Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like articulated boom lifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts which utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machines enables workers to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In certain ways, these equipment 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 that can inadvertently cause severe injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually occurs when workers fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls could occur when a worker on the platform acts wrongly and takes part in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain added height. Moreover, accidents can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being correctly secured.
Numerous workers also fall because the base of their machinery is accidentally struck by some other heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously 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 occur in any kind of lift. As boom lifts could move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some sort, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could cause the machine to tip over.