Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are equipments that use either a series of linked, folding supports, like an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift or a boom lift. These industrial pieces of machine enable employees to access hard-to-reach areas. In some ways, these types of machinery have made construction a lot easier and safer, although, the overall safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which can inadvertently result in severe injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually happens when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could happen when a worker on the platform acts inappropriately and takes part in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. Moreover, accidents could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
At times employees can fall when the lift's base is struck inadvertently by a 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. Clearly this hazardous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but could occur in any type of lift. Since boom lifts could move both horizontally and vertically, they can change the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some type, totally extending the boom when it is in the wrong position can lead to a tip-over situation.