BlueSafe
Scissor Lift Risk Assessment

Scissor Lift Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Scissor Lift Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Scissor Lift operations at a management level, focusing on planning, governance, training, and plant selection rather than task-by-task work instructions. This Risk Assessment supports WHS Act compliance, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your business from enforcement action and operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties: Assessment of PCBU, Officer and worker obligations, allocation of responsibilities, and verification that Scissor Lift operations are supported by compliant WHS governance and oversight.
  • Plant Procurement, Suitability and Engineering Controls: Management of scissor lift selection, design and engineering controls, including guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, load ratings and compliance with relevant plant Standards.
  • Site Planning, Layout and Access to Cool Room Tops: Evaluation of site layout, access routes, floor load capacity, edge protection and exclusion zones when using scissor lifts to access cool room tops or elevated plant.
  • Training, Competency and Authorisation: Protocols for competency assessment, licence and VOC requirements, induction, refresher training, and formal authorisation to operate scissor lifts in different work environments.
  • Procedures, Safe Systems of Work and Permits: Development and control of documented procedures, work instructions, permits to work, isolation processes and supervision arrangements for scissor lift activities.
  • Inspection, Maintenance and Plant Integrity: Systems for pre-start checks, scheduled servicing, defect reporting, tagging-out, and verification that scissor lifts remain structurally sound and mechanically safe throughout their lifecycle.
  • Environmental, Thermal and Slips Management: Assessment of floor conditions, moisture, ice, temperature extremes, lighting and ventilation that may affect scissor lift stability, traction and operator safety.
  • Traffic Management, Interaction with Other Plant and People: Controls for shared work zones, segregation from pedestrians, interaction with forklifts and other mobile plant, spotter use, and site-specific traffic management plans.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management: Planning for entrapment, plant failure, medical emergencies and falls from height, including emergency lowering procedures, rescue plans and post-incident review processes.
  • Consultation, Communication and Continuous Improvement: Mechanisms for consulting workers, contractors and HSRs, reporting hazards, reviewing incidents, and continually improving scissor lift risk controls and WHS systems.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Officers, WHS Managers and Facility Managers responsible for planning, approving and overseeing Scissor Lift operations across their organisation.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties
  • • Lack of formal WHS management system addressing scissor lift use for accessing cool room tops
  • • Failure to clearly allocate PCBU, officer and worker duties for plant procurement, use and maintenance under WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers, subcontractors and health and safety representatives regarding scissor lift risks and control measures
  • • Absence of documented policies for safe use of elevating work platforms (EWPs) in cold storage / cool room environments
  • • Non-compliance with relevant Australian Standards and manufacturer requirements for scissor lifts operated near cool rooms and at height
2. Plant Procurement, Suitability and Engineering Controls
  • • Selection of scissor lift not suitable for cool room environment, floor loading or access constraints
  • • Scissor lift not rated for maximum working height or reach required to safely step onto cool room top and re-enter platform
  • • Incompatible scissor lift tyres, outriggers or stabilisers for insulated panels, smooth surfaces or potential moisture/ice near cool rooms
  • • Lack of edge protection or physical barriers on cool room top leading to fall risk during transfer between lift and roof surface
  • • Insufficient consideration of combined loads (workers, tools, materials) when working at height
  • • No engineered access solution (e.g. dedicated platform, fixed ladder, guardrails) for routine access to cool room tops, leading to over-reliance on standing on guardrails or unsafe body positioning
3. Site Planning, Layout and Access to Cool Room Tops
  • • Inadequate planning of access routes for scissor lifts to cool room areas resulting in collision with racking, cool room walls, doors, services or pedestrians
  • • Insufficient space, slab condition or level ground near cool room to safely position and manoeuvre the scissor lift for entry and exit at height
  • • No designated safe access points to cool room tops, leading to ad hoc positioning of scissor lifts close to unprotected edges
  • • Obstructions above or alongside the scissor lift (e.g. pipework, beams, sprinklers, electrical cables, refrigerant lines) increasing crush and entrapment risks when transferring on or off the platform
  • • Inadequate lighting and visibility in cool room approach areas and at the roof level, particularly where temperature and condensation affect visibility
  • • Poor segregation of pedestrians, forklifts and mobile plant in areas where scissor lifts are positioned for roof access
4. Training, Competency and Authorisation
  • • Operators using scissor lifts without formal training or verification of competency, particularly in accessing and exiting at height near edges
  • • Supervisors and planners not competent in assessing working at height risks associated with scissor lift use around cool rooms
