Why ALI certification matters: Ensuring safety with Coats lifts
There’s more riding on your vehicle lift than just cars and trucks. If you’re a technician relying on a car lift daily, your safety is at stake. For shop owners, service managers, or dealers, the performance and well-being of your technicians directly impact your business. Choosing the right one is crucial, and so much depends on the reliability of automotive lifts.
At Coats, we understand the importance of safety, which is why our lifts are ALI-certified, ensuring they meet the highest industry standards.
Understanding the ANSI/ALI lift safety standard
The gold standard for vehicle lift safety in North America is the ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition): “Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing, and Validation of Automotive Lifts.” However, not every lift on the market meets this stringent safety benchmark.
That’s where ALI certification comes in. The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) Lift Certification Program is the only accredited program in North America that independently tests and verifies whether a lift model meets all ANSI/ALI ALCTV safety and performance requirements. The only way to ensure a lift has passed rigorous third-party testing is to choose an ALI-certified lift—like those from Coats.
How ALI certification testing works
To achieve ALI Certification, a vehicle lift must pass extensive testing conducted by nationally recognized testing laboratories (NRTLs) such as:
- Intertek (Cortland, N.Y.)
- MET Laboratories (Baltimore, Md.)
During testing, the structural integrity of the lift is assessed, including:
- Verification of all systems and components
- Proper functioning of controls and load-holding devices
- Safe lowering speeds
- Overload protection
Additionally, lifts undergo extreme stress testing, where they are overloaded in controlled lab conditions to ensure no deformation or failure occurs.
But certification doesn’t stop there. The manufacturer’s production facility must also meet strict quality control requirements. This means that every Coats lift is tested, certified, and built with safety in mind.
How to identify an ALI-certified lift
Only lifts that pass all ALI testing earn the ALI Gold Certification Label and are listed in the ALI Directory of Certified Lifts. There are no exceptions if a lift is not listed in this directory, it is not certified.
It’s important to note that certification applies to individual lift models, not the manufacturer as a whole. Just because a company has one certified lift doesn’t mean all its lifts meet ALI standards. That’s why Coats ensures every lift model we offer meets these rigorous safety requirements.
Your safety is riding on it—Choose ALI-certified Coats lifts
A vehicle lift failure can result in serious injury or even death. That’s why safety should always come first when selecting a car or truck lift.
In fact, compliance with ANSI/ALI ALCTV is required by:
- The International Building Code (IBC)
- OSHA regulations in the U.S.
- Provincial Safety Standards in Canada
Despite these requirements, many manufacturers are not obligated to certify their lifts unless mandated by local authorities. That means the responsibility falls on you, the customer, to ensure you’re purchasing a certified lift.
Be an informed buyer! Always check for the ALI Gold Certification Label before purchasing a lift. For guaranteed safety, choose Coats ALI-certified Lifts—engineered for performance, durability, and peace of mind.
Trust Coats for ALI-certified lifts
At Coats, we prioritize technician safety and shop efficiency by offering ALI-certified vehicle lifts that meet the industry’s highest standards. Whether you’re outfitting a professional repair shop or upgrading your current equipment, trust Coats for safety, reliability, and performance.
