Three new industry standards, ANSI/SAIA A92.20, A92.22, and A92.24, were introduced in December 2018 regarding the safe design, use and training associated with mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs). MEWPs are defined in the new Standards as “machine/device intended for moving persons, tools, and material to working positions, consisting of at least a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.”\[1\] This definition encompasses certain types and sizes of MEWPs such as scissor lifts, articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts and straight mast boom lifts. Replacing product-specific industry standards, these three new Standards will significantly change the design, testing, rental, use, and training requirements associated with MEWPs. The Standards also offer greater clarity to the assigned responsibilities associated with these functions to various entities including manufacturer, dealer, owner, user, supervisors, operator, occupants, lessor, lessee, brokers. These three standards, which are currently scheduled to become effective in June 2020^^\[2\]^^ have the following distinct scope.

·       ANSI/SAIA A92.20 focuses on the design, calculations, safety features and testing of MEWPs.

·       ANSI/SAIA A92.22 focuses on the safe use of the MEWPs including inspection, maintenance and operation.

·       ANSI/SAIA A92.24’s scope is focused on establishing the training requirements and responsibilities.

These standards, in particular, ANSI/SAIA A92.20, significantly changed the requirements associated with design of these platforms. The three objectives listed for the “Design, Calculations, Safety Requirements and Test Method for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPS),” ANSI/SAIA A92.20-2018 are as follows.

1)    prevention of accidents and personal injuries

2)    establishment of criteria for design, manufacture, remanufacture, rebuild/recondition, testing and performance

3)    establishment and understanding by manufacturers, remanufacturers, engineers and designers of their responsibilities

Recognized hazards associated with MEWPs include: tip overs associated with wind loads and contact with other obstacles, contact with power lines leading to electrocutions, caught-between the lift and other objects, falls from platform and equipment collapse.\[3\] This effort will analyze injury data including both fatal and nonfatal incidents associated with MEWPs to better understand the trends and quantifying many of the risks associated with the operation and maintenance of MEWPs. Sources of data reviewed will include the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (BLS), National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) database, International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) data. The effort will also identify and explore how the design changes introduced in the new industry standards address the hazards and risk associated with MEWPs.

 

\[1\] “Design, Calculations, Safety Requirements and Test Method for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPS),” ANSI/SAIA A92.20, Section 3, 2018

\[2\] https://www.saiaonline.org/a92

\[3\] https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3842.pdf


Assessment of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms Risks and Review of Changes Introduced in New Industry Standards to Address These Hazards

Division / Sponsors: 
Aerospace, Bioengineering, Applied Mechanics, Design Engineering Division, Advanced Energy Systems, Manufacturing Engineering Division, Noise Control and Acoustics, Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Prognosis (NDPD), Nuclear Engineering Division, Process Industries Division, Fluids Engineering, Heat Transfer, Materials, Microelectromechanical Systems, Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis, Computers & Information in Engineering


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2020/volume/84478

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