- Location
- Kempston, Bedfordshire
- Main postcode district
- MK42
- Nearby (straight line)
- Bedford (2 miles), Ampthill (6 miles) and Newport Pagnell (10 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A scissor lift table, often called a dock lift, is a powered platform raised and lowered by a hydraulic scissor mechanism to move goods between two levels. At a loading bay it lifts pallets and pallet trucks from ground level to the height of a trailer bed, making it a practical alternative to a raised dock where forming one is not possible.
Why do sites in Kempston choose this?
Town-centre and retail sites around Kempston with little yard space often choose a dock lift because a recessed approach ramp would take up too much room. Sites in Kempston replacing an ageing dock lift should look at its LOLER examination history, as repeated defects can signal that replacement is due.
Split-level buildings near Kempston sometimes use scissor lift tables internally to move pallets between floor levels without relying on forklifts and ramps.
We never ask you to commit before you have a fixed price. A free survey at your Kempston site comes first, followed by a written quote. When the order goes ahead, we plan the installation around your operation, book any out-of-hours working you need and manage the specialist installation engineers on site. The job ends with a full test, a run-through for the people who will use the equipment and a set of handover documents.
What safety features should a loading bay lift table have?
A loading bay lift table should protect people from the scissor mechanism, stop if anything is trapped under the platform, and stop people or loads falling from the edges. Lift tables are specified to BS EN 1570-1:2024, and common features include:
- Toe guards: trip bars or sensitive edges around the platform underside that stop the lift descending on contact.
- Safety bellows or skirts: a flexible enclosure that keeps hands, feet and debris out of shear and crush points.
- Guard rails and gates: on open sides, sized to how people and pallet trucks move on and off.
- Bridge plate: a hinged plate that rests on the trailer bed to bridge the gap.
- Hold-to-run controls: the lift only moves while the button is held, with a stop button within reach.
- Hydraulic protection: valves that stop the platform dropping if a hose fails.
- Maintenance props: supports that hold the platform up safely during servicing.
Where are scissor lift tables used at loading bays?
Scissor lift tables are used wherever goods need to move between yard level and trailer height without a raised dock. They are a common answer for buildings that were never designed for articulated trailers.
- Ground-level doors: older units, workshops and retail back doors with no dock.
- Mixed fleets: the same lift can serve a van, a rigid lorry and an articulated trailer at different bed heights, typically from around 900 mm to 1,600 mm.
- Tight sites: where there is no room for a recessed approach ramp in the yard.
- Split levels: inside buildings with floors at different heights.
- Supplementing a dock: one lift beside a row of docks to handle vehicles that do not suit the levellers.
Our guide to converting a ground-level door into a loading dock compares lift tables with the other ways of reaching trailer height.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
Options to discuss
Safety bellows and skirts
A flexible enclosure around the scissor mechanism that keeps hands, feet and debris out of shear and crush points, and helps keep the mechanism clean.
Guard rails and gates
Fixed rails and gated sides around the platform, arranged to suit the goods and how operators and pallet trucks move on and off the lift.
Regulations and approvals in England
Lift tables and dock lifts in Kempston may fall under LOLER, with thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months where people are lifted. It depends on the equipment and how it is used, and your insurer or competent person will confirm. Dock levellers are usually treated as work equipment under PUWER. We check what applies at survey.
Questions about scissor lift tables in Kempston
How do you price scissor lift tables for a site in Kempston?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £9,500 to £28,000 per lift, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
What details do you need from us to quote for scissor lift tables?
To get started, send the site address in Kempston, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Kempston site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Can a forklift drive on to a scissor lift table?
Only if the lift has been designed and rated for forklift traffic. Most loading bay lift tables are built for pallet trucks, and a forklift's weight and wheel loads need a much heavier platform and mechanism. Tell us how you load at survey so the lift is specified correctly.
Can a scissor lift table be installed outdoors?
Yes, scissor lift tables are often installed outdoors at the loading door. Outdoor lifts need a drained pit or a suitable base, weather-resistant finishes and controls, and sometimes a canopy over the loading area. A canopy is an external structure that may need planning permission, which we check at survey.
Scissor lift tables near Kempston
Businesses outside Kempston may find their nearest town in this list: Bedford (2 miles), Ampthill (6 miles) and Newport Pagnell (10 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Kempston
Full guide to scissor lift tables · Everything we do in Kempston
Request a quote for your loading bay in Kempston, attaching photos of the dock, the equipment and any damage.