Scaffolding vs Platform Lifts: Which Should I Choose?

There has never been so much choice for trades people looking for equipment to help them work at height. And with the focus around health and safety more acute today than it has ever been, that is just as well.

Most of the options available can be broadly divided into two camps – scaffolding or mechanised platform lifts, which include scissor lifts, boom lifts, spider lifts and hybrid varieties. Scaffolding may be the traditional solution when it comes to working at height, but over the past couple of decades, the technology around lifting plant has developed significantly and soared in popularity (find out more here).

In recent years, a lot of the talk has been around platform lifts providing the better option for the modern construction worker. But is this really true? Let’s take a look at how the two options compare on three key criteria.

Ease of use

There is no doubt that scaffolding takes a considerable amount of time and effort just to get set up before you can start working. There are designs to be drawn up and/or compliance guides to follow, and putting up and taking down the scaffolding is a sizeable job in itself for a suitably qualified team.

Platform lifts, on the other hand, are much more straightforward. Instead of having to erect a structure from the ground up, you simply roll your plant into position and activate the lift. With so many different types of lift available these days, there is an option for every type of job, from low level access to spider, boom and hybrid lifts that are not only capable of reaching considerable heights, they are also perfect for situations where scaffolding would be impractical.

In general terms, then, platform lifts save time and labour compared to scaffolding. And what really matters to businesses is, they tend to therefore work out more cost effective.

Safety

Claims are also made that platform lifts represent a safer option than scaffolding, based on the fact that they are designed to have very stable bases, aren’t prone to collapses or slippages in adverse weather and so on. But the key point here is that safety issues with scaffolding nearly always boil down to human error, whether that be incorrect installation or failure to inspect properly.

Scaffolding equipment hire is a highly specialised occupation that combines structural design expertise with a thorough focus on health and safety. The bottom line is, when designed and erected properly, scaffolding should be the equal of any plant lift in terms of stability and safety, and mistakes should not be made by certified contractors.

Scalability and site access

It is often said that lifting platforms, especially spider and boom varieties, allow construction workers to reach those awkward places it is very difficult to access with scaffolding. But by the same token, a lifting platform only allows you access to one location at a time. There is mobility, but only in terms of getting down off the lift and moving the whole rig to a new position.

Scaffolding, by contrast, gives construction teams access to as large an interface as they like throughout a building at any one time. With scaffolding in place, it is easy to move from one position to another, to perform tasks in different areas. It is therefore no surprise that, while lifting platforms are ideal for quick, one-off tasks that can be completed by individuals or small teams, scaffolding remains the preference for larger-scale projects involving large work teams.

JPS Group provides a wide range of professional services to the buildings and construction trade, including scaffolding design and erection, tool and plant hire, environmental services and training. View more here.