What this checklist is for
For mobile elevating work platforms (MEWP) and boom-supported aerial lifts, this is a pre-shift or start of use walk to be filled out on screen (above), then downloaded in CSV or PDF format. This captures information about the unit identity and whether the machine condition is OK, Defect, or N/A. It also covers the controls, emergency lowering, platform, and boom. Additionally, it records details about the workplace, such as overhead lines, any defects, and the final sign-off.
In the US, the applicable federal regulations is found at 29 CFR 1910.67 (general industry vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms), and 29 CFR 1926.453 (construction aerial lifts). These mandate that lifts be operated by trained or authorized operators and that controls be checked daily before use. They also require that outriggers be stowed and the boom cradled when traveling, unless the design allows the machine to be moved while elevated.
Employers is also told in OSHA’s aerial lifts eTool and Aerial Lifts FactSheet to conduct a pre-start inspection before every work shift and look around the work area before and during use. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the unit in front of you.
This is not an ANSI A92.22 form; it’s not OSHA’s official blank, but the station order follows that OSHA pre-start and work-zone list, plus boom-walk items published by Genie and JLG in their operator manuals.
ANSI/SAIA A92.22-2021 (see also the ASSP preview) describes how to use MEWPs safely. OSHA continues to incorporate ANSI A92.2-1969 for the design of the vehicle-mounted aerial devices covered under 1910.67 and 1926.453.
What it is not
- It is not a scissor lift inspection checklist. OSHA's February 23, 2000 letter of interpretation states that scissors lifts are not aerial lifts under 1926.453. They are treated as scaffolds (construction mobile-scaffold rules in Subpart L). Do not copy this boom form onto a scissor pack.
- It is not a frequent or annual MEWP inspection by a person qualified on the make and model, and not an insulated-boom dielectric test under 1910.67(c)(3) / 1926.453(b)(3).
- It is not a powered industrial truck exam. For a sit-down or reach truck use the published Forklift Inspection Checklist. It is not a Class A highway pre-trip. For that walk use the published Pre Trip Inspection Checklist.
- It is not a license, a training card, or a rescue plan. 1910.67(c)(2)(ii) and 1926.453(b)(2)(ii) still require trained or authorized operators. Keep the OEM procedure in the weather-resistant box on the machine.
How to fill each block
Write down the unit and who is operating it. Write down the date, time, operator, unit, make, model, serial number, hour meter, machine type, and power type. Write down what’s posted on the machine, such as the Wind Rating, Occupant Limit, and Platform Capacity. Don’t make stuff up. Do not invent pounds, persons, or miles per hour.
JLG and Genie both require the operator and safety manuals to be in the platform storage container before use. And the operator manual must also be there. Are you authorized and trained on this boom? If not, don’t operate it.
Inspect the machine's condition. With power off, do JLG's walk-around to check tires and wheels, horn, lights, alarms, steering and brakes, wiring, fasteners, covers latched, chassis damage, fluid levels (at OEM marks), fluid leaks, battery and charger. The same set of vehicle component is listed in OSHA's eTool.
On a diesel-only unit, mark N/A on the charger rows; on a battery-only unit, mark N/A on the fuel or engine-oil rows. Do not set a 49 CFR 393.75 tread fail on MEWP tires. Tag the lift out and mark Defect if a tire is unsafe.
Look at fall protection, platforms, and booms.
A pre-operation inspection include the guardrails, gate or mid-rail latch, platform floor, cylinders and hoses, wear pads, welds and parent metal, pins and retainers, boom sections, boom, and lanyard anchorage points listed by Genie. When working from an aerial lift, you must have a personal fall arrest or travel restraint system attached to the basket or boom. OSHA 1910.67(c)(2)(v) requires a personal fall arrest or travel restraint system attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift.
1926.502: As of Jan. 1, 1998, a body belt cannot be part of a personal fall arrest system, but can be used in a restraint system.
Do not belt off to an adjacent structure or pole. Outriggers and pads are N/A only if this machine never has them. This is covered by 67(c)(2)(xi).
