How to Operate a Scissor Lift: A First-Timer's Walkthrough

A scissor lift is one of the easier machines to run, which is exactly why first-timers get hurt on them. It goes straight up, gives you a stable platform, and doesn't ask much of you, so it's easy to forget you're standing on a raised platform on wheels. Respect two things, the ground under it and the weight on it, and you'll be fine.

This is a full walkthrough, from the checks you do before you go up to running it at height and getting back down. It's longer than most of our guides on purpose, because doing this right the first time matters more than reading it fast. Read it before you step on the platform.

Know What You're Running

It goes straight up, not out. A scissor lift raises a platform vertically. It has no horizontal reach, so if you need to reach out or over an obstacle, that's a boom lift, not this. Know that before you rent, not on the job.

Electric or rough-terrain. Electric lifts are for smooth, firm indoor floors. Rough-terrain lifts handle outdoor and uneven ground, but "rough-terrain" still means stable ground, not a hillside.

The controls vary. Every model is a little different, so read the manual and look over the decals on the machine before you touch anything. Don't assume the last lift you saw works like this one.

Two sets of controls. There's a control panel on the platform where you'll run it from up top, and a set of ground controls used for setup and emergencies. Know where both are. If you're still deciding whether a scissor lift is even the right machine, read more about how to choose the right lift, scissor vs boom vs articulating.

Inspect It Before You Go Up

Never skip this. Two minutes here saves you from finding a problem at height.

Walk around it. Check the tires or wheels, look for hydraulic leaks under and around the scissor mechanism, and eyeball the scissor arms, the platform, the guardrails and the entry gate for damage.

Check the controls and safeties. Make sure the platform controls, the ground controls, the emergency stop and the emergency lowering all look intact, and that the warning decals are there and readable.

Function-test from the ground. Using the ground controls, raise and lower the platform a little to confirm it moves smoothly, and test the emergency stop and the emergency lowering so you know they work before you trust them with your life.

Check the battery or fuel. Confirm an electric lift is charged and an engine-powered one is fueled, so you're not stranded up top.

Check the work area. Walk where the lift will operate. You want firm, level ground with no holes, curbs, drop-offs or soft spots, no debris in the drive path, and a clear look overhead for power lines, beams, ducts or ceilings you could hit.

Know Your Capacity and Fall Protection

Read the load chart. The platform has a rated capacity that covers people plus tools plus materials, so add it all up and stay under it. If the lift has an extension deck, its rating may drop when the deck is out, so use the right number.

Distribute the weight. Keep the load spread across the platform, not piled at one end or hanging off the rail.

The rails are your fall protection. The guardrails and the gate are what keep you on the platform, so keep the gate closed, keep your feet on the deck, and stay inside the rails at all times.

Never stand on the rails. Don't stand or climb on the guardrails or midrails, and never put a ladder, a step or a plank on the platform to gain height. If you can't reach it, raise the lift or reposition.

Harness where required. Whether you need a harness depends on the machine, the site and the rules that apply, so follow the machine's and your site's fall-protection requirements, and wear a harness where it's called for.

Getting On and the Controls

Get on through the gate. Enter through the gate, don't climb over the rails, and close the gate behind you before you do anything else.

Find the key controls. Before you move, locate the drive and steer controls, the raise and lower controls, the emergency stop, and the enable or "deadman" control that has to be held for the machine to respond. Controls vary by model, so match them to the manual.

Test at ground level first. With the platform down, try the drive, steer, raise and lower a little so you know how this specific machine responds before you're 20 feet up. Machines differ in speed and touch.

Know your stop. Make sure you know exactly where the emergency stop is and how to hit it fast, because the time to find it is now, not mid-problem. When you're ready to book, compare machines in scissor lift rentals.

Positioning and Raising

Position with the platform down. Drive the lift to your work spot with the platform lowered, since a lift is most stable down low and driving it elevated is where people tip over.

Set up on firm, level ground. This is the whole ballgame. The ground has to be firm and level, with no slope, no soft spots and no holes or drop-offs near the wheels. If the ground isn't right, fix it or move. Don't risk it.

Check overhead one more time. Before you raise, look up and confirm your path is clear of power lines, beams, ducts and ceilings, because a scissor lift takes you straight into whatever's above you.

Raise smoothly, gate closed, inside the rails. With the gate closed and your feet on the deck, raise the platform smoothly and keep watching your clearance the whole way up.

Mind the wind outdoors. Wind can tip a raised lift, so if you're outside, know the machine's wind rating and don't go up in conditions past it.

Working at Height

Stay inside, feet on the deck. Keep your feet flat on the platform floor and your body inside the rails. No leaning out over the rail, no sitting or standing on it.

Don't overreach. If the work is out of comfortable reach, lower the lift and move it closer. Reaching out to save a move is how people fall and how machines get pulled off balance.

Don't push or pull against structures. Don't shove or drag against a wall, a beam or anything fixed from the platform, because that force can slide or tip the whole machine.

Keep the load right. Stay within the platform's capacity and keep tools and materials spread out and secure, not piled or hanging over the edge.

Keep the area below clear. Don't drop tools, and keep people out from under the raised platform, since anything that comes off the deck is a hazard for whoever's below.

Moving, Lowering and Shutting Down

Lower before you move. Unless the machine is specifically rated to drive elevated, and then only at creep speed on firm, level ground, bring the platform all the way down before you drive to the next spot.

Never drive elevated over rough ground. Even on a lift that can drive raised, uneven ground plus a raised platform is a tip-over waiting to happen, so keep it down for anything but the smoothest, most level moves.

Lower smoothly and check below. When you come down, make sure the area under the platform is clear of people, tools and debris first.

Shut it down right. Lower fully, exit through the gate, park it out of the way, turn the controls off, set it per the manual, and put an electric lift back on the charger.

The Safety Rules That Actually Matter

If you forget the rest, remember these:

• Firm, level ground, every time. Slopes, soft ground, holes and drop-offs are the number one way scissor lifts tip over
• Lower it before you move it. Drive with the platform down, and never drive elevated over uneven ground
• Look up. Power lines, beams, ducts and ceilings are all things a scissor lift can drive you straight into
• Stay inside the rails, gate closed, feet on the deck. No standing on rails, no ladders or planks on the platform
• Respect the load chart. People, tools and materials, all under the rated capacity and spread out
• Don't push, pull or overreach. Reposition instead of forcing it
• Mind the wind outside, and know your machine's rating
• Know your emergency stop and emergency lowering before you go up
• Only trained, authorized people operate it, and every machine is a little different, so read the manual

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before towing a rented trailer, contact your auto insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability and towing-related damage claims.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions, and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

The Short Version

• A scissor lift is easy to run, which is exactly why first-timers get hurt on them, so respect the ground under it and the weight on it
• It goes straight up, not out; if you need to reach over or around something, that's a boom lift
• Inspect it before you go up: walk around it, function-test the controls and emergency systems from the ground, and check the work area for level ground and overhead hazards
• Know the platform's rated capacity and stay under it, keep the gate closed and your feet on the deck, and wear a harness where it's required
• Position the lift with the platform down on firm, level ground, look up, then raise smoothly inside the rails
• At height, stay inside, don't overreach, and never push or pull against a fixed structure
• Lower the platform before you move, and never drive elevated over uneven ground
• Firm level ground, look up, stay in the rails, respect the load chart, and know your emergency stop and lowering, those are the rules that keep you safe

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