Fall Protection, PPE, and Rescue Planning
Fall protection on a lift is a system, and rescue is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
The system
- Boom-supported platforms: occupants wear a full-body harness with the lanyard attached to the manufacturer's designated anchorage in the platform. Body belts are not acceptable fall arrest.
- Never tie off to a pole, tree, scaffold, or building - movement of the lift or the structure can eject, shock-load, or crush the occupant.
- Keep the lanyard short enough to prevent going over the rail and long enough to work; use a restraint lanyard where the manufacturer requires restraint.
- Scissor lifts rely on guardrails as primary fall protection; a harness is added when the manufacturer or employer requires it, for example when a gate must be opened.
- Gates closed and latched; never sit or stand on the rails.
PPE
Hard hat with chin strap, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 high-visibility vest, eye and hearing protection, gloves, sturdy boots; tether tools and keep them off the rail. Line-clearance work adds rubber gloves and sleeves.
Rescue
A92.22 expects a rescue plan before work begins: who rescues, with what, and how the platform is lowered if the operator is incapacitated. Practise auxiliary lowering from the ground. Suspension in a harness can cause orthostatic intolerance within minutes; provide relief straps and get the person down promptly, per the prompt-rescue requirements in 1910.140 and 1926.502.
Worked example
An operator clips the lanyard to the top rail because the anchor "looked too high." The rail is not an engineered anchor and will deform in a fall. Reclip to the designated anchor point and adjust the lanyard length.
Traps
- A rescue plan that says only "call 911."
- Harness stored wet or with damaged stitching.
- Tying off outside the platform "for extra reach."