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 cargo which are balanced well. They are responsible for moving employees and their materials to and from high elevations in a safe and efficient way. Because these mobile heavy machinery are categorized as heavy equipment, there are lots of safety standards which apply to the use and maintenance 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 machines have been designed to move heavier loads, equipment and even workers down and up to work places. For safety reasons, workers are not permitted to ride on a scissor lift during the relocation process. Generally, this is to help make certain that no one falls from the machine while it is being utilized. All employees working around a scissor lift as well as directly with the machinery should be informed about its movement prior to the driver releasing the safety brake in order to make the lift move. Constant communication around heavy machinery helps keep the working environment and all those in it safe.
Fall Protection
In order to ensure that workers prevent falling when utilizing the equipment, there are some safety rules to think about regarding 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 along with a lock which must 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 sure that nothing causes anybody on the lift platform to become injured.