  • • Lack of site-specific induction covering cool room hazards such as low temperatures, condensation, slip hazards and visibility issues
  • • No formal authorisation process to restrict scissor lift use to competent and medically fit personnel
  • • Inadequate emergency response training (e.g. rescue plans, use of emergency descent controls, managing a fall or medical event at height)
  • • Failure to train workers on limitations specified in manufacturer instructions, including prohibition of climbing guardrails or leaning over to access roof edges
5. Procedures, Safe Systems of Work and Permits
  • • Absence of a documented safe system of work for using scissor lifts to access and egress cool room tops
  • • Workers relying on informal practices such as stepping onto unprotected roofs, climbing guardrails or reaching beyond the platform to gain access
  • • No formal working at heights or plant permit system to control higher-risk tasks or non-routine access to cool room tops
  • • Inadequate definition of roles, communication protocols and pre-task planning requirements when multiple workers are involved
  • • Failure to enforce lock-out, isolation and exclusion procedures during maintenance or in case of malfunction of the scissor lift
  • • Lack of documented criteria for weather, temperature and environmental conditions (e.g. condensation, ice) under which scissor lift use for roof access must be suspended
6. Inspection, Maintenance and Plant Integrity
  • • Scissor lift mechanical or structural failure due to inadequate inspection, servicing or fault rectification
  • • Failure of guardrails, gates or platform components used for entering and exiting near the cool room roof edge
  • • Malfunction of controls, brakes or emergency systems, increasing the risk of collision, entrapment or sudden movement when positioned near cool room walls or structures
  • • Degradation of components due to cold environments, condensation or corrosive conditions not accounted for in maintenance schedules
  • • Use of scissor lifts with known defects (e.g. unstable steering, hydraulic leaks, worn tyres) due to weak defect reporting and isolation processes
  • • Unverified modifications or attachments (e.g. added gates, extensions, tool racks) affecting plant stability or compliance
7. Environmental, Thermal and Slips Management
  • • Condensation, water or ice on floors and on cool room tops causing slips and reduced traction for scissor lifts and personnel
  • • Low temperatures in or near cool rooms impairing worker dexterity, concentration and reaction times when entering or exiting the platform
  • • Fogging of eyewear or reduced visibility when transitioning between temperature zones, affecting judgement near edges and plant movement
  • • Unexpected changes in surface grip between warehouse floors and cool room-adjacent areas affecting plant stability and stopping distances
  • • Noise and ventilation issues in enclosed cold storage rooms impacting communication between operator, spotters and other workers
8. Traffic Management, Interaction with Other Plant and People
  • • Collision between scissor lifts and forklifts, pallet jacks or other mobile plant while positioning near cool rooms
  • • Pedestrian workers, including pickers and cool room staff, entering scissor lift operating zones during elevation or while the platform is aligned with the cool room roof edge
  • • Inadequate communication between operators, spotters and other plant operators in shared warehouse aisles or cool room access corridors
  • • Reversing and turning movements in confined spaces near cool room doors leading to entrapment against walls or structures
  • • Emergency egress routes from cool rooms obstructed by parked or operating scissor lifts
9. Emergency Preparedness and Incident Management
  • • Delayed or ineffective response to incidents involving falls, entrapment, mechanical failure or medical emergencies at height
  • • Lack of a documented rescue plan for a worker incapacitated on the cool room top or in the scissor lift platform
  • • Emergency controls, including descent systems, not understood or not routinely tested under controlled conditions
  • • Ineffective communication systems to raise the alarm in cool rooms or high-bay warehouse areas
  • • Failure to investigate and learn from incidents, near misses and equipment failures involving scissor lifts and access to cool room roofs
10. Consultation, Communication and Continuous Improvement
  • • Lack of worker input into the design of safe systems for scissor lift use and cool room roof access, leading to impractical or bypassed controls
  • • Poor communication of changes to procedures, plant, or layout that affect scissor lift operations
  • • Failure to review and update risk assessments and controls after incidents, plant changes or modifications to cool room infrastructure
  • • Inconsistent supervision and monitoring of compliance with scissor lift and working at height requirements

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Plant in the Workplace: Guidance on managing risks associated with plant, including scissor lifts and other elevating work platforms.
  • Code of Practice – Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation and Coordination: Requirements for consultation and communication with workers and other duty holders.
  • Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing control measures.
  • AS 2550.10: Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Mobile elevating work platforms (where applicable to scissor lift operation and maintenance practices).
  • AS/NZS 1418 series: Cranes, hoists and winches – General requirements for design and safe use of plant and lifting equipment.
  • AS 1657: Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation, relevant to access and egress to elevated areas such as cool room tops.
  • AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned