Risk assessment for aerial work platforms: the guide for site managers
Before the first scissor lift or articulating boom lift is set up on a site, a document must exist that many companies underestimate: the risk assessment. It is not a formality - under Act No. 124/2006 Coll. on occupational safety and health and Government Regulation No. 392/2006 Coll. (work equipment), it is the legal prerequisite for work equipment such as an aerial work platform or a telehandler to be used at all. Anyone who carries it out incorrectly or not at all is personally liable in the event of damage - regardless of whether the rented machine itself was technically flawless.
For site managers and safety officers, this raises a question before every enquiry to Luibl Rental that starts long before choosing the machine: what hazards does the specific site involve, and which measures must be in place before the operator first climbs aboard? This guide takes you through the process step by step and shows how the assessment affects the choice of the right access equipment.
Why the risk assessment is mandatory - and who is responsible
Occupational safety rules require the employer, or the site manager responsible on site, to identify and evaluate all associated hazards before work equipment is used for the first time. This explicitly also applies to rented machines: responsibility for assessing the specific site remains with the operator, i.e. the renting company - not the rental provider. Luibl Rental supplies a technically inspected machine that complies with occupational safety rules, but whether that machine is suitable for the site, the ground and the weather conditions must be evaluated and documented by the operator.
This responsibility cannot be delegated without a written transfer. If a foreman or supervisor is tasked with carrying it out, this assignment must be documented just like the assessment itself. If the document is missing during an inspection by the labour inspectorate, the risk assessment is legally deemed not to have been carried out - even if work on site was actually safe.
The five steps of the risk assessment in practice
The prescribed procedure follows a fixed scheme that can be made specific for the use of aerial work platforms and telehandlers. First, all hazards that may occur at the planned site are identified: the load-bearing capacity of the ground, possible wind loads outdoors, proximity to overhead power lines, traffic areas nearby and any fall edges or floor openings. Only when this list is complete does the evaluation follow - i.e. estimating how likely an incident is and how serious the possible consequences would be.
Based on this evaluation, specific measures are defined in the third step. This is where the so-called TOP principle applies, which sets the order of permissible protective measures: technical measures before organisational measures before personal protective equipment. For an aerial work platform, this means in practice: first check whether a technical solution such as outrigger pads for load distribution or an automatic wind sensor cut-off can eliminate the hazard. Only if this is not sufficient do organisational measures such as barriers and time windows follow, and finally personal fall protection equipment as the last safety level for the operator.
In the fourth step, the defined measures are actually implemented and communicated to everyone involved - especially the platform operator. The fifth and often neglected step is checking effectiveness: the process is only complete once it has been verified that the measures actually work in everyday site operation. If conditions change - for example because a second construction phase starts or the ground changes due to the weather - the assessment must be updated.
Machine-specific hazards: what matters for which platform
The specific hazards differ significantly depending on the machine used, which is why a generic assessment without reference to the machine is usually insufficient in practice. For scissor lifts indoors, the main issues are floor loading from the point loads of the wheels and the ceiling height, while for diesel scissor lifts outdoors, wind load, uneven ground and the need for outrigger pads also become relevant. Articulating boom lifts, with their ability to reach sideways over obstacles, bring a different hazard category: here the assessment must cover the entire slewing range of the boom, including possible collisions with facade elements or cables.
Spider lifts are used specifically on rough or sensitive terrain, for example in parks or on historic floors - here the risk assessment shifts more towards ground pressure and surface load. Truck-mounted platforms add a road traffic component, because setting up on or next to public traffic areas entails additional safeguarding duties under Act No. 8/2009 Coll. on road traffic. If you are unsure which hazard category applies to your project, the aerial work platform category overview from Luibl Rental provides the technical data of all platform types as a starting point for your own assessment.
The interplay with operator competence and equipment inspections
The risk assessment does not stand alone, but forms the basis for two further duties that are closely linked in practice. It directly determines the competence the operator must have: if, for example, the assessment shows that an articulating boom lift with high slewing dynamics will be used, you must ensure that the assigned operator holds the appropriate IPAF category. Details on the individual categories are summarised in the guide to the IPAF operator licence.
The risk assessment is likewise linked to the technical inspection of the machine but does not replace it: the inspection under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll. confirms that the machine itself is safe, while the risk assessment evaluates whether its use at the specific site under the specific conditions is safe. Both documents are required independently of each other during an inspection. How inspection documentation is organised at Luibl Rental and which records must be kept with the machine is explained in detail in the guide to inspections of lifting equipment.
Documentation: what belongs in the record and how long it is kept
A risk assessment carried out only verbally has no evidential value in court or during labour inspectorate checks. The record must include the site and period of use, the hazards identified, the measures defined according to the TOP principle, the person responsible and the date of the effectiveness check. The document is signed by the person who carried out the assessment, usually the site manager or a specialist appointed by them in writing.
The retention period depends on how long the work equipment is used, but at least until the end of the respective construction project. For recurring, comparable deployments - for example when the same scissor lift is regularly used in the same production hall - an existing assessment can serve as a template, but must be reviewed and updated whenever the conditions change significantly.
Free checklist for your own risk assessment
To make getting started easier for site managers, Luibl Rental provides a compact checklist that summarises all relevant check points for using aerial work platforms and telehandlers in the right order - from assessing the ground and wind load limits to a documentation template based on the TOP principle. The checklist does not replace an individual on-site assessment, but it provides a reliable structure so that even site managers without a daily safety routine do not overlook any relevant point.
Rent the right platform for the assessed application
Once the risk assessment is complete, it is usually clear which machine category meets the requirements: an electric scissor lift for dust-free indoor use, an articulating boom lift for work over obstacles or a spider lift for sensitive outdoor surfaces. Luibl Rental delivers the right machine throughout Slovakia with a valid inspection sticker and supports you with questions on machine selection, so that the technical measures defined in the assessment can actually be implemented. An operator briefing on handover is included.
FAQ: risk assessment for aerial work platforms
Do I really have to prepare a risk assessment myself for a rented machine? Yes. Responsibility for the risk assessment lies with the operator, i.e. the renting company, regardless of whether the machine was bought or rented. Luibl Rental provides a technically inspected machine; evaluating the specific site remains the task of the site manager.
Is a general risk assessment sufficient for all sites? No. Since ground, weather and surrounding conditions differ from site to site, the assessment must be reviewed for each new site and adapted in case of significant differences.
What happens if no risk assessment is available during an inspection? If the document is missing, the assessment is legally deemed not to have been carried out. This can lead to fines, an immediate prohibition of use and, in the event of damage, personal liability of the person responsible.
How does the risk assessment differ from the equipment inspection? The inspection confirms that the machine itself is technically safe. The risk assessment evaluates whether using this machine at the specific site under the specific conditions is safe. Both records are required independently of each other.
Who may carry out the risk assessment? In principle the employer or a competent person appointed in writing, such as a site manager or safety officer. The appointment must be documented.
The Luibl Rental team will answer your questions about the right machine category for your assessed application during service hours Mon-Fri, 08:00-17:00.