Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machinery which use either a series of linked, folding supports, such as an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift or a boom lift. These industrial kinds of equipment enable workers to access hard-to-reach areas. In certain ways, these machinery have made construction much safer and easier, although, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which can accidentally result in severe injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Normally, falls can take place when workers are unable to wear a safety harness or are unable to correctly secure the lift platform. Falls can occur when a worker on the platform acts inappropriately and takes part in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain added height. Moreover, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being correctly secured.
Sometimes employees may fall when the lift's base is struck inadvertently by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, hence causing the worker to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this dangerous action has catastrophic outcome.
Tip-Overs
Unfortunately, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs could occur in any kind of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. Because boom lifts can move both horizontally and vertically, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Therefore, if the lift is parked on a slope of some kind or over loaded, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.