Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and scissor lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These machines enables employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these types of equipment have made construction much easier and safer, however, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers that could accidentally result in severe injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift normally happens when employees cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could take place when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Moreover, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being correctly secured.
Sometimes employees could 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, thus causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has catastrophic outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any kind of lift. As boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some sort, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position could lead to a tip-over situation.