Scissor lifts are a type of mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) used to provide temporary access to high, hard-to-reach areas for various tasks such as maintenance, construction, and warehousing. They are characterized by their crisscrossing (scissor-like) metal supports that expand and contract to raise and lower the platform.

A scissor lift is a type of aerial work platform that is used to provide temporary access for people and materials to elevated work areas. Unlike passenger lifts, which are designed to move people between floors in a building, scissor lifts are mobile and can be used in a variety of outdoor and indoor settings.

The name "scissor lift" comes from the scissor-like mechanism that is used to raise and lower the platform. This mechanism consists of linked folding supports that are arranged in a crisscross pattern. When the hydraulic rams push the supports apart, the platform rises. When the rams retract, the supports fold back together, and the platform descends.