Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are equipments that utilize either a series of folding, linked supports, such as a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial pieces of machine allow workers to access hard-to-reach areas. In certain ways, these types of machinery have made construction a lot safer and easier, however, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of dangers which can inadvertently lead to severe injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Normally, falls can occur when employees are unable to wear a safety harness or are unable to correctly secure the lift platform. Falls can take place when a worker on the platform acts unsuitably and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Furthermore, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being properly secured.
Sometimes employees may fall when the lift's base is struck accidentally by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, hence causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has terrible outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can happen in any type of lift. Since boom lifts are able to move both horizontally and vertically, they can change the overall center of gravity of the machine. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some type, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could cause the machine to tip over.