In some ways aerial equipment rental is a very unique aspect of the rental industry and aerial rental specialists are a distinct breed. My observation is high-reach rental tends to attract people who have a great passion for this high-flying equipment. They have an enthusiasm for the business that is hard to match, and an extraordinary interest in the machines themselves and what they can do. It is hard not to marvel at the engineering ingenuity of taking men and materials 60, 80, 100 or more feet into the air.

Aerial rental specialists tend to be risk-takers in the business sense. It takes a lot of courage to lay it all on the line to acquire a fleet of aerial work platforms. The machines themselves are expensive, so the capital outlay and risk tends to be significantly higher than in general rentals. There is also the risk of accident. It's not natural for human beings to be working so high off the ground. As some might say, if we humans were meant to fly, God would have given us wings. And as Kevin Morrell of Midwest Aerials & Equipment says in this month's cover story, if there is a mechanical problem with an air compressor, it's not going to kill the user, but a problem with a boom 80 feet off the ground might! A bad boom or, more likely, a careless operator can cause serious injury or death.

So while aerial rentals might attract a certain breed of people that are drawn to risk, the professional aerial work platform owner-operator is also the farthest thing from a daredevil risk-taker. In no other aspect of the rental business is the concern for safety so necessary, and the kinds of safety precautions taken by professional aerial rental companies are detailed, serious and precise. As aerial specialists have commented to me often over the years, they just don't let a machine out of the yard without all safety checks being carefully adhered to and without making absolutely certain the customer is prepared and qualified to operate the machine.

It starts with checking the machine mechanically, it continues with making sure the machine is tied down properly and the delivery person is qualified. Concern for the details of safety must continue all the way through the job. As the story explains, serious accidents can occur 100 feet in the air, they can occur in a traffic accident and they can occur at the rental center itself.

In discussing aerial safety, I'm not that concerned about the aerial specialists that make aerial rentals the primary aspect of their daily business. I would expect those companies, for the most part — and I realize there are, unfortunately, exceptions — have their processes down. They understand the need for safety precautions, they appreciate the details and, generally speaking, they've been doing it for a while. They wouldn't be in business for any length of time specializing in aerial if they didn't.

To me, the companies that I would tend to be more concerned about are the general rental companies that carry a few aerial pieces so they can be a one-stop shop able to provide all the kinds of equipment that their customers need. Because aerial equipment is not their primary specialty, they tend to be less conscious of safety precautions. I don't mean to suggest that most general rental companies that include a few aerials in their fleets don't have a concern for aerial safety, because most do. But they are less likely to be aware of some of the subtleties and nuances of aerial safety, less likely to take all the necessary precautions and train their staff and customers as thoroughly as they should.

To those companies especially, I urge you to carry out a thorough review of your safety practices when it comes to aerial equipment. Review the safety literature provided by the manufacturers and, if necessary, ask a specialist from those aerial manufacturers to come to your rental center to review your procedures. JLG, Genie, Snorkel, Skyjack and other manufacturers should be able to help in this process and other organizations such as Aerial Work Platform Training can as well.

Don't forget that if any accident occurs that involves injury, litigants will always go after the company that provided the equipment. They'll go after anybody with pockets, guilty or not — especially manufacturers of the equipment and the rental company that supplied it.

As I said, these are amazing machines that can do wonderful things. Make sure you take every possible precaution to make sure they don't do the wrong things.