ISA Aerial Lift Specialist study guide
ISA Aerial Lift Specialist · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ISA Aerial Lift Specialist credential is aimed at tree care professionals who work from boom lifts, bucket trucks, and scissor-type platforms rather than climbing or using rope-only systems. It is intended to demonstrate that an operator can plan aerial lift work, recognize hazards, inspect and set up equipment, and work aloft near people, structures, and energized conductors. The ISA Aerial Lift Specialist study guide has 9 sections and about 3,110 words.
01Hazard Identification and Job-Site Risk Assessment
Job-site risk assessment is the first duty in every lift task, and the exam tests whether you can build a documented, task-specific assessment rather than recite slogans. ANSI/SAIA A92.22 expects the employer to assess the task, the site, and the machine before work starts, and to keep a rescue plan ready.
349 words, about 2 min02Aerial Lift Types, Components, and Selection
Choosing the right machine is a scored decision, not a preference: the exam gives a task and expects you to match platform geometry, capacity, terrain, and power source to it. ANSI/SAIA A92.20 classifies MEWPs by Group and Type .
366 words, about 2 min03Pre-Use Inspection, Function Testing, and Maintenance Checks
The pre-use inspection is a documented, model-specific routine performed by the operator before every shift; function testing proves the safety devices actually work. Pre-start walk-around (operator, each shift): tires and wheels, cracks and weld condition, hoses and cables, pins and keepers, guardrails and gate, lanyard anchor points, placards and capacity chart, fluid levels, battery charge, fire extinguisher, manual in its holder.
323 words, about 2 min04Safe Operating Practices, Positioning, and Load and Occupant Limits
Most MEWP incidents trace back to positioning and loading, not mechanical failure. The exam tests whether you can keep the machine inside its envelope.
370 words, about 2 min05Electrical Hazard Awareness and Minimum Approach Distances
Electricity is a leading cause of fatalities in aerial work. The exam wants distances, not adjectives.
362 words, about 2 min06Fall Protection, PPE, and Rescue Planning
Fall protection on a lift is a system, and rescue is part of the plan, not an afterthought. Boom-supported platforms: occupants wear a full-body harness with the lanyard attached to the manufacturer's designated anchorage in the platform.
354 words, about 2 min07Set-Up, Stability, Ground Conditions, and Traffic/Spotter Control
Stability and traffic control decide whether the lift stays upright and whether anyone walks into it. Outriggers and stabilizers fully extended, set on rated pads, machine level per the manufacturer (often 2–5° maximum).
334 words, about 2 min08Arboricultural Applications: Canopy Work, Rigging, and Tree-Side Positioning
Tree work adds dead wood, saws, rigging loads, and a canopy that changes the lift's environment minute to minute. ANSI Z133 is the governing safety standard.
337 words, about 2 min09Regulations, Standards, and Operator Responsibilities
Regulations determine what the operator is trained and obliged to do, and the exam asks you to name the right standard for the machine. ANSI/SAIA A92.20 (design), A92.22 (safe use), A92.24 (training) - the 2018 MEWP suite, replacing the safe-use sections of A92.3/A92.5/A92.6.
315 words, about 2 min