Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are equipments that utilize either a series of folding, linked supports, such as an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift or a boom lift. These industrial pieces of equipment allow employees to get in touch with hard-to-reach places. In certain ways, these types of machines have made construction much safer and easier, although, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers that can inadvertently lead to serious injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually occurs when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could take place when a worker on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Also, accidents could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being correctly secured.
Lots of employees also fall because the base of their machine is accidentally struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, therefore causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this dangerous action has catastrophic outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can occur in any kind of lift. Since boom lifts can move both horizontally and vertically, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machine. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some type, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can cause the equipment to tip over.