Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are machinery which use either a series of folding, linked supports, such as an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift or a boom lift. These industrial types of machine enable employees to access hard-to-reach places. In certain ways, these machinery have made construction much safer and easier, although, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which can accidentally lead to severe injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Typically, falls could happen when workers are unable to wear a safety harness or are unable to correctly secure the lift platform. Falls could happen when somebody on the platform acts inappropriately and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails in order to gain additional height. In addition, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being correctly secured.
At times employees can fall when the lift's base is struck inadvertently by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this dangerous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily susceptible to tipping over. Tip-overs can occur in any type of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts could move both vertically and horizontally, they can change the equipment's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some type, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can result in a tip-over situation.