Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts such as scissor lifts, boom lifts, and articulated booms lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machinery enables workers to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these machinery 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 hazards which can inadvertently cause severe injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually occurs when employees fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls can take place when someone on the platform acts inappropriately and takes part in an activity like climbing the guard rails to be able to gain added height. Also, accidents could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
Sometimes workers may fall when the lift's base is struck inadvertently by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has catastrophic outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any type of lift. Since boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the equipment's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some type, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can cause the machinery to tip over.