Aerial Manlift Hazards
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 machinery allows employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these equipment have made construction much easier and safer, although, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards which could inadvertently cause serious injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often occurs when workers 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 such as climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Moreover, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being properly secured.
Numerous workers also fall because the base of their machine is accidentally struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, thus causing the worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this dangerous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any type of lift. Because boom lifts can move both horizontally and vertically, they could change the machine's overall center of gravity. Hence, 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 machine to tip over.