Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts such as articulated boom lifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These equipment enables employees to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In some ways, these kinds of machines have made construction much easier and safer, however, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which could inadvertently cause severe injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often occurs when employees fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls could occur when somebody on the platform acts inappropriately and takes part in an activity like climbing the guard rails to be able to gain additional height. Furthermore, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being properly secured.
At times employees can fall when the lift's base is struck accidentally by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, therefore causing the worker to be abruptly 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 frequent in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any type of lift. Because boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they could change the machine's overall center of gravity. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some kind, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could cause the equipment to tip over.