What caused the worker to leave the aerial-lift platform? The lift may have tipped or been struck, an anchor may have failed, or the worker may have lost balance during the task. The platform’s height and the presence of a harness do not, by themselves, resolve that sequence.
Record the lift in its working position
Identify the make, model and serial number, along with the platform height and boom angle. Document the ground slope, stabilizers, wheel chocks, nearby traffic and weather. A lift on an incline raises different equipment questions from one struck by a passing truck.
Photograph the machine’s position, guardrails, gate, controls, lanyard and anchor before the lift is moved, if that can be done safely. The investigation needs to connect the equipment to the fall: a missing harness does not explain why a lift moved, and a harness’s presence does not establish that it was anchored correctly.
Compare the scene record with the work plan, operator training, spotter assignments, inspection logs and repair history. These sources help identify the task, the planned setup and the condition of the equipment used to perform it.
Trace the rental and maintenance history
A rental machine may pass through several companies before an injury occurs. Collect the rental papers and trace who had custody of the lift, who maintained it and who operated it. The rental firm’s name on the machine does not answer all of those questions.
29 C.F.R. §1926.453 addresses aerial lifts in construction, including operation and fall protection. The platform type and the particular task determine how the rule applies. Compare those requirements with the lift’s condition and use rather than treating every elevated platform as identical.
An employer, rental company, manufacturer, site operator or outside driver may have a different connection to the same fall. A construction injury claim involving a rented lift needs the custody and maintenance history as well as evidence of how the lift was used.
Workers’ compensation exclusivity must be considered before treating an employer and an independent third party alike. The question of whom a worker can sue after a job injury requires the actual work relationships. If a separate company’s conduct warrants investigation, its rental, repair or operating records also matter to the assessment of compensation alongside a potential third-party claim.
Sources checked: September 30, 2026.