29 CFR 1926.453 · Massachusetts · FY2025
Aerial Lifts in Massachusetts: FY2025 OSHA citations
27 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.453 at inspected sites in Massachusetts, from 20 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 27 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.453 at inspected sites in Massachusetts, in 20 inspections. Among the 121 sections of 29 CFR parts 1904, 1910 and 1926 cited in Massachusetts that year (2,776 citation items in all), this one ranks 24th by items. These counts describe inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Paragraphs of 29 CFR 1926.453 cited in Massachusetts
| Paragraph | Items | Share of the 27 |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.453(b)(2)(v) | 19 | 70% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(iv) | 5 | 19% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(i) | 1 | 4% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(ii) | 1 | 4% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(vi) | 1 | 4% |
“(v) A body belt shall be worn and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift. As of January 1, 1998, subpart M of this part (§ 1926.502(d)) provides that body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system. The use of a body belt in a tethering system or in a restraint system is acceptable and is regulated under § 1926.502(e).”
“(iv) Employees shall always stand firmly on the floor of the basket, and shall not sit or climb on the edge of the basket or use planks, ladders, or other devices for a work position.”
“(2) Extensible and articulating boom platforms. (i) Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use to determine that such controls are in safe working condition.”
How the Massachusetts citations were classified
Of the 27 citation items: 25 serious, 0 willful, 0 repeat and 2 other-than-serious (93% serious).
Who was inspected in Massachusetts
60% of the 20 inspections with a recorded headcount were at sites with 1 to 10 employees. The headcount is the inspected site's, not the employer's total.
| 1 to 10 | 12 |
| 11 to 25 | 4 |
| 26 to 100 | 3 |
| 101 to 250 | 1 |
| Construction | 26 |
| Manufacturing | 1 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 13 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 4 |
| Residential Building Construction | 4 |
When the items were issued
By quarter of FY2025: Oct to Dec 2024: 12; Jan to Mar 2025: 3; Apr to Jun 2025: 1; Jul to Sep 2025: 11.
Who enforced in Massachusetts
Massachusetts's State Plan covers state and local government workers only; private-sector employers there are covered by federal OSHA. All 27 of the items were recorded by federal OSHA offices. OSHA's page on the Massachusetts State Plan.
Massachusetts against the other states
Massachusetts ranks 11th of the 45 states and territories with items under 29 CFR 1926.453 in this data. The most items: Texas 102; Florida 57; Virginia 43; New York 41; Illinois 40. In all, the data record 756 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.453; the 27 in Massachusetts are 3.6% of them. Penalty maximums: OSHA penalties in Massachusetts.
Next steps for a Massachusetts employer
- What the standard says: 29 CFR 1926.453, Aerial Lifts
- Free tool: Fall Protection Plan Builder
- Free tool: Toolbox Talk Generator
- Software: HazComFast for construction contractors
Counts by HazComFast from the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data, extracted Oct 13, 2026; deleted items left out, 29 CFR numbers only. They are not figures OSHA publishes for the state, and the live database can change them. Same data source and method as our HazCom enforcement study. Not legal advice.