These are the emergency lowering and test controls. 1910.67(c)(2)(i) and 1926.453(b)(2)(i): Test the controls daily before use. Boom platforms used for carrying persons shall be equipped with two sets of controls, one on top and one at the bottom, and the lower set of controls shall override the higher set; these controls shall be clearly marked. These rules are found in 1910.67(c)(2)(ix) and 1926.453(b)(2)(ix).
JLG's test procedure is conducted in a clear area without obstacles above or below. It covers the emergency stop at each station, manual descent or auxiliary power, limit switches, and brake-hold while the platform is stowed. Lower controls may not be operated with a person in the platform, other than during an emergency situation, and even then only with permission unless such an emergency exists. Stop if any emergency device or control fails. Tag out machine.
Inspect workplace and power lines. OSHA’s work area checklist includes holes and drop-offs, ditches and slopes, debris, low ceiling height, overhead electric lines and communications cables, other overhead obstructions, hazardous atmosphere, high winds and ice, and people in the vicinity. Assume all lines are energized.
What varies
Maintain a 10 ft (3 m / 305 cm) minimum clearance from unprotected energized overhead lines up to 50 kV, plus 4 in (10 cm) per additional 10 kV above 50 kV. This is not a guess. That is from OSHA itself, not a guess. It’s in the OSHA factsheet and in 333(c)(3).
This is not the qualified electrical sheet. This is a form for a pre-use or shift-start walk for a boom-supported aerial lift / MEWP, not for performing qualified line work. Lock out brakes. When using outriggers, place outriggers on solid surfaces or pads. This follows rule 453(b)(2)(vii). Stow outriggers before moving and verify boom is cradled if not designed for elevated travel.
List the defect(s). Select an action. Record the defect(s) and sign off. OSHA's eTool: Tag out (remove from service) until repaired by a qualified person; do not operate a defective aerial lift. Sign that you have tagged it out, or that it was safe to operate on this shift. Only supervisor signature required if employer requires it.
Remember: General industry is 1910.67. Construction is 1926.453. Training and/or recordkeeping rules is optional, added by state-plan OSHA. Not a state official blank.
The fire truck is mostly out of scope of 1910.67, with one exception: It must serve as a stable support for the aerial device (1910.67(b)(3)).
After you finish
This is a boom walk for vehicle mounted bucket trucks as well as self-propelled boom MEWPs. The difference: the honest N/A marks, outriggers on a unit that has none; engine oil on a battery boom; jib rows on a straight stick; SkyGuard or similar secondary guarding only if equipped.
The boom either pivots or extends. You'll see different sections and cylinders. Wind and capacity limits live on the machine. Example of a labeled OEM figure, not a universal Pass/Fail: the JLG 600S / 660SJ Operation and Safety Manual for SN 0300235168 to 0300272445 says do not operate when wind, including gusts, may exceed 28 mph (12.5 m/s) on that series. Copy the wind and capacity numbers from THIS unit's decals. Genie's Z-34/22 operator's manual (Part No. 1297937GT) tells the operator to keep hydraulic oil between the FULL and ADD marks on that reservoir with the boom stowed. Other models has different marks.
Do not create a one-size-fits-all platform capacity or a one-size-fits-all MEWP wind speed. Don't assume that an "insulated" boom makes it safe to get within 10 ft / 50 kV of energized equipment. You must be a qualified person who follows 1910.269 or 1910.333 Table S-5, and the boom must have successfully completed the necessary electrical tests. Untested booms are considered non-insulating.
If you'd like a copy that persists beyond this tab, download a filled PDF or CSV. Answers persist on this browser only. Next visitor gets a blank form.
Provide the completed form with the signature to the employers’ maintenance process or supervisor. When a lift is tagged out, it remains that way until a qualified person returns it to service.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
It doesn’t generate a CMMS work order or alert OSHA. It also doesn't replace retraining or re-familiarization after using a new type of aerial lift, an incident, or a change in workplace hazards, such as a different make or model (OSHA eTool retraining list). The form is located at the top of the article. Below the form are the preview image and printable PDF.
This is not legal advice. This is not a substitute for a qualified mechanic, 29 CFR 1910.67 or 1926.453, ANSI/SAIA A92.22 or the OEM pre-start procedure for your machine. Do not make up an OK / Defect limit if there isn’t one listed on this unit or in the OSHA text referenced here. This is a recordkeeping template only.