MEWP Quiz: 10 Aerial Lift Safety Questions
Scissor lift or boom lift, the questions that decide whether you come down safe are the same: what kind of machine it is, where you clip in, what gets checked before you go up, and how close you can get to a line. Ten questions, each tied to OSHA 1926.453 or the ANSI A92 standards.
Based on: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2) · OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3) · ANSI/SAIA A92.20, A92.22, A92.24
Question 1 of 10
Under ANSI A92.20, a scissor lift and a boom lift are usually classified as:
Question 2 of 10
A self-propelled boom lift that can be driven while elevated, from controls on the platform, is a:
Question 3 of 10
In a boom lift, where does your fall protection lanyard attach?
Question 4 of 10
Since 1998, can a body belt be used for fall arrest in a boom lift?
Question 5 of 10
You can’t quite reach the work from the platform floor. What is allowed?
Question 6 of 10
How often must the lift controls be tested?
Question 7 of 10
When may someone on the ground operate the lower controls with a worker in the platform?
Question 8 of 10
An unqualified crew is working a boom lift near a 12 kV distribution line. The minimum clearance is:
Question 9 of 10
Who sets the maximum wind speed a MEWP may be operated in?
Question 10 of 10
You have operated scissor lifts for years. The rental company delivers a model you have never used. What does ANSI A92.24 require first?
Answer key with explanations (spoilers — take the quiz first)
1. Under ANSI A92.20, a scissor lift and a boom lift are usually classified as:
Answer: Scissor: Group A; boom: Group B
Group A: the center of the platform stays inside the tipping lines (scissor lifts, vertical mast lifts). Group B: it can move outside them (boom lifts, articulating and telescopic).
Source: ANSI/SAIA A92.20 — MEWP classification
2. A self-propelled boom lift that can be driven while elevated, from controls on the platform, is a:
Answer: Type 3
Type 1 travels only when stowed. Type 2 can travel elevated, controlled from the chassis. Type 3 can travel elevated, controlled from the platform. Combine with the group: this machine is a 3B.
Source: ANSI/SAIA A92.20 — MEWP types
3. In a boom lift, where does your fall protection lanyard attach?
Answer: To the anchorage point in the platform or on the boom
The lanyard attaches to the boom or basket. Tying off to an adjacent pole, structure or equipment is prohibited — if the lift moves, it drags you out of the platform.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(iii) and (v)
4. Since 1998, can a body belt be used for fall arrest in a boom lift?
Answer: No — body belts are not acceptable for fall arrest; a belt may only be used for restraint
1926.453 still says "body belt", but its own note points to Subpart M: since January 1, 1998 body belts are not acceptable in a personal fall arrest system. A belt is acceptable only in a restraint system. In practice, crews wear a full-body harness.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(v) and note; 1926.502(d)
5. You can’t quite reach the work from the platform floor. What is allowed?
Answer: None of these — reposition the lift
Occupants must stand firmly on the platform floor. No sitting or climbing on the edge of the basket, and no planks, ladders or other devices to gain height.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(iv)
6. How often must the lift controls be tested?
Answer: Each day before use
Lift controls are tested each day prior to use. ANSI A92.22 builds a full pre-start inspection around this, including the workplace inspection before you raise the platform.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(i); ANSI/SAIA A92.22
7. When may someone on the ground operate the lower controls with a worker in the platform?
Answer: Only with permission from the person in the lift, except in an emergency
Lower controls override the upper controls, which is exactly why they may not be used without the occupant’s permission — except in an emergency, when they are the rescue tool.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(ix)
8. An unqualified crew is working a boom lift near a 12 kV distribution line. The minimum clearance is:
Answer: 10 ft
Equipment that can be elevated near energized overhead lines must keep 10 ft of clearance for lines up to 50 kV, plus 4 in for every 10 kV above that. The ANSI A92 minimum safe approach distance table starts at the same 10 ft.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3)(iii)(A); ANSI/SAIA A92.22
9. Who sets the maximum wind speed a MEWP may be operated in?
Answer: The manufacturer — it is on the unit and in the manual
The manufacturer rates the machine: outdoor-rated MEWPs are commonly rated for 28 mph (12.5 m/s), and indoor-only units for zero wind. Gusts count, and wind at platform height is usually stronger than what you feel on the ground.
Source: ANSI/SAIA A92.20 (design wind rating); A92.22 (operating within manufacturer limits)
10. You have operated scissor lifts for years. The rental company delivers a model you have never used. What does ANSI A92.24 require first?
Answer: Familiarization on that model: controls, safety devices, manual and limitations
Operator training covers MEWPs in general; familiarization covers the specific machine — where the emergency lowering is, what the placards say, how the controls behave. Both are required before you operate it.
Source: ANSI/SAIA A92.24 (familiarization); A92.22
Take it past the quiz
More practice quizzes
This is a practice quiz, not a certification or a qualification. It is scored in your browser, nothing is recorded, and passing it does not satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Answers reflect the cited standards as published; where your employer, site owner or the equipment manufacturer sets a stricter rule, that rule applies.