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Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person

4.6(28 reviews)
Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person

Course Overview

Aerial lift safety falls to whoever spots a hazard and stops the work, and this course trains them under 29 CFR 1926.453, the aerial lifts standard. Three online modules, 1.5 hours, cover boom and scissor lifts, hazards, fall protection and rescue.

  • Covers how a boom lift and a scissor lift differ in reach, movement and stability, and where each one works.
  • Trains supervisors to pick the right harness, lanyard and anchor, because fall protection differs by machine.
  • Walks through emergency descent from a stalled lift platform, and what a written rescue plan must contain.

Note: eTraining also offers a shorter Aerial & Scissor Lift Safety awareness course for general operators and workers.

  • 1.5 hours, self-paced
  • English & Español
  • Instant certificate
  • Mobile friendly
$89.00

Per seat. One-time payment, no subscription.

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30-day satisfaction guarantee. No hidden fees.

English & EspañolChoose your version Need A Business Account?Volume discounts for teams of 5 or more.
Course Clips

Everything You Need to Know
About This Course

The course runs in three modules: the competent person role and the machines, then fall protection and emergencies, then the written safety plan. Knowledge checks sit inside each module, and a 20-question final bank closes it out.

  • Competent person role and OSHA's definition.
  • Types of aerial lifts, from telescoping booms to vertical towers.
  • Scissor lifts, and how they differ from aerial lifts.
  • OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453, the aerial lifts standard.
  • ANSI A92 as industry practice for aerial work platforms.
  • Records the competent person keeps.
  • Hazard categories on lift work: tipping, falls, electrical contact, mechanical failure and weather.
  • Risk assessment and ranking hazards by likelihood and severity.
  • The hierarchy of controls applied to lift work.
  • Site-specific hazard plans.
  • Fall protection systems and PPE selection.
  • Pre-use inspection of the machine.
  • Safe operation and maintenance requirements.
  • Emergency descent and the descent protocol.
  • Rescue planning and emergency communication.
  • Building and enforcing an aerial and scissor lift safety plan.

OSHA Standard29 CFR 1926.453 and ANSI A92
Course Duration1.5 hours
Format100% online, fully narrated with photos and interactivity
Passing Score70% on final exam
CertificatePersonalized certificate, printable immediately upon passing
LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
Device CompatibilityDesktop, tablet, and smartphone
ProgressProgress saved automatically, stop and restart without losing your place
AcceptedOur courses meet federal standards, but state requirements may vary. Please verify before purchase.

This one is for the person your company names as competent for aerial and scissor lift work, and for the supervisors standing behind that decision.

  • The employee designated as competent person for aerial and scissor lift work
  • Construction supervisors and foremen who release lift work at the start of a shift
  • Site safety officers who inspect lift setups and correct hazards on the spot
  • Project managers responsible for a written lift safety plan
  • Maintenance and facility managers whose crews run scissor lifts indoors
  • Warehouse and distribution supervisors overseeing elevated picking and stocking work
  • Utility and telecommunications crew leads whose teams work from boom lifts
  • Contractors who have to show an auditor who the designated competent person is
  • Supervisors taking over lift safety oversight from someone who has left

The course draws its examples from the settings these machines actually work in, indoors and out.

  • Commercial and residential construction, working from boom lifts on facades
  • Building renovation and exterior repair
  • Utility line maintenance and power line work
  • Telecommunications tower and antenna servicing
  • Warehouse and distribution, picking and stocking from scissor lifts
  • Industrial maintenance in plants and manufacturing facilities
  • Retail and facility maintenance, lighting and signage work
  • Tree trimming and vegetation management from bucket lifts
  • Event staging and rigging at height
  • Painting and exterior finishing on high-rise facades
  • Government and municipal operations maintaining public buildings
  • HVAC service in restricted overhead spaces

Experience the first 5 minutes of the course right here. No account or payment required.

Interactive Course Preview5-minute preview of Module 1, Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person. No login or payment required.

Aerial Lift Competent Person or Operator Training?

Two eTraining courses cover the same two machines. What separates them is what the person is expected to do with the machine.

  • Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person. The page you're on. It trains the person your employer names as competent for lift work: hazard identification, risk ranking, inspection duties and the authority to stop a job. Three modules, 1.5 hours.
  • Aerial and Scissor Lift Safety. For the people who ride the platform. Operator-level training on boom and scissor lift hazards, pre-use checks and safe operation, across seven units. View the Aerial and Scissor Lift Safety
  • Competent Person Series. The rest of the series. Same designated role, other hazards: fall protection, scaffolding, trenching, ladders and forklifts. View the Competent Person Series

If they run the machine, start with the operator course. If they sign off on the work, this is the one to buy.

 

Why Your Lift Crew Needs a Designated Competent Person

There is a difference between the most experienced person on the crew and the person your company has designated.

