Rent Smart: Need a lift?

Here are some aerial lift rental tips.

Height and reach – Maximum platform height is the highest you can raise the platform. Working height is the level a worker can reach while at maximum platform height. The American Rental Association says the platform height generally is about six feet less than the working height. Maximum outreach on articulated lifts is how far the work platform reaches horizontally.

Platform size and lift capacity – Your safety and productivity depend on accurately determining the load capacity you need and also affects the type of lift you rent. One-person lifts may only carry 300 pounds while a rough terrain scissor lift supports up to 2,000 pounds. The load capacity rate is the maximum number of pounds that machine will safely handle – people, tools and materials lifted up and down.

Power – Where you are working will determine how your lift is powered. Aerial lifts can be powered with electricity, gas, diesel or a combination of these. Electrically powered lifts run on rechargeable batteries and are suitable for jobs that have to respect noise pollution regulations and indoor jobs where exhaust fumes are forbidden. Gas and diesel powered platforms serve well on jobs with no other available power sources. Dual-energy lifts that run on batteries, then recharge while the diesel engine runs are also available. If you will be using power tools, ask to rent a lift with an onboard generator.

Safety – Aerial lifts have safety features, but ultimately your personal safety is your responsibility. OSHA requires a full body harness or body belts on boom supported lifts. Regardless of the type of lift you rent, add fall protection equipment to your order.


Iowa equipment dealer raises breast cancer awareness to new heights
Mid Country Machinery in Fort Dodge, Iowa, is making two pink JLG 800S 80-foot telescoping boom lifts available for rent to raise awareness and money for the Des Moines chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Mid Country’s “Reach High for the Cure” program will donate 10 percent of all income derived from the pink boom lifts rental for the next 54 months in honor of a customer who is fighting breast cancer.

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Who’s got your skid steer?
The most recent Construction Equipment Theft Study by LoJack says construction equipment theft costs companies upwards of $1 billion per year in lost assets. Skid steers are the most popular machines to lift and in this case size doesn’t matter because wheel and track loaders come in second. Professional theft rings consider stealing heavy equipment a low risk, high reward undertaking, according to Ron Waters, LoJack’s president. In the current economy, construction business owners need to take all necessary precautions to protect their own machines as well as their rented equipment. This October, three industry groups will present equipment theft and recovery events focusing on ways to prevent construction equipment theft.


Rental Briefs
The Haulotte Group has acquired Bil-Jax and expects the integration of the combined businesses to be complete by year’s end. Haulotte says the acquisition of Bil-Jax will give the company an established manufacturing presence in North America and will increase product offerings outside the U.S. Bil-Jax manufactures scaffolding and niche aerial work platforms; Haulotte’s product line includes personal and material lift equipment.

The National Demolition Association is conducting its 14th Annual Demolition Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, October 15-17, 2008. Along with demolition-specific OSHA certifications in English and Spanish, the Demolition Academy will present the Rental Equipment Safety Awareness program, part of its two-day safety and management training workshops. Sunbelt Rentals will present an aerial lift safety training program and Byron Adkins, Regional Safety Director for Sunbelt Rentals, will discuss recovery methods and ways to prevent rental equipment theft. For more information please click on www.demolitionassociation.com/demolition_academy.php or call 800-541-2412.

Hertz Equipment Rental reopened its Shelby, North Carolina, facility in late July, showcasing a newly-expanded product line, including contractor supplies and construction and industrial equipment from Case, Genie, Ingersoll-Rand, JLG, John Deere, Wacker Neuson and Stihl.