There has been some confusion as to which OSHA
standards apply to the use of scissor lifts. The aerial lift
requirements (§1926.453) incorporate by reference the definition of
aerial lifts used in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
A92.2-1969 standard. Therefore, the requirements in §1926.453 apply to
equipment identified in that 1969 ANSI consensus standard as aerial
lifts. The ANSI standard definition includes the following
vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms: "extensible boom
platforms," "aerial ladders," "articulating boom platforms," "vertical
towers," and "a combination of any of the above."
Scissor lifts, including those with platforms that extend beyond the
equipment's wheelbase, do not fall within any of these categories.
Therefore, scissor lifts are not addressed by the aerial lift provisions
of Subpart L. While there are no OSHA provisions that specifically
address scissor lifts, they do meet the definition of a scaffold
(§1926.451 - general requirements for scaffolds). Employers must
therefore comply with the other applicable provisions of Subpart L when
using scissor lifts. For example, since scissor lifts are mobile, the
specific requirements for mobile scaffolds in the scaffold standard
(§1926.452(w) - mobile scaffolds) must be met.
