How to calculate working height: 3 common mistakes

Height definitions are the most common source of confusion when choosing a machine. Catalogues give two separate figures, and mixing them up means the machine that arrives on site cannot reach its target.

Two definitions

• Platform height: the height of the platform floor above the ground.
• Working height: platform height plus about 2 metres, allowing for the reach of an average person. This is the figure the industry uses to describe machines.

So a machine described as “12 metres” raises its platform to about 10 metres. If you have measured the ceiling height, working height is the figure to compare it with.

Mistake 1: ignoring ground level

If the ground the machine will stand on is not directly below the point you need to reach, the difference in level is added to or subtracted from the height. Ramps, raised edges and changes in floor level are the deciding factors here.

Mistake 2: forgetting horizontal outreach

Choosing a machine on height alone does not work on sites with obstacles. If there is a horizontal distance between where the machine will stand and the target point, you also need to check the horizontal outreach of an articulated or telescopic boom lift.

Mistake 3: leaving platform capacity to the last minute

The combined weight of the people working on the platform, their equipment and any materials being lifted must not exceed the machine's capacity. On some articulated models the working envelope shrinks as the load increases, so if you will be going up with a heavy load, tell us at the outset.

A practical method

Measure the height of the point you want to reach from the ground, add a working margin of about 0.5–1 metre, and choose the first machine above that figure. You can type a height straight into the search box on our product list: enter “12 m” and the machines that reach that height are listed.

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