OSHA Scissor Lift Certification

Learn the basics of safely operating a scissor lift to OSHA standards, including lift controls, pre-use inspections, fall protection, and hazards around energized components and pedestrians.

Choose responsibility over fault and prioritize safety over shortcuts in your scissor lift work. Act on your duty to protect yourself and your future by avoiding blame and cutting corners.

Stay safe around heavy equipment by speaking up when risks arise, never standing on pallets or operating a scissor lift without proper visibility, warnings, or supervision.

Define a scissor lift as a motorized platform raised by scissor arms that goes up and down, not extending laterally, and is considered a form of scaffolding by OSHA.

Discover how gravity and center of gravity affect stability on a scissor lift. Stay within rated workload, avoid moving at height, and prevent tip overs to protect pedestrians.

Maintain three points of contact when exiting a scissor lift and read the manual. Keep the lift stable, avoid tip-overs, stay in the cage, and attach fall protection to the platform.

Compare driving cars to operating a scissor lift, highlighting tighter turning and unique controls. Learn how stopping by releasing the throttle and wearing a fall protection harness supports stability.

Operators protect pedestrians around scissor lifts by maintaining at least three times the lift’s full extension distance, e.g., 60 ft from a 20 ft lift, and call them away.

Trains workers to avoid overhead power lines and maintain a ten-foot clearance from energized components when operating scissor lifts, and to wear electrically rated hard hats for protection.

Maintain visibility on the scissor lift by scanning for obstructions and pedestrians, wearing glasses, and ensuring a clear path before moving, reversing, or adjusting to lighting.

Control pedestrians around heavy equipment by stopping the lift, attracting attention with a horn or voice, ensure visual contact, and give objective commands to move away.

Understand that exceeding a scissor lift's max capacity endangers stability; calculate your rated capacity by accounting for all weight, including clothing, boots, PPE, and gear, to prevent tipping.

Know your equipment by reading manufacturer labels and operating instructions; verify rated capacity and platform height for indoor and outdoor use, then test all controls before operation.

Explore how weather, ground stability, and overloading a platform impact scissor lift stability and tip overs, and how proper guardrails and level ground reduce fall risk.

Perform a pre-use walkaround of your scissor lift, checking controls, body, tires, and hydraulic tubes for leaks, and take out of service if any issue is found until repair.

Before operation, ensure skid-resistant working surface and slip-resistant ladder access, 42-inch guardrail with a secure gate latch, stable platform, debris removal, and lanyard attachment before entry, then detach on exit.

Understand basic controls on both platform and base for scissor lifts, with clear markings and emergency override procedures. Obtain permission before lower operators override upper controls, except in emergencies.

Master the basics of fall protection by inspecting and properly donning a harness, checking the D-ring, straps, buckles, lanyard, and carabiner before using a scissor lift, and verify expiration date.

Perform a pre-trip inspection of the scissor lift. Use horizontal or vertical loops to check lower, middle, and upper areas in a 360-degree pass.

Assess your work area before operating a scissor lift by inspecting exterior and interior environments for level ground, holes, obstructions, debris, overhead power lines, trees, and other hazards.

Work only within the lift basket and on the platform; never stand on guardrails, use ladders, or attach to external anchors, risking a fall and compromising harness safety.

Assess the work area for level ground within the manufacturer's incline range, review instructions, and monitor stability alarms while chalking wheels and communicating with the ground crew.

Always descend the lift to base level before moving to avoid tipping, remove wheel chocks if on incline, and check visibility for ground conditions and obstacles.

Maintain at least ten feet from power lines, coordinate upper and lower operators, inspect for defects, avoid horseplay, and keep hoses and tools clear of scissor arms, three lengths distance.

Thank you for attending the OSHA scissor lift certification course; engage with the comment area to share questions and review the Fall Protection course for working at heights.