Car Lift Safety Features

There's no one way to make a car lift or truck liftchain suspension methods should incorporate a slack
safer for the operator. Manufacturers of high-qualitycable or chain device. These slack cables act as an
automotive lifting products are always looking forautomatic brake for the supported structure if a
better, more secure lifting methods. As a result,suspension component breaks or slackens.
many excellent automotive lift safety features areSafe Systems and Procedures
now offered to the consumer. Here are just a fewWhen searching for a car lift, always ensure the
examples of the great technological strides thatmanufacturer has a written quality assurance system
reputable ALI / ETL certification partners haveof policies and procedures that are implemented and
developed to keep you and your employees safe.managed by quality control personnel. Safety policies
Two-post Car Lift Automatic Arm Restraintsand procedures should embrace safety specific
Because the various car lifting solution designs can besubjects like organization, functions, duties and
extremely different from each other, it makes senseauthority; policy and procedure publication, change
that some safety features are specific to only onecontrol and record keeping; engineering drawing and
kind of car lift. Two-post car lifts employ swing armspecification publication, change control and record
assemblies that allow the operator to change the armkeeping; manufacturing process conformance
configuration to suit a wide range of vehicles. It isdetermination, change control and record keeping;
important that swing arm lifts employ restraintraw material and purchased part conformance
devices to prevent arms from shifting or dislodgingdetermination and record keeping; component and
after a car or truck is already mounted and raised.end item conformance testing and record keeping;
Higher-quality two-post car lifts will feature thiscalibration and record keeping and traceability to the
safety critical element; typically a gear mechanismNational Institute of Standards and Technology
that automatically secures the arms into place(NIST), or other national standards, for all gauges,
whenever the lift begins to rise. The automatic gearmeasuring devices, tools and instruments that affect
arm restraints will only disengage again when the liftthe quality of the final product; and, control and
is in a safe, lowered state.disposition of nonconforming material.
Four-Post Car Lift Anti-Sway BlocksSpecialized Lifting Pads for Different Types of
Four-post car lifts are principally suspension lifts thatVehicles
rely on their columns to contain the lifting structureMake sure you always have the right tool for every
via cables or chains, while simultaneously bearing thelifting job. Vans and trucks require different adapters
load equally between them. Since the four-post carthan cars and motorcycles. The dealer or
lift is not a rigid structure, it was once common formanufacturer should have a variety of options and
lifts to sway slightly during raising or loweringaccessories to help customize your automotive lift to
operations. Anti-sway blocks are one method offit your specific auto lifting needs. If they don't, take
minimizing sway and maintaining proper spacing. This isit as a sign that their car lifting products might lack
especially important to ensure that safety locks arethe proper support.
always engaged and that each post or column isProper Use and Safety Instructions
holding 1/4th of the overall weight.Always be sure that your car lift is supplied with
Four-Post Car Lift Runway Ramps and Chocksoperation, inspection, service and maintenance
Be sure your auto lift is equipped with manual wheelinstructions that include specifications of the lift, lift
chocks as the primary means to restrain vehiclesrated load capacity, significant lift and bay dimensions,
from inadvertently rolling off either end of thepower requirements (compressed air and/or
runways. Automatic stops on the approach end andelectrical), foundation and floor structural
fixed stops up front should be provided on runwayrequirements. Car lift installation instructions should be
lifts as a secondary means to restraint.clear with graphics illustrating full step-by-step
Hydraulic Flow Restrictorassembly, exploded drawings with part numbers and
Hydraulic car lifts that are designed with safety indescriptions, component packing list, site
mind use specialized hydraulic flow restrictors orrequirements, mounting and anchoring instructions,
velocity fuses integrated into the hydraulic cylindersrecommended clearance around and above lift, plan
or hydraulic circuit to control sudden, rapid decent inand elevation details of auto lift layout, final pre-check
the event of a hydraulic component failure. Theseprocedure for assembled lift, operational test &
essential safety devices can dramatically reduce orinspection and maintenance instructions.
stop downward travel in a free-fall situation due to aLabeling
hydraulic system failure other than the cylindersTo raise safety awareness for all operators and
themselves.bystanders, auto lifts should always include pertinent
Design That Address and Eliminates Pinch Pointswarning labels, as well as raising and lowering
Pinch points are not just mere annoyances like theinstructions. These labels shall be located at the point
name might suggest. Without supervision and carefulof hazard so that they will be plainly visible by the
operation, pinch points can result in damagedoperator when he or she is in position to raise or
property and injury. Reputable manufacturers employlower the car lift's load.
engineers to help identify potential pinch points forALI / ETL Certification
hoses and limbs, and then they remove them fromFew of us are able to determine the strength, quality
the design of an auto lift.and safety of a car lift just by looking at it. That's
Automatic Safety Lockswhy the Automotive Lift Institute's ETL certification
These powerful load-holding devices automaticallyis so important to business owners and private users
engage and lock the lift structure as the car liftwho want to protect employees, property and
raises, preventing sudden free fall in the unlikelythemselves from potential accidents.
event of a suspension component failure. Typically,Car lift companies that focus on safety have a close
after the lift is raised to the required working height,relationship with ALI, ETL, ANSI, UL, CE, TUV, and
operators are instructed to lower the lift until it isother global certification authorities and regularly
resting safely on the locks to minimize wear onundergo intense third-party testing conducted by
suspension components. Once the locks are engaged,nationally recognized testing laboratories. Metallurgy,
the car lift has to be raised slightly in order to releasetensile strengths, mechanical engineering,
the safety locks. Load-holding devices should alwaysmanufacturing quality and electrical compliance are
require an independent and positive action forjust a few of the things that these testing
release, and they should always engage and resetlaboratories investigate rigorously for every car lift or
automatically each time the lift is raised.truck lift that applies for certification. Only when an
Slack Cable or Slack Chain Device Safety Deviceauto lift demonstrates consistently high marks in each
As a redundant safety precaution, allcategory does it receive the ALI / ETL badge of
professional-grade car lifts that employ either cable orapproval or other renowned certifications.