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Working Safely with Scissor Lifts

Scissor lifts provide a safe and reliable platform for workers to perform job tasks when used 

according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When not used properly, scissor lifts can present 

a serious hazard to workers. Employers are responsible for keeping workers safe. This Hazard 

Alert highlights specific hazards present in workplaces where scissor lifts are used and controls 

employers must implement to prevent injuries or fatalities. 

Introduction

Scissor lifts are work platforms used to safely 

move workers vertically and to different locations 

in a variety of industries including construction, 

retail, entertainment and manufacturing. Scissor 

lifts are different from aerial lifts because the lifting 

mechanism moves the work platform straight up and 

down using crossed beams functioning in a scissorlike fashion. Although scissor lifts present hazards 

similar to scaffolding when extended and stationary, 

using scissor lifts safely depends on considering 

equipment capabilities, limitations and safe practices. 

Over a one-year period, OSHA investigated ten 

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

How to Safely Use Scissor Lifts

Employers need to assess the worksite to identify all 

possible hazards in order to select the appropriate 

equipment for the task. 

Employers who use scissor 

lifts need to 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 

training and needed 

personal protective 

equipment (PPE), and 

implementing safe 

work practices.

Fall Protection

Scissor lifts must have guardrails installed to prevent 

workers from falling (see 29 CFR 1926.451(g) or 29 

CFR 1910.29(a)(3)(vii)). 

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 stand on

the guardrails.

• Keep work within easy reach to avoid leaning away

from the scissor lift.

Work 

Platform

Top Rail

Mid Rail

An example of a scissor lift.
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Stabilization 

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., dropoffs, 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. 

Although rare, the collapse of scissor lifts can be 

prevented if employers: 

• Ensure that safety systems designed to stop 

collapsing are maintained and not bypassed.

• Never allow the weight on the work platform to 

exceed the manufacturer’s load rating. 

• Never allow equipment 

other than the scissor 

mechanism to be used to 

raise the work platform 

(e.g., using a forklift to lift 

the work platform).

• Keep the lift from being 

struck by other moving 

equipment on the 

worksite.

Caution: Wind Can Make Extended 

Scissor Lifts Unstable

During the Fall 2010 college football season, 

a student who was also an employee of the 

University of Notre Dame was killed while 

filming the school’s football team practice from 

a scissor lift. Reportedly, the untrained worker 

raised the lift over 39 feet to film the practice. 

The wind gusts that day were more than 50 

miles per hour. The high winds blew the lift 

over, killing the worker.

Positioning 

Positioning the scissor lift to avoid crushing or 

electrocution hazards is important for safe use. 

Crushing hazards are present in workplaces using 

scissor lifts and may expose workers nearby, even 

those not working on the scissor lift. 

Scissor lifts present crushing hazards similar to 

vehicles and other mobile equipment at worksites. 

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 door frame or 

a support beam. 

Positioning the scissor lift to 

avoid electrocution, arc flash, 

and thermal burns is important 

for safely using scissor lifts 

near energized power lines. 

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:
1-800-321-OSHA (6742) • www.osha.gov 3

• 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 do not approach 

electrical power sources (e.g., power lines, 

transformers) by at least 10 feet and that do not 

pose other overhead hazards (e.g., other utilities, 

branches, overhangs, etc.).

• If the job task requires work near an electrical 

source, ensure that the worker is qualified and has 

received the required electrical training. (29 CFR 

1910.269; 29 CFR 1910.333; 29 CFR 1926 

Subpart V).

Maintaining Scissor Lifts

Employers must regularly maintain scissor lifts to 

ensure that they are safe to use (e.g., prevent the 

lifting mechanism from collapsing). Manufacturer’s 

maintenance and inspection instructions will generally 

include how to:

• Test and inspect controls and components before 

each use.

• Ensure that guardrail systems are in good working 

condition.

• Verify that brakes once set will hold the scissor lift 

in position.

Training Workers

Employers must provide workers training on hazards, 

including how to work safely with or near scissor 

lifts. (29 CFR 1926.454). Training must, at a minimum, 

include: 

• Manufacturer’s instructions for operating the scissor 

lift vertically and while in transit.

