Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machinery that use either a series of linked, folding supports, such as a scissor lift or a boom lift or an articulated boom lift. These industrial kinds of machinery enable workers to access hard-to-reach areas. In certain ways, these machines have made construction much safer and easier, however, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers that can inadvertently result in severe injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Falls from a man lift usually occurs when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can happen when somebody on the platform acts inappropriately and participates in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. As well, accidents could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being correctly secured.
Sometimes workers may fall when the base of the lift is struck accidentally by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, hence causing the worker to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but could take place in any type of lift. Because boom lifts could move both horizontally and vertically, they could change the overall center of gravity of the machinery. Hence, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some kind, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.