When working from an aerial lift, what protection is required?

• A. A body belt only
• B. A fall restraint or personal fall arrest system
• C. No protection is required
• D. Only a guardrail is sufficient

Answer: (B)

When you’re up in an aerial lift, there’s a real risk of falling from height, so protection is required. The safe choice is a fall restraint or a personal fall arrest system. A body belt only isn’t enough because it doesn’t distribute the forces of a fall safely and can cause injury; it won’t reliably keep you from falling or stopping a fall. A full-body harness with a lanyard (fall arrest) or a harness linked to an anchor point on the lift (fall restraint) provides proper support and either prevents you from reaching the edge or safely stops a fall. Relying on the guardrail alone isn’t considered enough protection in this context, since it may not prevent a fall or withstand all loading scenarios. So, use a fall restraint or personal fall arrest system, properly attached to an approved anchor.