Aerial lifts

In the Canal Park district, with a view of the Aerial Lift Bridge which connects the city to its neighbor (Superior, Wisconsin) to the south, lies the local favorite, Taste Of Saigon (394 S. Lake Ave., b 218-727-1598). It offers traditional Thai food in a meat-and-potatoes town. 

Note Fall protection requirements for scaffolds (including aerial lifts), cranes and derricks, steel erection, tunneling operations, electric transmission and distribution fines and equipment work, and stairways and ladders are found in otfier subparts in the construction regulations. 

These citations cover general fall protection. They do not cover falls from scaffolds, aerial lifts, steel erection, etc. Those areas have their own fall protection rules. 

OSHA standards do not prohibit employees from exiting or entering an aerial lift basket that rests on or adjacent to an elevated surface. 

Section 1926.453(b)(2)(v) requires that employees working from aerial lifts be tied-oflf. A worker may enter or exit an aerial lift (at heights above 6 feet) provided that fall protection such as guardrails or a fall arrest system is used while the worker moves between the lift and the working surface. A fall arrest system and its components must meet the criteria in 1926.502(d). 

Aerial lifts are vehicle-mounted devices, telescoping or articulating, or both, which are used to position personnel. They include the following t5rpes of devices used to elevate personnel to jobsites above grovmd ... 

Aerial equipment may be made of metal, wood, fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), or other material may be powered or manually operated and are deemed to be aerial lifts whether or not they are capable of rotating about a vertical axis. 

Since aerial lifts carry people up, fall hazards come into play. In addition, overhead lines must be avoided. If overhead electrical lines carry 50 kV or less, you must maintain a clearance of at least 10 feet. If the lines carry more than 50kV, clearance must be 10 feet plus 0.4 inches for every extra kV. Depending upon the type of work being performed in the lift, other hazards may be involved. 

There are a number of things to do to help ensure the safety of employees whose job requires them to use aerial lifts. Some of these include ... 

Allowing only trained persons to operate an aerial lift. 

Not permitting employees to belt-off to an adjacent pole, structure or equipment while working from an aerial lift. 

Wearing a body belt and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift. 

Installing wheel chocks before using an aerial lift on an incline. 

For fall protection you can only use a body belt as a positioning device. For aerial lifts where fall restraint is required, a body belt, meeting the requirements of 1926.502(e), is acceptable. When using scissors lifts that go straight up and down and do not bounce, a guardrail is acceptable (no body belt needed). 

Spend time training on the types of aerial Ufts the your company uses. Aerial lift manufactmers often have employees that wiU come in and perform training. 

Here are some things you can do to be safe when using aerial lifts ... 

II equipment while working from an aerial lift. 

This sign-off sheet documents the employees who have taken part in a training session on Scaffolding — Aerial lifts at this company, ... 

The types of working platforms the aerial lift rules apply to,... 

Precautions to take when operating aerial lifts. 

There has been some confusion as to whether scissors lifts are considered to be aerials lifts. In 1998 OSHA acknowledged in a Letter of Interpretation that there is confusion regarding scissors lifts and the appropriate standards governing such equipment. 

The mix-up stemmed from the way OSHA s directive (CPL 2-1.23— Inspection Procedures for Enforcing Subpart L, Scaffolds Used in Construction) is worded. That directive stated that scissors lifts are addressed by 29 CFR 1926.453— Aerial lifts, and not by 1926.452(w)—Mobile scaffolds. 

The directive should have more clearly indicated that only aerial lifts meeting the design and construction requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92.2q—Vehicle Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms, are addressed by 1926.453 since that section s coverage is specifically limited to such lifts. All other types of mobile lifts would be covered by the specific requirements at 1926.452(w) mobile scaffolds and/or the general requirements of 1926.451. 

A body belt shall be worn and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift. Body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system. The use of a body belt in a tethering system or in a restraint system is acceptable and is regulated under 1926.502(e). 

Objects falling off building roofs, scaffolding, aerial lifts, scissors lifts, cranes, and forklifts can strike employees working nearby. The objects could be tools, brick, pipe, lumber, and other items. Gravity will cause the object to travel with speed and force. Broken bones and puncture injuries can occur. 

Heavy Equipment — Operating Safely PPE — Head Protection Scaffolding— Aerial Lifts... 

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