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The number one priority on any aerial jobsite should be to promote a safe workplace for both the operators and the equipment. To do this, it is important for everyone onsite to follow safety rules and regulations set forth by industry agencies such as ANSI and OSHA, as well as outlined in the equipment manufacturers’ guidelines.

Fall protection, such as wearing a harness and lanyard, is crucial for operator safety when working on aerial equipment such as articulating, telescopic and trailer-mounted booms. To prevent incidents and mishaps from happening on an aerial jobsite, it is important that you proactively make sure everyone who comes in contact with your aerial work platform understands and adheres to all fall protection requirements.

Different types of aerial work platforms have specific requirements for fall protection, here’s what you need to know:

Fall Protection Requirements on Manually Propelled and Scissor Lift Products:

Standards for Manually Propelled Elevating Work Platforms (ANSI A92.3 and CSA B354.1) and

Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms (Scissor lifts) (ANSI A92.6 and CSA B354.2) do not

require the use of PFPE in addition to guardrails.

Fall Protection Requirements on Booms:

Use of approved Personal Fall Protection Equipment (PFPE), in addition to a guardrail for operator fall protection, is required in the U.S. and Canada for boom-mounted aerial platforms. All occupants in boom‐supported aerial work platforms must wear personal fall protection, with the lanyard attached to the designated anchorage, whenever they are in the platform.

This requirement is mandated by the standards for Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms (ANSI A92.5 and CSA B354.4) and Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices (ANSI A92.2 and CSA C225) and enforced by OSHA (USA) and Provincial (Canadian) authorities.

If an operator is required to use PFPE, Genie provides approved lanyard attachment points in every aerial work platform it manufactures.

Personal Fall Protection Requirements on Boom‐Supported Aerial Work Platform

The following is a general summary of fall protection requirements as discussed above for boom-supported aerial work platforms:

• An employer is responsible for providing approved fall protection for all employees/operators.
• A personal fall arrest system used on a boom type aerial lift cannot allow the operator to fall more than 6 ft, exceed 1,800 lb arresting force or allow the operator to come into contact with any lower surface.

If you have questions regarding fall protection requirements for your aerial work platforms, we encourage you to contact the Product Standards and Compliance Group at 800-536-1800.