Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are machinery which use either a series of folding, linked supports, such as a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial kinds of machine allow workers to access hard-to-reach areas. In certain ways, these kinds of machinery have made construction a lot easier and safer, however, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that could accidentally result in severe injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually occurs when employees cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can occur when somebody on the platform acts unsuitably and takes part in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails in order to gain additional height. Also, mishaps could be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being properly secured.
Lots of employees also fall because the base of their machine is inadvertently struck by some other heavy thing. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, hence causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously 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. Since boom lifts can move both horizontally and vertically, they could change the machine's overall center of gravity. Hence, if the lift is parked on an incline of some sort or over loaded, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.