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Home›Courses›Safety Training›To The Point About: Safe Operation of Aerial Work Platforms

To The Point About: Safe Operation of Aerial Work Platforms

22 minutesENSafety Training29 CFR 1926.453, 29 CFR 1910.67, ANSI A92.20/A92.22/A92.24
Quick Answer

Safe Operation of Aerial Work Platforms is a 22-minute online course that covers the safe operation of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), including boom lifts and scissor lifts, in accordance with ANSI A92 standards and OSHA requirements. It is designed for operators, ground personnel, and supervisors who work with or around aerial lifts and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Falls from elevation remain the leading cause of death in construction, with OSHA citing 5,914 fall protection violations in FY 2025 - the number one most-cited standard. Aerial work platforms, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, and other mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), are involved in a significant portion of these incidents. OSHA estimates that aerial lift-related fatalities average 26 per year, with the most common causes being falls from the platform, tip-overs, electrocution from contact with overhead power lines, and workers being struck by the platform or caught between the platform and another object.

This course trains your employees on the safe operation of aerial work platforms, covering pre-operation inspections, load capacity limits, stability considerations, fall protection requirements, and proper operating techniques for both boom-type and scissor-type lifts. The training addresses the operator's responsibilities as well as the roles of ground personnel and supervisors in maintaining a safe work environment around elevated equipment.

What You'll Learn

  • Types of aerial work platforms, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, and personnel lifts
  • Pre-operation inspection procedures and daily equipment checks
  • Load capacity limits, stability factors, and the causes of tip-over incidents
  • Fall protection requirements for boom-type versus scissor-type platforms
  • Safe operating procedures, including positioning, travel, and elevation near overhead hazards
  • Electrocution risks from overhead power lines and minimum clearance distances
  • Emergency procedures, including lowering and rescue from elevated positions
  • The roles and responsibilities of operators, ground personnel, and supervisors

Who Needs This Training

  • Boom lift and scissor lift operators in construction, maintenance, and industrial settings
  • Ground personnel and spotters who work around aerial work platforms
  • Maintenance and facilities workers who use aerial lifts for building upkeep and repairs
  • Warehouse employees who operate scissor lifts for stock picking and inventory management
  • Supervisors responsible for overseeing aerial lift operations and enforcing safety procedures
  • Safety managers who need to ensure operator training compliance with OSHA and ANSI standards

Regulatory Background

OSHA regulates aerial work platforms under 29 CFR 1926.453 (aerial lifts in construction) and 29 CFR 1910.67 (general industry vehicle-mounted platforms). The ANSI A92 family of standards (A92.20, A92.22, A92.24) updated in 2018/2020 established enhanced requirements for design, safe use, training, and responsibilities of operators, supervisors, and occupants. OSHA requires that only trained and authorized personnel operate aerial lifts, and operators must be trained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Fall protection in the form of a body harness and lanyard is required for all boom-type lifts. Violations of aerial lift standards fall under OSHA's fall protection citations, which recorded 5,914 violations in FY 2025, and penalties for serious violations reach up to $16,550 per instance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. OSHA requires that only trained and authorized personnel operate aerial lifts under 29 CFR 1926.453 (construction) and 29 CFR 1910.67 (general industry). Training must cover the manufacturer's operating instructions, workplace hazards, and the specific type of equipment being used. The updated ANSI A92 standards further define training requirements for operators, supervisors, and occupants.
OSHA does not explicitly require body harnesses on scissor lifts equipped with guardrails, but the ANSI A92.22 standard recommends that a risk assessment be performed. Employers must ensure that guardrails are in place and properly maintained. If guardrails are removed or modified, personal fall protection becomes required. Many employers opt for harnesses on all aerial platforms as a best practice.
OSHA requires a minimum clearance of 10 feet from power lines carrying up to 50,000 volts under 29 CFR 1926.1408. For higher voltages, the required clearance increases. Contact with overhead power lines is one of the leading causes of aerial lift fatalities, and many employers enforce distances greater than the OSHA minimum as an added safety measure.
OSHA does not specify a fixed retraining interval for aerial lift operators. However, retraining is required when an operator is observed operating unsafely, after an incident, when assigned a new type of equipment, or when workplace conditions change. The ANSI A92 standards recommend periodic refresher training, and many employers establish annual retraining cycles as a best practice.
OSHA and NIOSH data identify four primary causes: falls from the platform (often due to not wearing fall protection on boom lifts), tip-overs caused by exceeding load limits or operating on unstable surfaces, electrocution from contact with overhead power lines, and struck-by or caught-between incidents involving the platform and surrounding structures. Proper training addresses all four categories.

Related Courses

Employers whose crews use both aerial lifts and other elevated platforms commonly pair this course with MEWPs: Safe Operation of Aerial Lifts and MEWPs: Safe Operation of Scissor Lifts for equipment-specific training on each platform type. For construction sites, adding Fall Protection and Prevention: Jobsite Safety covers the broader fall protection requirements under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M.

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$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$24.95
per person