Words: Tony English

If you are setting up a Christmas tree, hanging exterior lights or suspending ornaments from the ceiling rafters, you’ll need special equipment to reach the heights required for these jobs, including aerial lifts you might not have on hand. In these situations, rental equipment is often the answer.

Learn the benefits of hiring

A traditional ladder is usually not high enough to reach the heights needed to hang exterior lights. When purchasing a lift is not in your organisation’s budget and you don’t have the room to store one even if you could afford it, hiring offers a cost-efficient, safe and practical solution to your holiday decorating challenges.

• Cost savings: Rather than buying a costly piece of equipment that is only used once a year, you can hire boom lifts at an hourly or daily rate.
• Safety: Don’t put your employees at risk of a fall from an unsteady ladder. By using professional lifting equipment with a secure railed platform, you can reduce the risk of injury or accidents without sacrificing holiday cheer. 
• Efficiency: Even thinking about moving a ladder around a tree is extremely time-consuming, climbing up and down repetitively to set the ladder in the right spot. Hiring professional equipment allows you to carry out decorating projects more quickly and efficiently.

Considering the lift option

Boom lifts offer optimal manoeuvrability, which is essential for workers who are stringing, hanging or dangling décor.

An articulating boom lift is an aerial work platform designed to provide access to hard-to-reach areas. It features multiple pivot points, or “knuckles,” on the boom sections, allowing the lift to bend and reach over festive decor obstacles.

Articulating boom lifts offer several advantages:

• The design enables “up-and-over” access, making it ideal for tasks that require manoeuvering around barriers or working at different heights.
• These boom lifts are commonly used in construction, maintenance, and industrial applications due to their versatility and ability to navigate confined spaces.
• They come in various models with different lift heights and outreach capabilities to suit a wide range of projects.

Boom lifts are available in two models for your holiday decorating needs:

A towable boom lift, also known as a tow-behind lift or trailer-mounted lift, is a type of aerial work platform you can easily transport by towing it behind a vehicle. These lifts are designed to provide access to hard-to-reach areas, making them ideal for maintenance, painting, and decorating.

Towable boom lifts offer several advantages:

• Their typical maximum lift height ranges from nine to 12 metres, high enough to place the final touch of a tree topper.
• Many models come with features like hydraulic auto-levelling outriggers and simple platform controls, so you can move the lift around from the basket.
• They can be towed by a standard vehicle, eliminating the need for a flatbed trailer or a rental delivery fee.

Don’t get stuck stringing lights or hanging ornaments while precariously perched on a hard-to-move ladder. By hiring the right ladder or lift, you can safely and cost-effectively complete your facility’s festive vision, keeping the season jolly.

This story first appeared on CMM