Scissor lift inspection checklist (pre-start)
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
A pre-start inspection for scissor lifts, done before each shift: a walk-around of the guardrails, platform, scissor arms, tires and battery, then function tests of the controls, emergency stop, emergency lowering and pothole protection.
Scissor lift makers' operating manuals and the ANSI A92 standards for mobile elevating work platforms call for a pre-start inspection and function test before use, by the operator. Rental yards also inspect at each return and before each rental, so a damaged lift doesn't go back out.
Follow the maker's manual for your model first; it lists the items and tests for that lift. This checklist covers what most scissor lifts have in common and isn't legal advice.
Scissor lift pre-start inspection
Fields: Lift / unit no. · Make and model · Hour meter · Site or customer · Operator / inspector · Date
Walk-around
- Guardrails, gate and toe boards: secure, not bent
- Platform and extension deck: no damage, deck locks
- Scissor arms, pins and bushings: no cracks or missing pins
- Hydraulic cylinder and hoses: no leaks
- Tires and wheels: no damage, nuts tight
- Battery: charged, water level, cables; charger cord
- Decals, capacity plate and manual on board
- Pothole protection bars clear
Function tests
- Ground controls: raise and lower
- Platform controls: drive, steer, raise, lower
- Emergency stop (ground and platform)
- Emergency lowering works
- Tilt alarm and descent alarm
- Pothole protection deploys when raised
- Brakes hold on a slope
Fill it in the right way
- Read the maker's manual for the model and keep it in the lift's holder.
- Walk around the lift and check rails, platform, arms, hydraulics, tires and battery.
- Test the ground controls, then the platform controls, from the platform.
- Test both emergency stops and the emergency lowering.
- Raise the lift to check pothole protection and the alarms.
- Tag the lift out of service if anything fails, and report it.
Tips
- A missing manual is a fail: operators need it on board.
- Check pins and retaining clips on the scissor stack; a missing clip lets a pin walk out.
- Charge batteries fully at the end of each day; deep discharges shorten their life.
- Rental yards: record the hour meter and condition at checkout and return, so damage is tied to a rental.
Do it in FleetZap
- Put a QR label on each lift; the operator scans it to do the check on a phone without an account.
- Failing an item opens a repair work order for the shop and notifies the right people.
- Annual inspection due dates can be tracked as compliance items with reminders.
- With FleetZap Rentals, each lift's checkout and return are recorded with its hour meter.
- FleetZap records checks and repairs; it doesn't certify compliance.
FleetZap Maintenance
Work orders, PM, parts, compliance, assets and KPIs. Explore FleetZap Maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a scissor lift be inspected?
A pre-start inspection and function test before each shift, by the operator, per the maker's manual and ANSI A92 standards, plus frequent and annual inspections by a qualified person.
What does a scissor lift pre-start inspection cover?
Guardrails, platform, scissor arms and pins, hydraulics, tires, battery, decals and manual, then function tests of controls, emergency stop and lowering, alarms and pothole protection.
What if a scissor lift fails the inspection?
Tag it out of service and report it. Don't use it until it's repaired and passes again.
Who should do the pre-start inspection?
The operator who will use the lift, before the shift. Rental yards often add their own check at checkout and return.