A scissor lift inspection is the check an operator makes at the start of each shift, before the platform goes up: is the ground right, is the machine whole, do the guardrails and gate hold, and do the controls, alarms and emergency lowering actually work. This checklist runs in that order — work area, walk-round with the key off, platform, then a function test — and ends in a clear decision to use the machine or tag it out. It suits slab scissors, rough-terrain scissors and similar mobile elevating work platforms. Fill it in here and download a PDF, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Start with the ground, not the machine
Most scissor lift tip-overs happen on ground that could not take the load: a soft patch, an unseen slope, a drain cover, an open floor penetration or the edge of a loading dock. The first section looks at the surface the machine will travel and work on, the slope against the maker's rating, holes and drop-offs, anything overhead, and, outdoors, the wind.
Slab scissors are built for flat, firm floors. If the job means rough or sloping ground, it needs a rough-terrain machine rated for it.
Walk-round with the key off
Go round the machine before switching it on. Look at the tires and wheels, the chassis and the scissor arms for cracks, bends and missing pins, the hydraulic cylinders and hoses for leaks, the fluid levels and the battery, and the pothole guards underneath. Check that the capacity plate and warning decals can still be read and that the operator's manual is in its holder.
Then look at the platform itself: a floor free of holes and slippery mud or grease, every guardrail present and pinned, an entry gate or bar that closes on its own, and an extension deck that slides and locks.
Function test: prove the safety devices work
With the machine on, test from the ground controls first, then from the platform. The emergency stop at each station should kill all movement. The enable or foot switch should be needed for every function. The tilt alarm should sound and stop the lift when the machine is off level, the drive speed should drop once the platform is raised, and the brakes should hold.
Most important of all is the emergency or manual lowering. If the power fails with someone at height, that is how they come down, so try it every shift.
Tag it out if it fails
Any failed safety check means the machine does not go up. The form ends with a decision and, if the machine is tagged out, the tag number and who was told. Failed checks become findings in the report, with corrective actions for the rental company or the maintenance team.
In the US, the ANSI A92 standards for mobile elevating work platforms and OSHA's rules for your industry set the frame; the maker's manual sets the details for each model. This form records what was checked; it does not replace the annual inspection.
Common questions
How often should a scissor lift be inspected?
The operator inspects it before use at the start of every shift, and again if it changes hands or something happens to it. A qualified mechanic also makes frequent and annual inspections on the maker's schedule, and the annual date is usually on a decal on the machine.
Do you need a harness in a scissor lift?
In the US the guardrails are the fall protection on most scissor lifts, so a harness is not generally required unless the maker, the site or the employer says so. Some sites require one anyway. Where anchor points are fitted and the rules call for them, the form checks they are used correctly.
Who can do the pre-use inspection?
The trained operator who will use the machine that shift. They should be familiar with that model's controls and the maker's manual.
What if the tilt alarm or emergency lowering does not work?
Do not use the machine. Tag it out, tell your supervisor or the rental company, and record it here as a failed check. Both are safety devices that only matter when something has already gone wrong.
Does this work for boom lifts?
Many checks overlap, but boom lifts have their own items — the boom, turntable, jib and harness anchor — so use a boom lift inspection for those.