The New SN EN 280: Relevant Changes for Operators of Aerial Work Platforms

SN EN 280 is the European design and safety standard for mobile elevating work platforms. Anyone operating aerial work platforms – whether owned or rented – is holding a document that has a direct impact on operator obligations, the risk assessment and the permitted use of equipment.

In 2022, the previous single standard was split into two separate parts: SN EN 280-1:2022 covers calculation, stability, construction, safety and inspections. SN EN 280-2:2022 addresses additional safety requirements for load-lifting attachments on aerial work platforms. In addition, the draft standard prEN 280-1:2024 has been available since November 2024, bringing further clarifications – not yet ratified, but already indicating the direction manufacturers and inspection bodies are heading.

This article explains which changes are relevant for day-to-day operation and what operators need to consider when selecting and using rental equipment from Luibl Rental.

The former SN EN 280:2016 was a single standard covering all mobile elevating work platforms. The split into two parts from 2022 onward has a practical basis: work platforms operated with load-lifting attachments (e.g. basket attachments on telehandlers or suspended loads on the boom) are subject to a different risk profile than standard platforms without additional load. SN EN 280-2:2022 addresses exactly this combination and requires additional risk analyses that manufacturers and operators must demonstrate separately.

In practice for rental operations, this means: if a rotating telehandler with a personnel basket is used as a work platform, not only SN EN 280-1 but also SN EN 280-2 is relevant. For all equipment used in this configuration, Luibl Rental provides the corresponding technical data sheets and load charts, which are aligned with both parts of the standard.

New and Refined Definitions

Compared with the previous standard (SN EN 280:2016), SN EN 280-1:2022 introduces several new definitions with direct operational relevance:

• Lowered travel position (new, § 3.29): For the first time, the standard defines a reference position from which travelling with a raised platform is permitted under certain conditions. This is relevant for equipment travelled in a raised position – e.g. scissor lifts passing under obstacles.

• Elevated travel position (new, § 3.31): Complements the lowered travel position as a defined operating state with its own safety requirements.

• Safety function (new, § 3.30): The standard now explicitly distinguishes between safety-relevant and non-safety-relevant control functions. This affects the requirements for control electronics and fault monitoring.

• Travelling (refined, § 3.12): The definition has been narrowed to clearly regulate edge cases when travelling at working height.

Stricter Requirements for Load-Measuring Devices (§ 4.4.1.2)

Arguably the most practically relevant change concerns the load-measuring device. The requirements have been considerably tightened compared with the 2016 version. Modern work platforms must continuously measure the actual basket load and compare it with the permissible load moment – taking into account the current outreach, tilt angle and operating state (travelling vs. lifting).

Simple cut-out mechanisms that only react when the rated load is exceeded no longer fully meet the new requirements. The standard requires dynamic load-moment monitoring that evaluates several parameters simultaneously. Equipment in the Luibl Rental fleet approved after 2022 is equipped with correspondingly qualified systems.

Travelling in an Elevated Position: Group A and B (§ 4.6.9)

Clause 4.6.9 has been completely rewritten to clearly separate the different requirements for equipment groups A (travelling permitted only in the lowered position) and B (travelling permitted in the elevated position under defined conditions).

This is relevant for operators because the permitted travel behaviour of a machine must now be clearly identifiable from the rating plate and the operating manual. Anyone travelling a Group A scissor lift in an elevated position is in breach of the standard – regardless of whether a technical lockout prevents it or not.

Obstacle Tests (§ 5.1.4.2.2.2)

The requirements for obstacle tests (anti-crush tests) have been refined. The standard specifies that machines must stop automatically and initiate a relief movement if the basket or lifting mechanism comes into contact with an obstacle. This is verified during type testing through defined obstacle tests. For operators, this means: this function must be operational before use and must not be deactivated – not even in confined work areas where the function is perceived as inconvenient.

Anyone using a rotating telehandler with a personnel basket as an aerial work platform is operating a combination that falls under SN EN 280-2. The standard requires that load-lifting attachments fitted to the lifting mechanism or the basket be tested separately for compatibility with the overall system.

