Essential Scissor Lift Safety: Operational Guidelines for MEWPs

One of the most common group a mutes you'll find is the scissor lift, also known as a platform lift or a safety lift. These mutes feature crisscrossing supports that lift the platform straight up and down. They typically have a larger platform and they're designed to lift more weight so they can accommodate multiple workers and all their tools. Scissor lifts are pretty versatile, and they can be used for both indoor and outdoor tasks in construction, maintenance, warehousing, and even entertainment. They're often chosen for jobs that need larger work areas and higher load capacities. However, scissor lifts also come with their own set of hazards. Because of their capacity to carry more stuff, tip overs become more likely due to improper loading, exceeding weight limits, and uneven weight distribution on the platform. When working outdoors, these risks can also increase on uneven ground or in windy weather conditions. For example, not too many years ago, a college student tragically died while filming a football practice when a gust of wind collapsed the 40 foot scissor lift he was on. The lift wasn't built for use in winds above 28 mph, and the weather service that day had reported winds well above that speed with additional gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. So to prevent a tip over, never exceed the manufacturer's weight limits. Try to distribute the load as evenly as possible, and always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for things like slopes and wind conditions. Due to their larger platform area, there's also an increased risk of crushing against overhead structures when the platform is raised. In other words, these lifts just take up more space so there's more lift to keep an eye on. Be sure to maintain spatial awareness at all times and make sure there's enough overhead clearance before raising the platform. The scissor mechanism itself can also create pinching hazards for nearby workers and equipment, so pay extra attention when working near the lift and keep all body parts, clothing and any tools clear of the moving components.