Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and scissor lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machines allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In some ways, these machinery have made construction much safer and easier, however, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that can accidentally result in severe injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Falls from a man lift normally occurs when employees fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls can happen when somebody on the platform acts inappropriately and partakes in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Additionally, accidents could be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
Lots of workers also fall because the base of their equipment is accidentally struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, hence causing the worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily susceptible to tipping over. Tip-overs could happen in any kind of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they can change the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Therefore, if the lift is parked on a slope of some type or over loaded, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position could lead to a tip-over situation.