A manlift or aerial lift comes in many different forms, each one tailored to performing specific tasks. A aerial lift is an instrument that allows people to work in high elevations. Aerial lifts are used in a wide variety of different work settings – from retail stores to construction sites and warehouses. Essentially, an aerial lift is an ideal tool to get a worker to a place that would never otherwise be safely reached by a ladder or other ordinary means. All the different kinds of manlift are divided in to two major umbrella categories: 1  Slab.