Quick answer: EWP incidents cluster around a short list of causes — falls and ejections, overturns on bad ground, crush and entrapment against structures, collisions, falling objects, weather and powerline contact. Every one of them has a known control: trained operators, a real pre-start, assessed ground, harnesses in booms, exclusion zones, model wind limits, and a rescue plan people have actually practised.
Why this matters
Safe Work Australia’s data shows EWP-related incidents resulted in at least 9 fatalities and 355 workers’ compensation claims between 2015 and 2019. These are working machines doing routine jobs — the harm comes from ordinary hazards left uncontrolled, not exotic failures. Codes of practice exist because the same things keep happening.
The main hazards
- Falls from the platform — ejection over the rails when the machine jolts, catapults or is struck
- Overturning — soft or sloped ground, voids, overloading, wind, travelling elevated where prohibited
- Crush and entrapment — operator caught between rails and structure, or workers caught under the mechanism
- Collision — vehicles and plant striking the EWP; the platform striking services or structure
- Falling objects — tools and materials dropped on people below
- Weather — wind beyond the model’s rating, lightning, rain-softened ground
- Electrical — contact or arcing near overhead powerlines
Who holds the duty
Everyone, in layers. The PCBU must manage risks (identify hazards, assess and control them by the hierarchy, review controls), verify operator training and licences, and have tested emergency procedures. Supervisors enforce the system on the day. Operators must follow training and the manual, do the pre-start, and stop when conditions change. Hire companies must supply well-maintained, inspected machines — that’s our end of the deal.
Control 1: a real pre-start inspection
A pre-operational inspection — visual checks plus function tests — happens at the start of each use, not once a week. Damage, leaks, tyres/tracks, placards, guardrails, gates, controls, emergency descent. Fault found → machine tagged out until fixed. Full walk-through: Daily Pre-start Inspection for EWPs.
Control 2: ground that can carry the machine
Most overturns are ground failures, not machine failures. Assess slab ratings, fill, trenches, service pits, saturation and slopes before the machine arrives; use spreader plates where the manual calls for them; reassess after rain. Guide: Ground Conditions for Access Equipment.
Control 3: harnesses and anchor points
In boom-type EWPs, operators should wear a harness with the lanyard attached to the designated anchor point — booms can catapult occupants without tipping. For scissor lifts, harnesses aren’t the default rule; the guardrails are the primary control, and gates must be closed. Never belt to structure outside the platform.
Control 4: exclusion zones and spotters
Set an exclusion zone under and around the work: barriers or a spotter separating pedestrians and traffic from the machine, and protecting people from dropped tools. On roadsides and in warehouses with live traffic, treat the zone as seriously as the height.
Control 5: respect the model’s limits
Capacity plates, occupant limits, wind ratings and slope limits are per-model facts, not suggestions — our fleet ranges from indoor-only height ratings to a 12.5 m/s wind limit on the boom. Check the plate and manual for the machine you actually have. Weather guide: Wind Limits and Weather for EWPs.
Control 6: powerline separation
Approach distances near overhead lines depend on voltage and authorisation — plan so the machine’s full reach envelope stays outside them, use a safety observer where required, and treat every line as live. If lines are anywhere near the job, say so at quote stage.
Control 7: a rescue plan someone has practised
If the operator can’t lower the platform — fault, power failure, medical event — someone on the ground must know the emergency descent and base controls for that model, and be there while work happens. Suspended workers need prompt recovery. Write it, brief it, test it: EWP Rescue Planning and Emergency Procedures.
If something goes wrong
Stop work, secure the area, make the machine safe, give first aid and call 000 as needed. Notifiable incidents (deaths, serious injuries, dangerous incidents) must be reported to the regulator and the scene preserved. Then tell us — a damaged or suspect machine gets swapped, not “worked around”.
FAQs
What are the main EWP hazards? Falls, overturning, crush/entrapment, collision, falling objects, weather and powerline contact — the regulator codes are structured around exactly this list.
Who is responsible for EWP safety on site? Duties are shared: the PCBU manages risk and verifies training; supervisors enforce it; operators inspect and operate within limits; the hire company supplies a compliant machine.
Do I need to inspect an EWP every day? At the start of each use — visual inspection plus function tests, recorded, with faults rectified before operation.
Do all EWP operators need a harness? In boom-type EWPs, yes — attached to the designated anchor point. In scissor lifts the guardrail system is the primary control; use a harness where your risk assessment requires it.
Why are exclusion zones important? They separate people and vehicles from the machine and protect those below from falling objects — two of the biggest incident classes.
Can I use an EWP near powerlines? Only with planning: approach distances by voltage, spotters where required, and the whole reach envelope kept clear. Treat all lines as live.
What if the machine faults while elevated? Stop work. Use the correct emergency procedure for that model — usually ground-level emergency descent — rather than improvising. That’s why the ground person must be trained.
Is training on one machine enough for all machines? No — operators need familiarisation with the specific type and model: controls, emergency descent, limits. A WP licence covers boom-type machines ≥11m; it doesn’t replace familiarisation.
What if ground conditions change mid-shift? Stop, reassess, and update the plan — rain, excavation and repeated loading all change what the ground will carry.
Does hiring the machine transfer the safety duties? No. We supply an inspected, maintained machine and the documentation; the duties on site — training, supervision, ground, rescue — stay with the people running the work.