The RIGHT Training for aerial lift safety.
In addition to the designated Safety Contacts at your institution, every person who will operate the aerial, scissor or boom lift must be required to complete a training program. Designed by safety personnel at your institution, a training program should be led by a qualified trainer and should conform to all ANSI standards. Training should be completed initially and comply with appropriate and applicable standards, and can include both written exams as well as proficiency demonstrations to verify that every user knows how to operate the lift safely. It is also recommended that each operator complete a training refresher course every year.
Training must be performed by a qualified trainer in conjunction with your health and safety personnel, and, among other things, should teach the operator:
- All ANSI standards, as well as the ISO wind limit standard, which provides that lifts should not be used when winds exceed 28 mph (unless your institution has set a different wind limit)
- Procedures for dealing with all electrical, fall, and falling-object hazards
- How to operate the lift correctly (including maximum intended load and load capacity)
- All manufacturer safety requirements per the owner’s manual
- That individual operators ALWAYS have overriding authority to come down if they feel uncomfortable for any reason
- Proper usage of wind-monitoring equipment
This list is not comprehensive, nor is it intended to serve as a practical structure for developing an aerial lift training program. Each institution should develop its own program, which includes protocol and limits determined specifically for their unique situations. Detailed guidelines for developing safety training standards are available through a variety of resources that can be found on the Links and Resources page of this website.
It is recommended that the certified trainer present “certification cards” to all students and personnel who have completed safety training. Only people presenting proper certification should be permitted to operate the lift.