Aerial Boom Lift Key Terms

Become familiar with aerial boom lift terminology

An aerial boom lift is the most suitable lift when you want to lift personnel or material to certain heights for a short duration of time. Aerial boom lifts have working platforms or buckets attached to their ends as per the application requirements.

If you want to buy or rent aerial boom lifts you must understand various technical terms that indicate types, specifications and standards associated with these lifts. This guide will explain key terms relating to aerial boom lifts, such as telescopic boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and lift capacity.

Telescopic boom lifts

A telescopic boom lift (also called a straight boom lift) has a telescopic mechanism that can be extended as per the application requirements. These lifts are safer than most, as they have a rugged construction.

Articulated boom lifts

As the name indicates, an articulated boom lift (also called knuckle boom lift) has a combination of lifting booms to reach the required elevation. These lifts are electrically or gas powered.

Lift capacity

Lift capacity is the most important specification of a boom lift. Lift capacity is the maximum load or force that can be supported by the boom lift. Before buying or renting a boom lift, you must assess your requirements and evaluate the lift capacity.

Metric or imperial dimensions

Metric dimensions are the dimensions of industrial products according to Systeme Internationale (SI) standards. SI standards also specify that load capacity is measured in kilograms and length dimensions are measured in centimeters. Unlike metric dimensions, the imperial measurement system specifies the lifting capacity of a boom lift in pounds, and dimensions in feet or inches.
Technology Services (PDF), a part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, provides an informative document that explains the relation between the different measurement units.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards

OSHA is a non-profit organization that publishes regulations for the safety of working professionals for various industrial operations. OSHA 1926.453 is the standard that provides guidelines for use of aerial lifts. You must strictly follow these regulations for the safety of your employees.
For more information about OSHA 1926.453, read through the description at Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s website.

ASME standards

AMSE International is an association for mechanical engineers that develops and publishes standards for industrial components. ASME standards for boom lifts provide guidelines about their design, construction, installation and operations.
You can read through the scope of the different standards such as A17.1, B30.23 and B30.22 at ASME International.

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