Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts such as articulated boom lifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts which utilize an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These machinery allows employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these equipment have made construction a lot safer and easier, although, the overall safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of dangers which could accidentally cause severe injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Usually, 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 somebody on the platform acts unsuitably and participates in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. Additionally, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
A lot of employees also fall because the base of their equipment is inadvertently struck by some other heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this dangerous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any type of lift. Because boom lifts could move both horizontally and vertically, they can change the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some sort, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can cause the equipment to tip over.