Boom Lifts and Construction: Why They Are a Must-Have for High-Reach Tasks

The construction industry has always implied high risks for the personnel who perform their work directly at the facilities. At the same time, in addition to compliance with safety standards, it is also important to have high productivity and speed. Partially (and sometimes completely) all these needs can be met by purchasing boom lifts from reliable manufacturers. Below, we will look at the main advantages of boom lifts, comparing them with ladders and scaffolding.

The Role of Boom Lifts in the Construction Sector

When performing high-altitude work, boom lifts can act as a more efficient and safe replacement for scaffolding and ladders. Also, unlike scaffolding, they do not require erection, which means that work with their participation can begin immediately. However, these are not all the advantages of this type of equipment. Therefore, let’s consider them in more detail below.

Increased safety 

Working at height is associated with the risk of falls of personnel, equipment overturning, and, in general, everything that can be attributed to the human factor. In turn, boom lifts are usually equipped with a stable platform with railings, which minimizes the likelihood of accidents and, in particular, the fall of operators. Also, manufacturers of this type of equipment often enrich it with automatic stabilization systems (making it impossible to overturn) and overload control systems (they block the rise if the permissible load is exceeded). For example, such innovations are implemented in modern models of boom elevators from JLG (here, we mean the SkyGuard™ system, which stops movement in potentially dangerous situations). 

Saving operators’ time

Using boom lifts will also allow your personnel to significantly speed up the execution of high-altitude work. This is achieved primarily due to the reduction in preparation time (since boom lifts do not require the installation of scaffolding). In addition, this type of equipment allows several specialists to work on one platform at once, providing them with flexibility of movement and allowing them to quickly move from one task to another. Telescopic boom lifts cope especially well with all of the above tasks, reducing the installation time of metal structures by 30-40% (compared to the use of ladders and scaffolding). 

Simplified access to hard-to-reach places

Your personnel may need to access certain locations through obstacles, such as facades, balconies, roofs, or inclined structures. Articulated and telescopic models can easily handle this task, as they can bend around obstacles, work in tight spaces, and provide maximum horizontal coverage. Specifically, they can be especially useful when installing ventilation systems on roofs, as well as advertising installations. 

Versatility and the ability to work in different conditions

Boom lift manufacturers strive to offer their audiences options in different modifications, each of which is adapted for use in certain conditions, be it flat surfaces, rough terrain, inside buildings, etc. In particular, you will have to choose between electric (they are suitable for indoor use, are silent, and do not emit exhaust gases), diesel (they are powerful, have a high load capacity, and can work outdoors), and tracked models (this type of boom lift is ideal for work on difficult terrain).

Reduced personnel and equipment costs

Finally, using boom lifts will allow you to reduce the need for additional personnel and minimize the costs of installing temporary structures. The fact is that one boom lift replaces scaffolding, which requires assembly, disassembly, and efforts from live personnel; it also allows you to reduce the downtime of workers due to faster access to high-rise objects, and of course, minimize the risk of accidents (and, therefore, the costs of insurance and compensation). Thus, businesses that regularly use lifts instead of scaffolding reduce their overhead costs by 20-30% per year.

Increased precision of work at height

When performing construction tasks, operators need to reach the desired point and perform work with high precision. At the same time, modern boom lift models have stable platforms, smooth motion control systems (to minimize vibrations and oscillations, which is especially important during installation work), stabilization functions (they allow you to fix the platform in the desired position without the risk of deviation), as well as programmable height and angle settings (they simplify the repeated performance of the same type of tasks). Thanks to all these characteristics, the work of operators becomes more accurate and less susceptible to human errors.

Final Thoughts

As we can see, boom lifts are indispensable equipment for any modern construction company due to their safety (thanks to automatic fall prevention), efficiency (due to accelerated task execution by 30-40%), maneuverability (since they are able to work in hard-to-reach places), and cost-effectiveness (this equipment reduces personnel costs).

That is why, if you want to increase productivity and safety at your construction locations and are looking for a boom lift for sale, you should definitely check out the Zuma Sales catalog. Feel free to contact us, and our experts will select a model that perfectly suits your requirements!

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