  • The role is defined by authority, not by a certificate. OSHA's definition at 29 CFR 1926.32(f) has two halves: being able to identify existing and predictable hazards, and being authorized to correct them on the spot. Module 1 trains both halves for lift work.
  • Spotting a hazard is only half the job. Module 1 moves from the five hazard categories into risk assessment, ranking what you found by likelihood and severity and matching it to a control level. Recognition on its own does not tell a supervisor what to fix first.
  • The records are part of the role. Module 1 covers the four sets the role owns: daily inspection logs, training records, incident reports and maintenance records. That is the paperwork an auditor asks for.
  • A stalled platform needs a plan, not a phone call. Module 2 covers emergency descent from the platform controls and from the base controls, plus what a written rescue plan has to contain before anyone goes up.

Buy it for the person who signs off on lift work. That same supervisor usually needs competent person training for fall protection next, and both courses serve the same crew.

Verified Course Reviews

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4.6
Based on 28 reviews
5
75
75%
4
14
14%
3
7
7%
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0%
1
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1-2 of 28 reviews
  1. Luis Vasquez
    Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent PersonAerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person

    important info

    (0) (0)
    • Daniela
      Customer Service

      Thank you for providing additional positive comments.

  2. Roger Wright
    Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent PersonAerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person

    Computer or AI voice was annoying – mispronouncing words, O-S-H-A instead of OSHA, etc.

    (0) (0)

Stay Compliant. Stay Safe.

Complete your Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person at your own pace, on any device, with an instant certificate when you're done.

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$89.00
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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person.

he Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person course is a competent person-level safety training program that covers OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453 and ANSI A92 standards. It provides approximately 3–4 hours of instruction on the competent person’s role and responsibilities, hazard identification, fall protection, equipment inspection, emergency response, and safety plan development for aerial and scissor lift operations. Upon completion, participants receive a printable certificate of completion.

The course covers: the competent person’s role and regulatory responsibilities; OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453 and ANSI A92 standards; common aerial and scissor lift hazards and accident causes; hazard identification and site-specific risk assessment; fall protection requirements and PPE selection and inspection; equipment operation, inspection, and maintenance; emergency response and rescue planning, including emergency descent protocols; and developing and enforcing a site-specific aerial and scissor lift safety plan. The course is divided into 3 modules with quizzes throughout.

The course takes approximately 3–4 hours to complete. Because it is self-paced, you can complete it over multiple sessions at your convenience. Most students finish within 1 to 2 weeks. You have 6 months from your enrollment date to complete all coursework. Progress is saved automatically on the same device, so you can stop and resume at any time.

OSHA requires that a competent person be designated at every job site where aerial and scissor lifts are used. This course is designed for individuals who will serve in that role, including supervisors, safety officers, and experienced operators. Employers are responsible for ensuring a competent person is present during aerial and scissor lift operations. General operators may take the separate awareness-level course instead.

Under OSHA regulations, a competent person is someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the working environment and has the authority to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them. For aerial and scissor lift operations, the competent person is responsible for inspecting equipment before use, ensuring workers are properly trained, monitoring site conditions, enforcing fall protection requirements, and stopping work when unsafe conditions are identified.

The Aerial & Scissor Lift Safety awareness course is designed for general operators and workers who use aerial and scissor lifts on the job. It covers basic hazard recognition and safe operating practices. The Competent Person course is a more in-depth program designed for individuals who will be designated as the competent person on site, covering detailed inspection procedures, ANSI standards, emergency response planning, risk assessment, and the authority and responsibility to stop unsafe work.

Yes. eTraining’s Aerial & Scissor Lift Competent Person course covers OSHA 29 CFR 1926.453 and ANSI A92 standards and is accepted nationwide. You receive a printable certificate of completion that documents your competent person training. Employers across all 50 U.S. states accept this training for competent person designation on job sites.

Yes. Upon passing the final exam with a score of 70% or higher, you can immediately print a certificate of completion. This certificate serves as proof of training for your employer.

Yes. The course is accessible on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Progress saves automatically on the same device, so you can stop and resume where you left off.

There is no federally mandated expiration date for this training certificate. However, health and safety plans should be reviewed and updated annually, and whenever workplace conditions, hazards, or regulations change. Refresher training is recommended to stay current with evolving OSHA standards and best practices for safety program management.

You must score at least 70% on the final exam to pass and receive your certificate of completion. The course includes knowledge-check quizzes that do not count toward your final grade but help prepare you for the exam. If you do not pass on your first attempt, you can retake the exam.

Better Training. Better Outcomes.

Fifteen years, 200,000+ professionals certified, and a completion rate roughly double the industry average.

OSHA citation printed on every certificate

Your employer and site safety officer can verify compliance at a glance, with no phone calls and no lookups.

No setup. No LMS. Training in minutes.

Pay once, get instant access. No account setup, no downloads, no IT involvement. Works in any browser.

Built for field workers, not classrooms

Grounded in real jobsite operations. Scenarios reflect the work your crew actually does.

Trusted by safety managers & contractors

Used by EHS managers, general contractors and federal site supervisors to keep crews certified on time.

200,000+
Professionals certified
87%
Completion rate (industry avg <45%)
10M+
Hours of training delivered
15
Years in business

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