10 Free Scaffold and Aerial Lift Safety Articles
Scaffolds and aerial lifts are temporary elevated platforms that raise workers and materials to heights that ladders cannot safely reach, including supported and suspended scaffolds and powered equipment like scissor lifts, boom lifts, and bucket trucks. Because scaffolds and lifts put people to work above the ground, they carry serious risks like falls from the platform, tip-overs, contact with overhead power lines, and being struck by falling tools or materials, all of which proper setup, inspection, and operation are meant to prevent.
The scaffold and aerial lift articles on this page explain the hazards of each type of equipment and how to work on it safely. The scaffold and lift articles review supported and mobile scaffolds, suspended scaffolds, and the inspection and fall protection steps that scaffold work demands. There are also aerial lift articles on scissor lifts, boom trucks, bucket trucks, and man lifts, including the different rules that apply to each piece of equipment.
Foremen, safety managers, and equipment operators can use these articles to review the hazards before setting up a scaffold or operating a lift, train a new or returning operator, or prepare for a safety meeting. These scaffold and lift articles are valuable for anyone responsible for keeping a crew safe when the work happens above the ground.
Why it matters
Scaffolds and aerial lifts expose workers to serious fall hazards.
Scaffold and Aerial Lift Safety Articles
Scaffold and Lift FAQs
When does OSHA require fall protection on a scaffold?
OSHA requires fall protection for any worker on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level (OSHA 1926.451(g)). Depending on the scaffold type, that protection comes from a guardrail system, a personal fall arrest system, or both.
Do workers need a harness in a scissor lift?
No, workers usually do not need a harness in a scissor lift, as long as the guardrails are in place and they keep both feet on the platform floor. OSHA regulates scissor lifts as mobile scaffolds, so the guardrail system is the required fall protection, and a personal fall arrest system is only needed when the manufacturer or a site rule calls for it. Workers should never climb, sit on, or lean over the rails to extend their reach.
Do you have to tie off in a boom lift or bucket truck?
Yes, OSHA requires a worker in a boom-supported aerial lift to wear a harness or body belt with a lanyard attached to the boom or basket (OSHA 1926.453). The lanyard restrains the worker so a sudden boom movement cannot throw them out of the basket.
Who is allowed to erect, move, or inspect a scaffold?
Scaffolds may be erected, moved, dismantled, or altered only under the supervision of a competent person and by trained, experienced workers (OSHA 1926.451 and 1926.454). A competent person must also inspect the scaffold before each work shift and after any event that could affect its structural integrity.
How far must an aerial lift stay from overhead power lines?
An aerial lift must keep its platform, boom, and workers at least 10 feet away from overhead lines rated up to 50 kV, adding clearance for higher voltages, and every line should be treated as energized. Electrocution from power line contact is one of the leading causes of aerial lift deaths, so survey the route, de-energize lines when possible, and use a spotter.
How much weight can a scaffold safely hold?
A scaffold and each of its components must support their own weight plus at least four times the maximum intended load without failing (OSHA 1926.451(a)(1)). Overloading the platform or planks is a common cause of collapse, so know the rated capacity before staging materials on it.
