Australian law requires that workers’ health and safety be prioritised in construction, maintenance, and warehousing.

Any tasks involving heights involve potential hazards, which is where access equipment hire can help support your projects. Specifically, with the durable and robust boom lift hire options available to you.

In this feature, we explore your range of options and the machinery that’ll ideally suited to your specific needs.

Types of Boom Lift Hire Equipment

Knuckle booms (also known as boom lifts) are aerial work platforms (AWPS). Many industries use them to access high-up or difficult-to-reach areas. There are two main types:

1. Telescopic
2. Articulating 

Telecopic straight booms are ideally suited to horizontal and vertical reach with quick extension times. They’re excellent for big open areas but less maneuverable in tight spaces, making the telescopic boom lift ideal for demanding projects.

Whereas, knuckle booms are excellent for confined spaces, with the added capacity to reach around, up, and over objects. Although they tend to be smaller than telescopic models, an articulating boom lift gets the job down in tight, twisty, and challenging environments.

Both offer businesses highly productive and durable equipment, but you’ll need to consider your exact project needs before committing to one over another.

How to Choose a Suitable Boom Lift on Hire

Before hiring any equipment, you must evaluate your working environment. For knuckle booms, follow the steps below to determine whether they are suitable.

Consider the Heights You’re Dealing With

The reach capacity for booms ranges from 30ft to 150ft (with diesel-powered models). But you should factor in your need for horizontal and vertical reach. Analyse your workplace to:

• Examine the peak vertical points you need to reach
• If your workers need flexibility to move above and around objects

Telescopic and articulating booms differ here. The former reaches great heights, while the latter is more maneuverable. Keep this in mind for your project needs.

Evaluate Ground and Terrain

The job you’ll be undertaking dictates the equipment you need, including the base and tyres of a boom lift. With rough terrain, you’ll want to choose a model with four-wheel drive and durable tyres (such as foam-filled or solid). Oscillating axles will also promote freedom of movement over the terrain.

Also factor in sloping conditions and the model you need to complete tasks over uneven terrain. Some models have auto-levelling triggers, which may be essential to the job at hand.

However, if you’ll largely be indoors (such as in a warehouse) then electric-powered equipment will prove highly effective. You may wish to choose a model with non-marking tyres to promote a cleaner warehouse environment.

Choose a Power Source

Booms are available in three types:

1. Diesel-powered
2. Electric-powered
3. Hybrid

All three a durable and versatile, but diesel offers the maximum power. That makes them ideal for outdoor environments to power over rough terrain. The downside? They’re loud and not suitable for indoor use.

Electric-powered equipment is quieter and just as effective, but it is ideally suitable for indoor jobs. However, hybrid equipment offers the best of both worlds for more complicated project terrains (i.e., indoor and outdoor).

Consider Platform Capacity

The size of a boom’s platform is a crucial consideration. Before hiring any equipment, consider the dimensions (e.g. 30” x 60”), how many workers will be using it, and the weights it can carry (e.g. 200kg or 400kg).

This is vital to ensuring workplace health and safety and completing work effectively, so research various models to find your best match.

If you do end up with equipment unsuited to the loads you need to lift, don’t exceed the manufacturer’s load rating. That’s a significant safety risk. Instead, look to exchange equipment—at Onsite Rentals, we can quickly complete this to keep your project on track.

Consider Safety Features

With health and safety paramount with working at height, weigh up the various features available across models. These can include:

• Emergency lowering
• Anti-crush mechanisms
• Load sensors
• Guardrails
• Fall arrest anchorage points
• Tilty alarms
• Travel interlocks

These add an extra layer of safety for workers. All modern boom lift equipment offers some of these innovative features, but be sure to look carefully at manufacturer details to ensure you receive the range you’re looking for.

Hire Quality Boom Hire Equipment From Onsite Rentals

We’re a renowned B2B equipment hire specialist in Australia and have supported the construction, industrial, and mining industries for hundreds of high-demand projects.

With flexible contracts matching your project needs, you can upscale and downscale your equipment hire to suit business needs. Contact us today for a quote: 13 40 40.

What are the Different Types of Boom Lifts?

The two main types of access equipment are telescopic and articulating boom lifts. Both offer supreme quality and load capacity, but the latter is more maneuverable. The telescopic range is the ideal choice for reaching greater heights.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Boom Lift?

Costs for boom lift on hire depend upon your specific business and project needs, as well as the exact type of equipment you want to hire and for how long. To get a quick quote, you can contact our customer service team for assistance at 13 40 40.