Aerial boom lifts and scissor lifts play an important role in construction and many other industries. These versatile mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) come in several types, each with various applications and operating hazards. This course package will teach you how to maximize worksite safety while working on or around boom and scissor lifts, the most common MEWP classifications used across U.S. workplaces.
Only trained and certified persons may operate MEWPs. This course complies with the formal training requirements for aerial lifts and related scaffolding equipment found in OSHA standards 1926.453 and 454 and American National Standards Institute/Scaffold and Access Industry Association (ANSI/SAIA) standard A92. Workers must be certified by their employers following additional practical training and evaluation.
Lift Operator Training: Aerial Boom & Scissor Lift Package Details
Boom and Scissor Lifts Training Benefits
Benefits of our training course include:
- 100% Online
- Satisfies OSHA MEWP Training Requirements in 29 CFR 1926.453 and 454
- 180 Days of Course Access
- Immediate Access to Your Course Certificate
- Unlimited Test Attempts
- Bulk Discounts Available
Who Needs Boom and Scissor Lifts Training?
Only employer-certified individuals may operate MEWPs, including scissor and boom lifts. This course teaches important safety and operating principles required by 29 CFR 1926.454.
MEWPs of all kinds allow workers to extend their vertical range and perform tasks far above the ground. Aerial lifts and scissor lifts are used in all kinds of jobs.
You may need training if you work in:
- Construction
- Utility line installation
- Tree trimming
- Warehouse operations
- Facility maintenance
- Videography
- Window washing
- Building inspections
- House painting
- Fire and rescue
- Demolitions
This OSHA-compliant training isn't just designed for lift operators. If you work on or around any of the equipment described in 1926.452(w) or 1926.453, this course is for you.
Testing Requirements
The course includes three end-of-module quizzes and one comprehensive final exam. You must pass each assessment before you complete the course. You have unlimited attempts to pass each quiz and the exam.
The final exam is 30 multiple-choice questions drawn from all course topics. You must earn a score of at least 70%. If you fail, you can repeat the exam at no additional cost.
Course Learning Objectives
At the end of the Boom and Scissor Lifts course, you will be able to:
- Describe the Responsibilities of MEWP operators and employers and explain why familiarization with the exact make and model is required.
- Distinguish Group A, Group B and vehicle-mounted MEWPs based on platform movement and equipment configuration.
- Identify common MEWP and scissor lift components, controls and safety devices and the principal parts of articulating and telescoping boom lifts.
- Outline the pre-operation inspection and ground-level function-test sequence used before elevation.
- Explain the boom lift tie-off requirement and identify the correct manufacturer-designated anchor point.
- Explain the tip-over moment and use a load chart to compare combined platform load with rated capacity at a given reach.
- Apply the correct sequence for leveling, deploying outriggers, setting pads or cribbing, verifying level and function testing.
- Recognize ground-bearing, elevated travel, swing-radius, overhead-obstruction and structure-entrapment hazards.
- Apply minimum clearance principles for overhead power lines and account for the boom's full range of motion.
- Explain how guardrails provide primary fall protection on a standard scissor lift and when manufacturer instructions may require a harness.
- Apply load limits and weight-distribution rules, including when using an extension deck.
- Identify the conditions required for elevated travel and explain when the platform must be lowered before repositioning.
- Recognize wind, slope, soft-ground and uneven surface hazards that can contribute to a scissor lift tip-over.
- Describe the appropriate response to equipment failure or an elevated-platform emergency.
Course Outline
Boom and Scissor Lifts training includes two hours of fully narrated, OSHA-compliant safety instruction for a variety of powered scaffolding equipment. The course is divided into three lesson modules.
In the first lesson, you will learn to recognize and address hazards associated with both Group A and Group B mobile elevating work platforms, including operator responsibilities, inspection procedures, fall protection concepts and emergency procedures shared across all MEWPs.
The second and third modules cover important safety rules and operating procedures specific to boom lifts and scissor lifts, respectively. Through a series of full-color illustrations, video segments, narrated content, interactive activities and work-site scenarios, you will master the skills needed to earn lift certification for both styles of aerial work platforms.
