HazardSpotting: Questionable scissor lift safety

Aerial lifts are common tools used on work sites today for elevating workers to paint, make repairs or build structures. In fact, they've become so common that sometimes workers take for granted just how dangerous they can be. Our latest #HazardSpotting image is a case in point. The two workers in the platform are not wearing harnesses or tie-ins. That means if the aerial lift gets bumped or the operator is a little too jerky on the controls, one or both of them could be thrown to their deaths. Particularly at risk is the main on the left side of the platform of the blue machine. He is standing on an extendable platform that is outside of the machine's center of gravity. Neither lift has wheel chocks to hold them in place. This isn't a requirement, but it is a good practice to adopt, especially if the machines are being used on a grade. Whenever people are working on the platforms of aerial lifts, no one should be working on the ground below them. On the left side of the picture, a worker is directly under the platform of the orange machine. A second laborer is walking into the picture from the right side. These workers could easily be killed or injured by falling tools or construction materials. On the positive side, all four men are wearing hard hats. The work site is blocked from public access via a fence and construction cones. But the size of the work area is extremely limited, which could lead to some concerns with slips, trips and falls. Interested in related products? See: Aerial Work Platform Checklist or Aerial Work Platform Operation & Safety #HazardSpotting is a community safety initiative that helps raise awareness about dangerous workplace safety violations, developed by MySafetySign.com and supported by VISTA Training, Inc.