Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and scissor lifts that use an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machines allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In certain ways, these kinds of machines have made construction a lot easier and safer, although, the overall safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of dangers that could inadvertently result in serious injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often happens when employees cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can occur when somebody on the platform acts unsuitably and takes part in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. Additionally, mishaps can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
Sometimes employees can fall when the base of the lift is struck inadvertently by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but could occur in any type of lift. As boom lifts are able to move both horizontally and vertically, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Hence, if the lift is parked on an incline of some sort or over loaded, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position can lead to a tip-over situation.