- Location
- Garston, Merseyside
- Main postcode district
- L19
- Nearby (straight line)
- Hunts Cross (2 miles), Speke (2 miles) and Halewood (3 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.
What should sites in Garston consider?
Town-centre and retail sites around Garston with little yard space often choose a dock lift because a recessed approach ramp would take up too much room. Split-level buildings near Garston sometimes use scissor lift tables internally to move pallets between floor levels without relying on forklifts and ramps.
Where ground conditions in Garston make a deep recessed dock costly, a pit-mounted or surface-mounted lift table can be the more practical option.
Keeping the dock running is usually the first concern, so we plan around it. After a free survey of your Garston site and a written quote at a fixed price, we agree when each bay can be released and whether any work should happen out of hours. Specialist installation engineers working under our management then fit the equipment, and we test it and hand over the documentation before the bay goes back into use.
What inspections does a scissor lift table need under LOLER?
A scissor lift table is lifting equipment, so it needs a thorough examination under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) at least every 12 months. If it lifts people, such as an operator riding with a pallet truck, the interval is every 6 months, unless a competent person draws up a written examination scheme instead. Which applies depends on the equipment and how it is used; your insurer or competent person will confirm.
In Northern Ireland the equivalent is LOLER (Northern Ireland) 1999, and the regulator is HSENI rather than HSE.
Thorough examination is separate from routine maintenance. The lift is also work equipment under PUWER, so it must be maintained in a safe condition between examinations.
We specify lift tables to BS EN 1570-1:2024, the current safety standard for lifting tables, and explain the examination regime at handover. Planned loading bay servicing can be arranged to fit around the examination dates.
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.
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?
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
Options to discuss
Pit-mounted dock lift
Set in a concrete pit so the platform lowers flush with the yard, letting pallet trucks drive straight on. The best choice for frequent, heavy loading at a fixed door.
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.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Garston, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions about scissor lift tables in Garston
Which building and safety rules apply to a site in Garston?
It depends on which UK nation the site is in. England and Wales use Building Regulations approval, Scotland uses building warrants and Northern Ireland uses building control approval from the council. Workplace safety is regulated by HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland, and energy rules differ between nations. For your site in Garston, we check what applies at survey and design to it.
Is the site survey in Garston free?
Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
What details do you need from us to quote for scissor lift tables?
To get started, send the site address in Garston, 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.
Can people ride on a dock lift?
Some lift tables are designed to carry an operator with the load, and others are for goods only. If the lift carries people, LOLER thorough examinations are typically needed every 6 months rather than every 12, unless a written examination scheme sets a different interval. Your insurer or competent person will confirm.
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 Garston
Distances are measured from Garston. Nearby towns we cover include Hunts Cross (2 miles), Speke (2 miles) and Halewood (3 miles), and other towns in the area are covered too.
Other loading bay services in Garston
Full guide to scissor lift tables · Everything we do in Garston
Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Garston.