How to Choose the Right Working Height for Your Job

Working height is the single most important specification when you're selecting access equipment. Get it wrong and you'll either be unable to reach your work area, or you'll be paying for far more machine than you need.

Here's how to get it right — and why the number on the spec sheet isn't the same as the height you can actually reach.

What Is Working Height?

Working height is the maximum safe height at which a person can work from the platform. It's calculated as the platform height plus 2 metres — the approximate arm's reach of an average person standing on the platform.

So if a scissor lift has a working height of 10m, the platform itself reaches approximately 8m. If you need to reach 10m, the platform needs to be at 8m.

How to Calculate the Working Height You Need

1. Measure or estimate the height of your work point — the exact height of the surface, pipe, fitting or area you need to access.
2. Add a safety margin — working at full stretch at the very top of a platform is uncomfortable. Add at least 0.5–1m of comfort margin.
3. Consider the surface — if the machine will be parked on a slope, ramp or uneven ground, factor in that the machine must be positioned further away on a level surface any height loss from the machine must be considered.
4. Choose the next machine size up — if your calculation puts you between two models, always go to the larger one. Being slightly over-specified is far better than being unable to reach.

Common Working Height Ranges and What They're Used For

• 6–8m: Compact scissor lifts for warehouse racking, retail ceiling work and light maintenance.
• 10–12m: Mid-range scissor lifts and boomlifts for building maintenance, signage and construction.
• 15–21m: Larger scissor lifts and articulated boom lifts for high-bay industrial work, building façades, steel structures, sports field lighting and construction.
• 25m+: Telescopic boom lifts and large articulated platforms for major construction, infrastructure and high-rise building work.

Don't Forget Outreach

For boom lifts, working height is only half the picture. Working outreach — how far the platform can extend horizontally — determines whether you can actually position the basket where you need it. If there's an obstacle between your parking position and the work area, you need a boom with sufficient outreach (or an articulated knuckle boom to reach over it).

The SOS team can help you spec both dimensions correctly. Request a quote and tell us the height and access constraints — we'll recommend the right machine.