FACTS

1. Inadequate Operator Training: Workers without comprehensive training on MEWP operation, hazard recognition, and emergency procedures risk falls, entrapments, or tip-overs due to improper use or unfamiliarity with controls.
2. Missing Fall Protection: Failure to use guardrails, harnesses, or lanyards on MEWP platforms, especially Group B (boom lifts), increases fall risks, particularly at heights above 6 feet.
3. Improper Setup: Operating MEWPs on uneven, unstable, or soft ground without stabilizers or outriggers can cause tip-overs, endangering operators and nearby workers.
4. Overloading Platforms: Exceeding manufacturer-specified weight limits with workers, tools, or materials destabilizes MEWPs, leading to potential collapses or tip-overs.
5. Lack of Pre-Use Inspections: Skipping daily inspections of MEWP components (e.g., hydraulics, controls, guardrails) can allow undetected defects, increasing accident risks.
6. Environmental Hazards: Using MEWPs in high winds, rain, or near power lines without adhering to manufacturer guidelines risks tip-overs, electrocutions, or entrapments.
7. Inadequate Rescue Plans: Absence of practiced rescue plans for entrapments, falls, or mechanical failures delays emergency responses, potentially worsening outcomes for operators.

STATS

• OSHA reported in 2023 that MEWP-related violations were among the top 10 construction safety citations, with 15% linked to inadequate training or missing fall protection.
• WorkSafeBC noted in 2022 that 12% of construction fall injuries in British Columbia involved MEWPs, with 40% due to improper setup or overloading.
• A 2021 OSHA Outreach Courses report stated that from 2019–2020, 736 MEWP incidents affected 768 individuals, with 172 fatalities, primarily from falls and tip-overs.
• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) reported in 2023 that workplaces with mandatory MEWP operator training reduced accident rates by up to 22%.
• A 2022 Journal of Safety Research study found that 65% of MEWP injuries were caused by falls, entrapments, or tip-overs, preventable with proper training and inspections.
• A 2021 Statistics Canada survey indicated that 10% of construction workers reported near-miss incidents with MEWPs, often due to inadequate hazard assessments or weather-related risks.