• How to handle materials on the scissor lift, including 

weight limits.

• Other worksite hazards workers may encounter 

when working on a scissor lift (e.g., contact with 

electrical wires). 

• Reporting any equipment defects or maintenance 

needs.

OSHA Standards

Employers must comply with the following OSHA 

standards (29 CFR) to protect workers from hazards 

associated with scissor lifts.

General Industry

• 1910.23 – Guarding Floor and Wall Openings 

and Holes

• 1910.28 – Safety Requirements for Scaffolding

• 1910.29 – Manually Propelled Mobile Ladder 

Stands and Scaffolds (Towers)

• 1910.333 – Selection and Use of Work Practices

Shipyards

• 1915.71 – Scaffolds or Staging 

Construction

• 1926.21 – Safety Training and Education

• 1926.451 – General Requirements

• 1926.452 – Additional Requirements to Specific 

Types of Scaffolds

• 1926.454 – Training Requirements

Additional Information

Many scissor lifts are covered under OSHA’s 

Scaffolding standard. For technical assistance, 

please refer to OSHA’s eTool and other resources 

on scaffolding.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 

has standards for manufacturing, owning and 

operating scissor lifts. They can be found in ANSI 

A92.3-2006 (Manually Propelled Elevating Aerial 

Platforms) and A92.6-2006 (Self-Propelled Elevating 

Work Platforms).

• OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign

• Safety & Health Topics: Scaffolding, OSHA

• Scaffolding eTool, OSHA

How OSHA Can Help

OSHA has compliance assistance specialists 

throughout the nation who can provide information 

to employers and workers about OSHA standards, 

short educational programs on specific hazards or 

OSHA rights and responsibilities, and information on 

additional compliance assistance resources. 

Contact your local OSHA office for more information. 

OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program offers free 

and confidential advice for small and medium-sized 

businesses with fewer than 250 employees at a site 

(and no more than 500 employees nationwide) to help 

identify and correct hazards at worksites. On-site 

consultation services are separate from enforcement 

and do not result in penalties or citations. To locate the 

nearest OSHA Consultation office, visit: www.osha.

gov/consultation or call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
Workers’ Rights

Workers have the right to:

• Working conditions that do not pose a risk of 

serious harm. 

• Receive information and training (in a language 

and vocabulary the worker understands) about 

workplace hazards, methods to prevent them, and 

the OSHA standards that apply to their workplace.

• Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses. 

• File a complaint asking OSHA to inspect their 

workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard 

or that their employer is not following OSHA’s rules. 

OSHA will keep all identities confidential.

• Exercise their rights under the law without retaliation, 

including reporting an injury or raising health and 

safety concerns with their employer or OSHA. If a 

worker has been retaliated against for using their 

rights, they must file a complaint with OSHA as soon 

as possible, but no later than 30 days. 

For more information, see OSHA’s Workers page.

Contact OSHA

For questions or to get information or advice, to 

report an emergency, fatality, inpatient hospitalization, 

amputation, or loss of an eye, or to file a confidential 

complaint, or to request OSHA’s free on-site 

consultation service, contact your nearest OSHA 

office, visit www.osha.gov, or call OSHA at 1-800-

321-OSHA (6742), TTY 1-877-889-5627. 

Many states operate their own occupational safety 

and health programs approved by OSHA. States 

enforce similar standards that may have different 

or additional requirements. A list of state plans is 

available at www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp.

Disclaimer

This Hazard Alert is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It contains 

recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards [and other regulatory 

requirements]. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to 

assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires 

employers to comply with safety and health standards and regulations promulgated by OSHA or by a state with 

an OSHA-approved state plan. In addition, the Act’s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to 

provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical 

harm. The mention of any non-governmental organization or link to its website in this Hazard Alert does not 

constitute an endorsement by OSHA or NIOSH of that organization or its products, services, or website.

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

DTSEM 02/2016

OSHA HA-3842 2016