Rescue from Aerial & Scissor Lifts
Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) can get stuck in the air, trap an operator against a beam, or leave a worker hanging in a harness after being thrown from a basket. A rescue plan made before the lift goes up gets people down fast.
- Construction
- General Industry
What can go wrong
- Machine failure: dead battery, engine stall or hydraulic fault with the platform raised
- Operator incapacitated: medical emergency, electric shock, or injury
- Entrapment: the operator crushed between the guardrail or controls and an overhead beam or ceiling
- Ejection: a worker thrown from a boom lift basket and hanging from their lanyard
Rescue options
| Method | Notes |
|---|---|
| Ground controls | A trained person on the ground lowers or moves the platform from the base controls |
| Emergency lowering or auxiliary power | Manual release valves or a backup pump; know where it is on each model |
| Another MEWP | Bring a second lift alongside, only if the manufacturer allows transfer and fall protection is maintained |
| Fire department or rescue team | For complex situations; call early and give exact location and height |
Entrapment: moving the platform the wrong way can make a crush worse. Rescuers must know which control reverses the motion. Many newer lifts have secondary guarding that stops movement when the operator is pressed against the controls.
Suspended workers
A worker hanging in a harness can develop suspension trauma: blood pools in the legs and they can lose consciousness within minutes. Get them down as fast as possible, encourage them to move their legs or use relief straps, and call 911. See Fall Rescue & Suspension Trauma.
Rescue plan checklist
- A trained person on the ground who knows the lift’s ground controls and emergency lowering
- Ground controls accessible and keys available
- Communication between the platform and the ground
- Overhead crush hazards identified before work starts
- Rescue equipment (second lift, rescue kit) and emergency numbers ready
- Plan reviewed with the crew before work
Training
ANSI A92.22 and A92.24 call for operators, occupants and supervisors to be trained, including emergency procedures, and for the employer to have a rescue plan. See Aerial Lifts and Scissor Lifts.
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.453: Aerial lifts
- ANSI/SAIA A92.22 and A92.24: MEWP safe use and training
- See also: Fall Rescue
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