Construction Safety: Scissor Lifts

1
Construction SafetyScissor Lifts
2
Scissor Lifts

• Aerial Work Platforms
• Classified by OSHA as Scaffolding
• Guidelines addressed in OSHA 1926.452(w) -
  Mobile Scaffolds
• Must meet requirements of this section

3
Scaffolds

• Scaffold means any temporary elevated platform
  (supported or suspended) and its supporting
  structure (including points of anchorage), used
  for supporting employees or materials or both.

4
Statistics

• More construction workers die from falling from a
  height above 6 feet
• Annual average 32-35
• Average of 8 scissor lift fatalities each year
• 10 year study conducted
• Showed 40 of accidents occurred due to tip-over
• Many trades involved
• Painters
• Drywallers
• Electricians
• Others

5
Top 10 Aerial Lift Fatality Causes
1. Operating on an uneven surface 2.
Encountering holes, debris and drop-offs while
operating elevated 3. Climbing above or leaning
over the 42-inch minimum top rail 4.
Overloading and collapsing the boom (i.e. using
a manlift as a material crane) 5. Making
contact with electrical conductors with an
uninsulated portion of the lift 6. Neglecting
to deploy outriggers or brace sufficiently
against tip-over 7. Making body contact with
electrical conductors or entering the induction
field 8. Operating the lift in inclement weather
or low visibility conditions 9. Inexperienced or
untrained operators 10.Unobserved, uncorrected
mechanical or structural defects in equipment
6
Scissor Lifts Accidents

• The most common types of accidents involving a
  scissor lift
• Tip-Over
• caused by misapplication of the machine,
  obstacles
• Misuse of the Equipment
• Machines marked "Use on level surface only"
• Used outdoors for the sake of economy or
  availability, often resulting in tip-overs
• Lack of Maintenance

7
Industry Chronicles

• Salem, N.H., August 2007
• Two men on machine when it began to rock back and
  forth
• One worker grabbed onto roof pulling himself to
  safety
• The other worker went down with machine
• Scissor lift tipped over backward and fell to the
  ground
• Injured a 20-year-old construction worker, sent
  to hospital
• OSHA Investigation is underway

8
Industry Chronicles

• Garland, Texas, September 2007
• Construction worker on scissor lift was slightly
  injured after a roof of a building he was working
  on collapsed.
• roof section fell onto the scissor lift
• Operator was protected by the guardrails on the
  lift.
• The man was taken to the
• hospital as a precaution.

9
Industry Chronicles

• Kansas City, Mo., October 2007
• A man was dismantling the steel frame of a
  building when an I-beam fell on his scissor lift.
• Aerial lift fell over, dropping the man seven
  feet to the concrete floor below.
• Firefighters rushed to the scene and quickly
  freed the worker.

10
Safety Features

• Self-leveling platform or basket
• AC/DC wired outlets in basket
• Interlock control on safety gate
• Tilt sensor-alarm
• Built-in two-way radio and pothole protection
• Motion alarm
• Redundant foot control lock-out
• Voltage sniffer and alarm

11
Accident Prevention

• Responsibility of the employee-designated
  competent person to evaluate the condition of the
  equipment.
• OSHA 1926.451(f)(3)
• Scaffolds and scaffold components shall be
  inspected for visible defects by a competent
  person before each work shift and after any
  occurrence which could (potentially) affect a
  scaffolds structural integrity.

12
OSHA Accident Prevention

• The surface of the scissor lift being moved shall
  be within 3 degrees of level.
• Speed of scissor lift shall not exceed 1 foot per
  second.

3 max
13
Accident Investigation

• Perform an investigation as soon as an accident
  occurs
• Do not return the equipment (if rented) without
  documenting the incident first
• Rental contractor contacted, sends out a
  replacement unit, immediately removing and
  repairing the unit involved in the accident.
• Destroys the evidence "trail" before the
  investigation even begins.

14
Accident Prevention

• Use equipment on safe level ground only
• Do not overload equipment and/or use as a
  material lift
• Inspect installed safety equipment during a
  pre-start inspections
• Document Defects, Repairs, and/or missing safety
  equipment notify rental contractor
• Obtain 12-month rental and repair history before
  renting the equipment

15
Accident Prevention

• Develop maintenance and documentation procedures
  for rental yard clients
• Keep records for at least 3 years
• Emphasize the need to document pre-delivery and
  return inspections
• Training
• Allow time to instruct for safe operation of
  machinery
• Operations Training