Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
Stanley "Skip" Pruss
Director

Aerial Work Platforms and Lifting Equipment

Equipment designed for multiple uses has become more and more common in the construction industry. A common piece of equipment that MIOSHA finds at construction sites is a crane equipped with an aerial-lift personnel basket designed to lift workers to an elevated location. Confusion has arisen with regard to what MIOSHA standards apply to this multiple use piece of equipment.

MIOSHA Construction Safety Standards have two standards that may apply to the type of equipment described above. They are, Part 10, Lifting and Digging Equipment and Part 32, Aerial Work Platforms.

Part 32

Part 32, Rule 3202 states that the rules apply to equipment that has a primary function of elevating personnel, together with their tools and necessary materials, on a platform which is mechanically positioned. Rule 3202 goes on to state that the units covered by Part 32 are described by the four following American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards:

• ANSI standard A92.2-1990, Vehicle - Mounted Elevating Work Platforms.
• ANSI standard A92.3-1990, Manually Propelled Elevating Work Platforms.
• ANSI standard A92.5-1992, Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms.
• ANSI standard A92.6-1999, Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms.

Part 32, Rule 3203, further states that equipment that has a primary function other than elevating personnel, such as fork trucks or cranes which are adapted to elevating personnel, is not covered by Part 32.

Conclusion - Part 10 or Part 32?

For an aerial lift to be covered by Part 32, Aerial Work Platforms, the piece of equipment must fall under the ANSI standards indicated above. This includes equipment with a lifting attachment designed into the piece of equipment addressed in ANSI A92.2-1990 Vehicle - Mounted Elevating Work Platforms. In these cases, Part 32 would be the specific (vertical) standard that would apply.

If a piece of equipment is primarily designed as a crane and has an aerial work platform attachment (and is not addressed in any of the 4 ANSI standards listed above), then Part 10, Lifting and Digging Equipment would be the standard to apply to that piece of equipment.

To view Part 10 and Part 32, go to www.michigan.gov/miosha, click on Standards and Legislation; then Construction.

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