Boom Lift Operator
Walk around the lift and find the defects. Then get the basket to the work point without a violation.
On a keyboard: hold Space (enable) with W/S boom, Q/E telescope, arrows to drive. Esc is the E-stop.
How it plays
Walk around first
Tap the defects before the clock runs out: leaking hose, cut tire, missing capacity plate, frayed lanyard. Tap a good part and it costs you two seconds.
Then run the platform
Big lever tiles, like the real panel: hold Enable with Boom, Telescope, Swing or Drive. The machine has weight — it doesn’t stop the moment you let go.
No violations
Power line, slope, overload, wind, the sidewalk below. Cross a limit and the level ends with the rule. Clean runs go on the leaderboard — a fresh round every two weeks.
Questions crews ask
Why does the game make me inspect the lift first?
Because a pre-use inspection comes before every shift. ANSI A92.24 training and the manufacturer’s manual require a walk-around and a function test before use, and 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(i) requires lift controls to be tested each day. A leaking hose, a cut tire, a missing capacity plate or an E-stop that does not latch means the lift is tagged out, not driven.
Why does getting within 10 ft of the power line end the level?
That is the rule for lines up to 50 kV: no part of the lift, the platform or the worker may come within 10 ft unless the line is de-energized and grounded (29 CFR 1926.1408 Table A for equipment, 1910.333 for work near overhead lines). Contact with overhead lines is one of the leading causes of aerial lift deaths.
Do I have to tie off in a boom lift? What about a scissor lift?
In a boom lift, yes: 29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(v) requires a body harness with the lanyard attached to the boom or basket anchor — never to the guardrail or a nearby structure. In a scissor lift the guardrails are the fall protection, so the entry gate or chain has to be closed; tie off only where the manufacturer provides and requires an anchor.
Why is drive locked when the boom is up?
Most boom lifts are travelled with the boom stowed; driving with the platform raised needs a machine designed for it and a slow drive speed. The game keeps it simple: drive and steer unlock only on the boom rest, so you set up first and then go up. The rated slope and the rated wind speed come from the machine’s plate and manual.
Does finishing the game make me a trained MEWP operator?
No — it is practice. Operators are trained and familiarized under ANSI A92.24 and OSHA 1926.453/1926.454, by an employer or a training provider, with a practical evaluation on the machine they will use. Our MEWP / Aerial Lift course covers the theory part and issues a certificate.
Take it past the game
A game, not a qualification: MEWP operators are trained and familiarized under ANSI A92.24 and OSHA 1926.453, with a practical evaluation on the machine. Lift motion, ratings and scenes are simplified for play; always follow the manufacturer’s manual and the capacity plate on your machine.