---
title: "Working Safely on Aerial Lifts"
type: "post"
url: "https://www.certifymeonline.net/blog/working-safely-on-aerial-lifts/"
markdown_url: "https://www.certifymeonline.net/blog/working-safely-on-aerial-lifts/index.md"
description: "Safety is the highest priority when working with heavy machinery like Aerial Lifts. Make sure you are savvy with these tips."
published: "2014-01-07T00:57:09Z"
modified: "2026-06-09T18:26:52Z"
---

# Working Safely on Aerial Lifts

Face it, if aerial lifts, cherry pickers, bucket trucks and elevating platforms weren’t fun to work on, you would be doing something else to bring home the beer money. Stopping to think about safe working practices is a pain in the butt when you’ve got a job to do and a limited amount of time to get it done. Working Safely on Aerial Lifts Working Safely on Aerial Lifts Accidents involving aerial lifts account for between [2% and 3% of all construction-related](http://www.elcosh.org/document/1417/d000484/Deaths%2BFrom%2BAerial%2BLifts.html?show_text=1) fatalities, an average of 26 deaths per year. Most fatalities arise from a worker falling from a height of six feet or higher. More often than not, this is because of unsafe action on the part of the employee. This is not to say that people who work on or around aerial lifts are reckless by nature. There are a lot of things to remember about workplace safety and, over time, stuff gets forgotten. This is why OSHA insists that aerial lift operators are properly trained and certified and why they have to be recertified every three years. One reason we publish this entertaining and informative blog is to reinforce the safety training you receive every time you get certified. One painless way of keeping safety on the brain is to have a quick read of the [OSHA Quick Card](https://www.osha.gov/Publications/aerial_lifts_safety.html) on safe working practices around aerial lifts. Do this once a week over your morning coffee and eventually it will become second nature. Among the safety hints on the OSHA card are: - Keep a minimum clearance of at least 10 feet from the nearest power lines.
- Always treat power lines as if they were energized.
- If outriggers are provided, use them.
- Don’t move the equipment with workers on an elevated platform (unless the manufacturer specifically says you can. If in doubt, don’t.)

You know, going aerial lift training with CertifyMeOnline is quick, cheap and easy. Why wait three years till your next re-certification is due? Contact us now for a refresher and keep yourself, and your co-workers, safe.