The document addresses additional hazards that arise when loads are lifted simultaneously with operating personnel – a scenario that is excluded on conventional work platforms but is deliberately designed into rotating telehandlers in basket mode. Operators must ensure that baskets and load-lifting attachments meet the SN EN 280-2 requirements and that this is confirmed by the manufacturer's documentation.

On request, Luibl Rental provides the relevant conformity documents for rotating telehandlers with basket attachments.

The draft prEN 280-1:2024, published in November 2024, continues the changes made in the 2022 version and brings further clarifications to the clauses already revised. As it is a draft, it is not yet mandatory to apply – but it indicates the direction in which the standard is developing. Manufacturers already designing to prEN 280-1:2024 will already be compliant with the next binding version expected.

A facade construction company rents two articulated boom lifts from Luibl Rental for a glazing installation in Passau. The basket is loaded with two fitters and tools at approximately 280 kg, with a working height of 22 metres.

The challenge: on windy working days, the operator must be able to reliably assess whether the current load, combined with the wind effect, still lies within the permissible parameters. Older equipment that only monitors the rated load provides no differentiated feedback here.

The equipment used features dynamic load-moment monitoring in accordance with SN EN 280-1:2022 §4.4.1.2. The system shows the operator at the basket control station the current load-moment utilisation in real time and cuts out the lifting movement before a safety threshold is exceeded. When the equipment is handed over by Luibl Rental, this mechanism is demonstrated in practice and documented in the induction record.

SN EN 280 is a design standard – it is primarily aimed at manufacturers and sets out the technical requirements for the equipment. The inspection under VUV checks whether the equipment, in operation, still corresponds to its original condition. Both documents complement each other but do not replace one another.

For operators, this results in a clear chain of obligations:

• The equipment must comply with the applicable version of SN EN 280 when placed on the market (manufacturer's obligation)

• The operator ensures that only equipment with a valid CE mark and a current inspection under VUV is used

• The risk assessment at the place of use must take the equipment parameters (rated load, wind class, travel group) into account

• Operators receive equipment-specific instruction that explicitly addresses the safety-relevant functions under SN EN 280-1

Every unit delivered by Luibl Rental carries the CE mark and a valid VUV inspection sticker. For questions about the standard conformity of specific models, Luibl Rental provides the manufacturer's documentation on request.

The changes in SN EN 280-1:2022 are not theoretical shifts in the standard. They define specifically which technical systems a machine must have, how these systems are to be tested, and which travel rules apply. Anyone operating older equipment from their own fleet, still built to SN EN 280:2016 or earlier versions, must check whether the operating manual and risk assessment still meet current requirements.

Anyone renting from Luibl Rental works with equipment from a well-maintained, modern rental fleet. All relevant equipment data – CE documentation, load charts, VUV inspection records – are provided on handover.

The Luibl Rental team answers questions about the standard conformity of rental equipment or the technical requirements for your project during service hours Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00.

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What is the difference between SN EN 280-1 and SN EN 280-2?

SN EN 280-1:2022 is the main standard and governs calculation, stability, construction, safety and inspections for all mobile elevating work platforms. SN EN 280-2:2022 applies additionally to work platforms fitted with load-lifting attachments – for example, rotating telehandlers with a personnel basket, when loads are transported at the same time.

Do older work platforms need to be retrofitted?

No. SN EN 280 is a design standard aimed at manufacturers. For operators, the rule is: equipment must comply with the standard in force when it was built and approved. There is no retrofit obligation for existing equipment. However, the risk assessment must reflect the equipment's actual characteristics – not the requirements of a newer standard.

What do "Group A" and "Group B" mean for aerial work platforms?

Group A comprises equipment that may only be travelled in the lowered travel position (base position). Group B comprises equipment that may also be travelled in the elevated position under defined conditions. The classification is stated on the rating plate and in the operating manual of the respective equipment.

Does SN EN 280 also apply to rented equipment?

Yes. As the operator of rented equipment, you are subject to the same obligations as with your own equipment. The equipment must be CE-compliant and fitted with a current inspection under VUV at the time of use. Luibl Rental ensures both at handover.

What changes with the draft standard prEN 280-1:2024?

The draft continues the clarifications from the 2022 version and is not yet binding. Manufacturers designing to prEN 280-1:2024 are already prepared for the next ratified version expected. For operators, nothing changes regarding current obligations until the standard is adopted.