Even though boom lift rentals certainly come in handy for a variety of industries, nothing will void your contract faster or incur a large bill for damage or injury than using it for a purpose for which it is not intended. Whilst accidentally overloading the platform or using it on terrain it was not designed for can result in damage to the equipment itself, there are unintended consequences that you will also have to account for. The least of these being a small injury and the most being a severe injury or even death.

If you want to avoid these sorts of mistakes, however, it is important to consider a number of guidelines when applying for boom lift rentals. We have outlined some of the more important ones in the list below:

• Make sure that you have well-trained and experienced lift operators onsite and that they are the only ones who are permitted to use the equipment.
• Make sure that you have the relevant manuals for all rental equipment and, if possible, maintenance log so that you can verify that the lift is in tiptop condition.
• When the rental arrives onsite, check it for any visible damage to the body, frame and accessories. Make a note of this damage and send it back if it’s too severe.
• Perform a complete pre-operation inspection checklist each time you use the equipment. Guaranteed that the one time you do not check it, something will fail.
• Make sure that all of the moving parts are appropriately guarded and that the guards are in tiptop condition. This will ensure that nothing (or no-one) jams the parts.
• Ensure that safety devices, warning lights and horns are working. It is possible to test all of these without posing risk to your workers or ask the rental company.
• Ensure that the equipment and related products are properly sized for both the operating space and the load capacity. This will prevent the lift from tipping over.
• Make sure that all exhausts and discharges are positioned so that they don’t endanger your workers or obstruct their views. This should be checked from all angles.
• Make sure that you have assessed your health and safety plans, ensuring that you have included the equipment. Is first aid available? Is the evacuation plan up to date?
• Make sure that material safety data sheets (MSDS) are always on hand and that everyone knows where they are. They shouldn’t have to search through drawers.

By following each of the above guidelines (as well as a few more that we are sure you have thought of during your reading) you can rest assured that your boom lift rental is used properly and that mistakes are avoided. Whilst we are only human and we all make mistakes, it is important to remember that this could have serious repercussions, such as injury and even death. The best thing to do is try to prevent them from occurring in the first place. And, if a mistake does occur, it isn’t likely to be as disastrous.