Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like scissor lifts, boom lifts, and articulated booms lifts which use an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These machines enables employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these machinery have made construction much easier and safer, although, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers that can accidentally lead to severe injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often happens when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could happen when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails in order to gain extra height. As well, mishaps can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being properly secured.
Lots of workers also fall because the base of their machinery is inadvertently struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but could happen in any kind of lift. Because boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they could change the machinery's overall center of gravity. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some sort, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could cause the equipment to tip over.