29 CFR 1926.453 · New Jersey · FY2025
Aerial Lifts in New Jersey: FY2025 OSHA citations
32 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.453 at inspected sites in New Jersey, from 31 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 32 citation items under 29 CFR 1926.453 at inspected sites in New Jersey, in 31 inspections. Among the 120 sections of 29 CFR parts 1904, 1910 and 1926 cited in New Jersey that year (3,585 citation items in all), this one ranks 25th by items. These counts describe inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Paragraphs of 29 CFR 1926.453 cited in New Jersey
| Paragraph | Items | Share of the 32 |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.453(b)(2)(v) | 26 | 81% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(iv) | 4 | 13% |
| 1926.453(b)(2)(ii) | 2 | 6% |
“(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.”
“(ii) Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift.”
How the New Jersey citations were classified
Of the 32 citation items: 25 serious, 0 willful, 2 repeat and 5 other-than-serious (78% serious).
Who was inspected in New Jersey
68% of the 31 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 | 21 |
| 11 to 25 | 6 |
| 26 to 100 | 3 |
| 251 to 1,000 | 1 |
| Construction | 29 |
| Manufacturing | 2 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 12 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 8 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 3 |
When the items were issued
By quarter of FY2025: Oct to Dec 2024: 7; Jan to Mar 2025: 10; Apr to Jun 2025: 6; Jul to Sep 2025: 9.
Who enforced in New Jersey
New Jersey's State Plan covers state and local government workers only; private-sector employers there are covered by federal OSHA. Of the 32 items, 1 were recorded by the State Plan's office and 31 by federal OSHA offices. OSHA's page on the New Jersey State Plan.
New Jersey against the other states
New Jersey ranks 8th 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 32 in New Jersey are 4.2% of them. Penalty maximums: OSHA penalties in New Jersey.
Next steps for a New Jersey 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.