What’s wrong with this picture?

Look closely and you’ll notice that the rear left wheel of this cherry picker is elevated leaving the 2 workers on the platform supported by an unstable triangle of 3 wheels. Yikes!

The Moral: Ensuring that all the wheels of an aerial lift are on a solid, level base before the boom is raised is crucial to prevent falls, not to mention citations for violating the OSHA Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Mobile Platforms standard (Sec. 1910.67).

Safe Use of Aerial Lifts

What’s at Stake

3 Reasons to Pay Attention

1. Falling from an aerial lift can result in death or serious injury
2. Such falls often take place because the aerial lift tips-over
3. If you know how to use an aerial lift safely, it’s much less likely to tip over

3 Kinds of Aerial Lifts

Aerial lifts are mobile devices that use cables to elevate workers in a cabin, car, gondola or open chair above the ground so they can work in high places. Common types:

1. Cherry Pickers:

2. Bucket Trucks:

3. Aerial Ladders:

8 Aerial Lift Do’s & Dont’s

There are 8 things to do/not do when using an aerial lift:

• DO ensure all wheels of the aerial lift are positioned on a firm, level and uniform base—don’t be like the workers in the photo above
• DON’T go over the boom and basket load limits set by the manufacturer
• DO test the controls and inspect the aerial lift before using it each day
• DON’T override the aerial lift’s hydraulic, mechanical or electrical safety devices
• DO keep a distance of at least 10 feet away from the nearest overhead power line
• DON’T use an aerial lift as a crane or device to lift materials
• DO wear a hardhat, fall protection and other required PPE when working from an aerial lift
• DON’T belt off to an adjacent pole, structure or equipment when working from an aerial lift