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 machinery enables employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In certain ways, these kinds of machines have made construction a lot easier and safer, however, the general 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 operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually happens when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can take place when a worker on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for instance climbing the guard rails to gain added height. Furthermore, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being correctly secured.
Numerous workers also fall because the base of their equipment is inadvertently struck by some other heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs can occur in any type of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. Because boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the machinery's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is parked on a slope of some sort or over loaded, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could cause the machine to tip over.