Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like scissor lifts, boom lifts, and articulated booms lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These equipment enables employees to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In some ways, these types of equipment have made construction a lot easier and safer, although, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of dangers which could inadvertently lead to serious injury or even death to operators who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift normally happens when workers fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls could take place when someone on the platform acts inappropriately and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to be able to gain extra height. As well, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
Numerous employees also fall because the base of their equipment is accidentally struck by some other heavy thing. In 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 hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can take place in any type of lift. Since boom lifts could move both horizontally and vertically, they are capable of changing the equipment's overall center of gravity. Hence, 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 result in a tip-over situation.