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Elevated work inherently carries the risk of falling from that elevation and sustaining an injury as a result of the fall. Many workers must utilize mobile elevated work platforms( MEWPS) to access elevated areas because they are recognized as a conventionally safer alternative to portable ladders. However, they still pose many risks to workers from falling or being accidentally ejected from the equipment.
There are various solutions for providing fall protection for non-articulating lifts( also referred to as Group A or scissor lifts) and articulating lifts( also referred to as Group B or boom lifts) that can help maintain regulatory compliance and protect workers.
Scissor Lifts
Most people consider the guardrails on scissor lifts as adequate fall protection, and they would be correct if achieving minimum OSHA requirements were the goal. However, exceeding minimum requirements is the only way to build fully comprehensive fall protection programs that plan for the unexpected and protect workers.
Additionally, there is an ongoing debate among industry professionals about whether more robust fall protection is required while working on scissor lifts. Many scissor lifts are now manufactured with an engineered anchor point on one( or more) of the midrails. OSHA is clear that equipment operators must follow the manufacturer’ s instructions. If the manufacturer instructs operators to use the anchorage when using the scissor lift, but OSHA does not explicitly require fall protection on scissor lifts, many employers are left uncertain about how to proceed. It is also important to note that the guardrails on scissor lifts should never be used as a tie-off point. Guardrails are only rated to withstand up to 200 pounds of force while falls can generate 1,800
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