Business Category: Safety / Industrial Category: Property & Facilities Management

Scissor Lift Safety Checklist

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This scissor lift safety checklist helps ensure that scissor lifts work properly. It assesses operating and emergency controls, safety devices, personal protective equipment and other aspects. Download this checklist and customize it according to the manufacturer's manual for your scissor lift.

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Scissor Lift Safety Checklist
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How to Use This Checklist

  • Record the inspection date and who prepared it, along with the location.
  • Work through each inspection item and mark it either OK or Needs attention, adding notes where something needs follow-up.
  • Complete the sign-off with a signature, the finish time, and the real inspection start and end dates.

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What this checklist is for

This scissor lift safety checklist is a pre-use inspection used to confirm that a scissor lift is in good working order before it is operated. It walks you through the operating and emergency controls, safety devices, personal protective equipment, tires and wheels, leaks in the air, hydraulic and fuel circuits, loose or missing parts, battery, cable and wiring, decals and control markings, the guardrail system, and the hazards present around the work area. The checklist contains 36 items and uses a simple two-value scale: OK and Needs attention.

Why scissor lift inspections matter

A scissor lift is a piece of lifting equipment that puts a person at height, so small defects can become serious incidents. Inspecting before use helps you catch problems such as cracked welds, cracked metal, deformed components, broken structures or signs of metal fatigue, and issues with the guardrail system or lanyard attachment points before anyone is exposed to them. It also gives you a record of the condition of the equipment on a given day.

What a good inspection covers

A complete pre-use inspection of a scissor lift looks at several areas: - **Operating and emergency controls** — confirm they function correctly and are free of excessive dirt, grease or foreign objects. - **Safety devices** — check that items such as pothole protection and fire extinguishers are in place and working. - **Personal protective equipment** — confirm the wearing of a hard hat, safety glasses, safety shoes, harness and lanyard where required. - **Tires and wheels** — look for excessive wear or cuts, correct inflation, cracks and damage such as bent rims, and that wheel nuts are installed and tightened. - **Air, hydraulic and fuel circuits** — check for leakage, rubbing or cracking of hoses, kinking or blocking, and verify the correct service levels. - **Loose or missing parts** — confirm there are no loose or missing parts on the boom, assemblies and platform. - **Battery, cable and wiring** — look for loose wire connectors, damaged electrical cables, and rubbing, kinking or improper securing of cables or electrical wires. - **Decals and markings** — confirm the capacity rating is legible and that all warning and control markings are legible and attached. - **Operator manual** — confirm the operator and responsibility manuals are installed on the lift, legible, stored in a weather-resistant container, and that the container is easily identifiable. - **Structure and platform** — verify the platform is in good working condition, the floor is in good condition, housekeeping is observed, and there are no cracked welds, cracked metal, deformed components, broken structures or signs of metal fatigue. - **Guardrail system** — check the lanyard attachment points are in good condition and located near the bottom of the basket, in the corners.

Conducting the inspection

Start by recording when the inspection was conducted, who prepared it, and the location. Then work through the equipment checks in order: steering and components, ramps and cylinders, the operating and emergency controls, the travel light, and the required personal protective equipment. Move on to the physical condition of the platform and the machine, covering tires and wheels, hoses and service levels, loose or missing parts, the battery, cables and wiring, decals and markings, and the operator manual. Check the structure and guardrail system for cracks, deformation and fatigue, and test that the lower controls and the platform controls function correctly. Finally, assess the surrounding area for hazards such as falls, holes, bumps, debris, overhead obstructions, high-voltage or overhead lines, strong winds or bad weather, inadequate ground support, inadequate ventilation and hazardous atmospheres. For each item, mark OK or Needs attention, and finish by signing off with the time and the real inspection start and end dates.

Practical tips

- Read the manufacturer's manual for your scissor lift first, since it may specify checks that go beyond the items here. - Group the inspection by area — controls, structure, wheels, power and wiring, markings and manual, then the surrounding environment — so nothing is missed. - Record a Needs attention result immediately and take the lift out of service for that item until it is resolved. - Keep the completed record; it shows the condition of the lift at the time of inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

This checklist is a pre-use safety inspection for scissor lifts and covers the main areas that affect safe operation. It addresses operating and emergency controls, safety devices, personal protective equipment, tires and wheels, leaks in the air, hydraulic and fuel circuits, loose or missing parts, battery, cable and wiring, decals and control markings, the guardrail system, and surrounding hazards. It contains 36 items.

An inspection standardly starts by recording the date and who prepared it, then goes through the platform and its components: steering and components, ramps and cylinders, operating and emergency controls clear of excessive dirt, grease or foreign objects, the travel light, and personal protective equipment such as a hard hat, safety glasses, safety shoes, harness and lanyard where required.

Look at the tires for excessive wear or cuts and correct inflation, and check the wheels for cracks and damage such as bent rims. Confirm the wheel nuts are installed and tightened.

Check for leakage, rubbing or cracking of hoses and for kinking or blocking, verify the correct service levels, and confirm there are no loose or missing parts on the boom, assemblies and platform.

Verify the battery, cables and wiring: no loose wire connectors, no damaged electrical cables, and no rubbing, kinking or improper securing of cables or electrical wires. Also confirm the capacity rating is legible, that all warning and control markings are legible and attached, and that the operator and responsibility manuals are installed, legible, stored in a weather-resistant container, and that the container is easily identifiable.

Test that the lower controls function correctly and the platform controls function correctly, and make sure the operating and emergency controls are free of excessive dirt, grease or foreign objects.

Verify there are no cracked welds, cracked metal, deformed components, broken structures or signs of metal fatigue. Confirm the platform is in good working condition, the floor is in good condition, housekeeping is observed, and the guardrail system is sound. Check that the lanyard attachment points are in good condition and are located near the bottom of the basket, in the corners.

Before operating, assess the work area for hazards such as falls, holes, bumps, debris, overhead obstructions, high-voltage or overhead lines, strong winds or bad weather, inadequate ground support, inadequate ventilation, and hazardous atmospheres.

The checklist uses a two-value scale: OK and Needs attention. Record what you find against each item, then finish by signing, noting the finish time, and the real inspection start and end dates.

The checklist is designed to be tailored to the manufacturer's manual for your specific scissor lift, so check the manual for any model-specific requirements that should be added to the items listed here.
Arne Reis
Written by
Arne Reis
Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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