Safety Requirements for Scissor Lifts
According to both HRSDC and OSHA, scissor lifts or "movable scaffolds" are industrial machinery capable of lifting heavy and large loads that are well balanced. They are responsible for moving employees and their supplies to and from high places efficiently and safely. Because these mobile heavy equipment are categorized as heavy machinery, there are lots of safety requirements which apply to the maintenance and use of scissor lifts.
Movement
Scissor lifts sit upon a wheeled base so they can move around to access a wider variety of places. These pieces of equipment have been designed to move heavier loads, equipment and even workers up and down to work locations. For safety reasons, employees are not allowed to ride on a scissor lift during the relocation process. Usually, this is to help make sure that no one falls from the machinery while it is being used. All staff working around a scissor lift as well as directly with the equipment have to be informed about its movement prior to the operator releasing the safety brake to be able to make the lift move. Constant communication around heavy equipment helps keep the working environment and all people in it safe.
Fall Protection
To be able to guarantee that employees prevent falling when operating the machine, there are several safety regulations to consider about forklift safety standards. Although scissor lifts are not required to be enclosed, there are features like for example guard rails positioned around the lift perimeter in addition to a lock that has to be engaged on the lift platform entrance whenever the lift is being used. There are also slip guards in position for added safety.
One more good safety habit employees must make is ensuring that heavy loads or anything on the lift platform is fastened down in a secure manner prior to moving the lift to be certain that nothing causes anyone on the lift platform to become injured.