Tool Box Talk: Aerial Lift Safety

2 min read

Aerial lifts include scissor lifts, bucket trucks, and cherry pickers. Here are some reasons why, each year, construction workers are killed or injured while using this equipment:

Table of Contents

They were not wearing a harness and fell off the equipment.
They fell with the equipment when it tipped over.
They were electrocuted when the equipment touched a power line or electrical wires.

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Al’s Story

Al was working in a bucket truck to reach a sign he needed to repair. The sign was located near some electrical wires. Al was not provided with a body harness. While he was working, the truck shifted. Al lost his

balance, fell 20 feet to the ground, and died.

What caused this incident?
How could this have been prevented?
Have you or someone you know had an injury from aerial lifts? If so, what happened?

Remember This

Before operating an aerial lift

Check operating and emergency controls.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions and set outriggers, brakes, and wheel chocks, even if on a level surface. Look for a level surface that won’t shift. Never exceed the manufacturer’s slope limits.
Look for potential hazards such as potholes, bumps, or debris that could cause the lift to tip over.
Avoid contact with overhead hazards such as electrical wires or power lines.
Ask your supervisor if the electrical wires or power lines near the work have been de-energized.
Close lift-platform chains or doors, and check guardrails. OSHA requires guardrails on scissor lifts.
Check personal fall protection equipment. If there are signs of damage, your employer should give you new equipment.
Look for leaks of air, hydraulic fluid, and fuel.
Always follow the procedures in the user manual.
If working near traffic, set up cones and signs as work zone warnings.While operating an aerial lift
Always close lift-platform chains or doors.
Always wear fall arrest equipment with lanyard attached to a designated anchor point.
Always stand on the floor of the bucket. Do not climb on or lean over the guardrails.
DO NOT exceed the load limits. DO NOT drive an aerial lift with the lift extended, unless designed for that purpose.