It’s a safety tool that you can launch from your computer, yet the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) promises that its Aerial Lift Hazard Recognition Simulator offers realistic workplaces – complete with hazards.

The simulator now includes a boom lift scenario, in addition to its existing scissor lift scenario. Experienced and novice operators of both types of lifts will find the free simulator useful. It can help them learn about – or serve as reminders for - the hazards they may encounter while using the lifts on the job.

Because they’re mobile, easy to deploy to jobsites and involve minimal setup time, aerial lifts are widely used for painting, drywall installation, and maintenance. However, their mobility and elevations increase risks for users. Additionally, they may be used during adverse weather conditions and at high-traffic worksites.

Between 2011-2014, 1,380 workers were injured and 87 died as a result of operating an aerial lift or scissor lift.¹

NIOSH notes that although it can be a helpful, using the simulator is not a substitute for required training to operate aerial and boom lifts.

Click here to use the NIOSH Aerial Lift Hazard Recognition SimulatorCdc-zip.

1. US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (nonfatal data)External. Date accessed: July 18, 2016.