Scissor Lift Pre-Use Inspection: 10 Checks Before You Go Up

A five-minute check at the start of every shift catches most problems before they become accidents or breakdowns. This scissor lift pre-use inspection checklist covers the 10 checks every operator should do before going up.

Scissor lift pre-use inspection checklist: walk-around checks (machine off)

1. Guardrails and gate: all rails in place, pins secure, gate closes and latches properly.
2. Platform floor: clean, dry and free of loose tools or material.
3. Scissor arms and pins: no visible cracks, bends or missing pins and clips.
4. Hydraulics: no leaks under the machine or around the cylinder and hoses.
5. Tyres and wheels: no cuts, chunks missing or loose wheel nuts.
6. Battery or fuel: battery charged, cables and connectors in good condition; for diesel models, fuel and oil levels OK.
7. Decals and manual: load rating and safety decals readable, operator’s manual on board.

Function checks (machine on, at ground level)

8. Emergency stop: test the E-stop on the platform and at the ground controls.
9. Controls and alarms: drive, steer, raise and lower work smoothly; tilt alarm, descent alarm and horn work.
10. Emergency lowering: know where the manual lowering valve is and check the pothole protection deploys when raised.

If anything fails, don’t use the machine. Tag it out of service and call your supplier. We’d much rather swap or fix a machine than have someone go up on a faulty one.

Check the work area too

• Floor is firm and level, with no holes, drains or edges nearby
• Overhead: beams, cable trays, sprinklers and live cables
• Barricade the area below the platform
• Outdoors: no strong wind or rain

While you’re working

• Stay within the platform load rating
• Never stand on the guardrails or use ladders on the platform
• Lower the platform before driving, unless the manual allows otherwise
• Keep both feet on the platform floor

Pre-use checks and the PMA

A daily pre-use check does not replace the machine’s certificate of fitness (PMA) or its scheduled servicing; it sits on top of them. Most sites will also ask to see the PMA before the machine is used. Our PMA and DOSH guide for aerial work platforms explains what documents to ask for.

Every A&G scissor lift is checked and serviced before delivery and comes with a valid PMA, and we offer operator training on site or at our yard. If you’d like a printed checklist for your site, WhatsApp us and we’ll send one. See our scissor lift rental in Johor range for the machines we supply.

These checks apply to every scissor lift we send out, including the Dingli 5.6m Battery Scissor Lift and the Dingli 12m Electric Scissor Lift.