/*\/v1\/carts\/*\/po-payment-information":["cart","checkout-data","last-ordered-items"],"purchaseorder\/purchaseorder\/success":["cart","checkout-data","last-ordered-items"],"multishipping\/checkout\/overviewpost":["cart","ammessages"],"giftregistry\/index\/cart":["cart"],"giftregistry\/view\/addtocart":["cart"],"customer\/address\/*":["instant-purchase"],"customer\/account\/*":["instant-purchase"],"vault\/cards\/deleteaction":["instant-purchase"],"wishlist\/index\/copyitem":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/copyitems":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/deletewishlist":["wishlist","multiplewishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/createwishlist":["multiplewishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/editwishlist":["multiplewishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/moveitem":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/index\/moveitems":["wishlist"],"wishlist\/search\/addtocart":["cart","wishlist"],"persistent\/index\/unsetcookie":["persistent"],"quickorder\/sku\/uploadfile\/":["cart"],"review\/product\/post":["review"],"faq\/index\/save":["faq"],"paypal\/express\/placeorder":["amasty-checkout-data","ammessages"],"paypal\/payflowexpress\/placeorder":["amasty-checkout-data","ammessages"],"amasty_promo\/cart\/add":["cart","ammessages"],"paypal\/express\/onauthorization":["ammessages"],"braintree\/paypal\/placeorder":["ammessages"],"authorizenet\/directpost_payment\/place":["ammessages"],"company_logo\/index\/*":["company_data"],"rest\/v1\/requisition_list\/share":["requisition"],"checkout\/cart\/configure":["wp_ga4"],"rest\/*\/v1\/guest-carts\/*\/shipping-information":["wp_ga4"],"rest\/*\/v1\/carts\/*\/shipping-information":["wp_ga4"],"purchaseorder\/purchaseorder\/placeorder":["wp_ga4"]},
"clientSideSections": ["checkout-data","cart-data","faq_product","amasty-checkout-data","chatData"],
"baseUrls": ["https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/"],
"sectionNames": ["messages","customer","compare-products","requisition","last-ordered-items","cart","directory-data","captcha","wishlist","company","company_authorization","purchase_order","negotiable_quote","instant-purchase","loggedAsCustomer","multiplewishlist","persistent","review","faq","ammessages","ship_to_location","company_data","chatData","approved_list_items","wp_ga4","recently_viewed_product","recently_compared_product","product_data_storage"]
}
}
}
{
"*": {
"Magento_Customer/js/customer-data": {
"sectionLoadUrl": "https\u003A\u002F\u002Fwww.powerpak.net\u002Fcustomer\u002Fsection\u002Fload\u002F",
"expirableSectionLifetime": 60,
"expirableSectionNames": ["cart","persistent"],
"cookieLifeTime": "86400",
"updateSessionUrl": "https\u003A\u002F\u002Fwww.powerpak.net\u002Fcustomer\u002Faccount\u002FupdateSession\u002F"
}
}
}
{
"*": {
"Magento_Customer/js/invalidation-processor": {
"invalidationRules": {
"website-rule": {
"Magento_Customer/js/invalidation-rules/website-rule": {
"scopeConfig": {
"websiteId": "1"
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
{
"body": {
"pageCache": {"url":"https:\/\/www.powerpak.net\/page_cache\/block\/render\/id\/159\/","handles":["default","amblog_index_post","amasty_blog_two_column_right_layout","amasty_blog_desktop_post","amasty_blog_post_page","remove_compare_products"],"originalRequest":{"route":"amblog","controller":"index","action":"post","uri":"\/blog\/fall-protection-and-scissor-lifts\/"},"versionCookieName":"private_content_version"}
}
}
window.__lc = window.__lc || {};
window.__lc.license = 8805336;
if(livechat_visitor_data) {
window.__lc.visitor = livechat_visitor_data;
}
(function() {
var lc = document.createElement('script'); lc.type = 'text/javascript'; lc.async = true;
lc.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'cdn.livechatinc.com/tracking.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(lc, s);
})();