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 machinery enable employees to access hard-to-reach 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 applied a new list of dangers that could accidentally cause serious injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Usually, falls could happen when workers are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can occur when someone on the platform acts unsuitably and participates in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Moreover, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being correctly secured.
Sometimes employees could fall when the base of the lift is struck accidentally by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, therefore causing the worker to be suddenly 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 can occur in any kind of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. Since boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they could change the equipment's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is parked on a slope of some sort or over loaded, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.