Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like scissor lifts, boom lifts, and articulated booms lifts that use an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machines allows employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these kinds of machinery have made construction a lot easier and safer, however, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which can accidentally result in severe injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Falls from a man lift normally happens when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can take place when somebody on the platform acts inappropriately and participates in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. Furthermore, mishaps could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being properly secured.
Numerous employees also fall because the base of their equipment 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 dangerous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but could occur in any kind of lift. Because boom lifts are able to move both horizontally and vertically, they could change the overall center of gravity of the equipment. 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 can cause the equipment to tip over.