Module 1: MEWP Core Safety
Topics covered in Module 1 include:
- ANSI/SAIA A92 Responsibilities and Familiarization
- MEWP Groups and Equipment Types
- Common MEWP Components
- Pre-Operation Inspection and Function Testing
- Fall Protection
- Load Capacity and Load Charts
- Worksite Hazard Assessment
- Emergency and Rescue Response
Module 2: Boom Lift Operator Training
Topics covered in Module 2 include:
- A Different Machine, Different Rules
- Mandatory Tie-Off
- Know Your Boom
- The Tip-Over Moment
- Reading the Load Chart
- Outrigger Setup Sequence
- Reading Ground Conditions
- Driving, Repositioning and Swing Radius
- Overhead Obstructions and Entrapment
- Power Line Clearance
- Boom Lift Repositioning Scenario
Module 3: Scissor Lift Operator Training
Topics covered in Module 3 include:
- Group A: Built to Go Up, Not Out
- Guardrail-Based Fall Protection
- Meet the Scissor Lift
- From the Ground to Elevated
- Platform Extension Deck
- Traveling While Elevated
- Wind and Outdoor Operating Limits
- Scissor Lift Tip-Over Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an aerial lift?
OSHA classifies aerial lifts as any vehicle-mounted device used to elevate personnel. Equipment ranging from telehandlers to cherry pickers fall into this class of workplace lift.
Examples include:
- Extendable boom platforms
- Aerial ladders
- Articulated boom platforms
- Vertical towers
- Combination vehicles
Boom lifts, including telescoping and articulated models, are covered by this MEWP certification package.
Are scissor lifts considered aerial lifts?
No. OSHA considers scissor lifts to be a form of mobile scaffolding. Mobile scaffolding, while functionally similar to an aerial lift, is a separate class of equipment under OSHA safety standards.
What is the OSHA standard for aerial and scissor lifts?
Standards for both aerial lifts and scissor lifts are in Subpart L of OSHA's construction standard (Part 1926).
Specific standards relating to these devices include:
- 1926.451 — Contains general requirements for scaffold safety
- 1926.452(w) — Provides specific additional requirements for mobile scaffolds, including scissor lifts
- 1926.453 — Explores the definitions and safety standards for all types of aerial lifts
- 1926.454 — Details the training requirements for workers who operate on or near scaffolds, including aerial lifts and scissor lifts
This course explores all relevant standards and complies with OSHA training requirements for boom and scissor lift devices.
Does my operator training expire?
No. Your digital Certificate of Completion has no expiration date. However, you should periodically repeat this training course to refresh your safety knowledge. Your employer may also require you to repeat training under certain circumstances.
How often is retraining required?
You should repeat this course every three years to stay up to date on best practices and changing safety standards.
Employers may also require retraining in any of the following cases:
- A workplace incident occurs involving a MEWP.
- Hazards related to boom or scissor lifts are discovered on the jobsite.
- You start working with or around a different type of lift.
- Your employer observes improper use of equipment.
Does OSHA require aerial lifts training?
Yes. Under 1926.454, employers must provide lift training certification for all workers who operate or work with aerial and scissor lifts.
Does this course provide OSHA certification or an aerial lift license?
OSHA does not approve training courses or certify lift operators. This training course complies with all OSHA formal training and testing standards found in 29 CFR 1926.454 for powered aerial or scissor lift operators.
After completing the online portion of your education, you must receive practical training from your employer, including hands-on experience with the exact machine you will use on the job. At the end of your on-site instruction, your employer will evaluate your practical skills and provide your lift operator certification.
How long does this course take to complete?
This course contains two hours of training instruction over three modules. All lesson content is fully narrated.
You may start and stop the course at any time. You have 180 days from the date of purchase to complete the course.
Related Courses
- Scissor Lift Certification
- Boom Lift Certification
- OSHA Forklift Certification
- Telehandler Safety Training and Certification
- Pallet Jack Safety Training and Certification
- Scaffold Safety Awareness
- OSHA Competent Person: Scaffolding
- OSHA Competent Person: Fall Protection
- OSHA Fall Prevention Training
- Work Zone Safety
- Recognizing Electrical Hazards