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Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Aerial Work Platform

January 31, 2026

Choosing a suitable aerial work platform plays a critical role in an industry’s operations. Having the right equipment is essential to ensuring the safety and efficiency of the workforce. Whether you’re working on a construction site or performing elevated work, finding your perfect aerial lift platform makes all the difference.

What is an aerial work platform?

An aerial work platform (AWP) is a mechanical device that is used to provide temporary access to people or equipment in areas that are hard to reach, especially when such tasks include working at heights.

Bailey Specialty Cranes & Aerials (BSCA) stands out with an extraordinary range of specialized solutions. Their expertise goes far beyond standard lifting equipment, offering platforms designed for the most challenging and unique industrial environments.

1. Specialized Scissor Lifts

Designed for environments with limited vertical clearance, these platforms offer flexible solutions for tight spaces and low-ceiling work areas. Ideal for indoor maintenance, retail spaces, and facilities with restricted headroom, these platforms provide critical access without compromising safety or operational efficiency.

Bailey Cranes offers an impressive array of scissor lift solutions tailored to specific industrial needs:

  • Omni-Directional Scissors: Revolutionary platforms with unique movement capabilities
    • 1930ES OMNI Drive Scissor: Features three drive modes
      • Omni Drive Mode: Movement in all directions
      • Two-wheel drive: Automobile-like long-distance travel
      • Four-wheel drive: Tight turning radius
    • 2646ES OMNI: Enhanced features including
      • Double-wide platform
      • Powered deck extension
  • Air Powered Scissor Lifts: Designed for environments requiring specialized pneumatic solutions
  • Low Height Scissor Platforms: Perfect for confined or low-clearance spaces
  • Explosion Proof Scissors: Critical for hazardous environments

2. Boom Lift Innovations

Engineered for stability and precise positioning, these lifts offer enhanced support and controlled elevation capabilities. The design ensures maximum stability during operations, making them crucial for precise work in construction, maintenance, and industrial settings.

Bailey Cranes’ boom lift collection demonstrates extraordinary engineering:

3. Environmental Specialty Platforms

These are precision platforms designed for sensitive environments. Bailey Cranes excels in creating platforms for unique environments:

4. Custom Engineering Solutions

Bailey Cranes’ hallmark offering – bespoke lifting solutions designed from the ground up to meet specific customer requirements.

Perhaps most impressively, Bailey Cranes offers:

  • Custom Aerial Work Platforms: Bespoke solutions designed from the ground up
  • Specialty Market Manlifts: Tailored to specific industry requirements

Why Bailey Cranes Stands Out?

What sets Bailey Cranes apart is their commitment to:

  • Custom engineering solutions
  • Safety-driven design
  • Extensive industry experience
  • Comprehensive understanding of specialized lifting requirements

Their team, comprised of past ANSI Committee members and Registered Professional Engineers, brings unparalleled expertise to every custom lifting solution.

Selection Criteria for Aerial Work Platforms

Selecting the appropriate aerial work platform requires a comprehensive evaluation of multiple critical factors. Operators must carefully consider maximum working height, platform load capacity, horizontal reach, power source, terrain compatibility, and specific industry requirements. Safety features play an equally crucial role in platform selection, with advanced systems including sophisticated guardrail configurations, non-slip surfaces, emergency stop mechanisms, tilt sensors, and intelligent load monitoring technologies.

Contact our team of experts today at 262-710-4028, or share with us your requirements at sales@baileycranes.com and experience the difference.

Ready to lift your service?

Contact our sales team to see how we can build out a custom design for your application today.
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Partner with Bailey to transform proven platforms or build fully custom lifting solutions—engineered, manufactured, and supported under one roof for mission-critical environments where failure is not an option.

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Bailey Specialty Cranes & Aerials is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned engineering and manufacturing firm based in Muskego, Wisconsin. We specialize in precision access solutions for industries where the margin for error is zero.

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