Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machinery that utilize either a series of linked, folding supports, such as a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial types of machinery allow workers to access hard-to-reach places. In some ways, these kinds of machinery have made construction much safer and easier, although, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers that can accidentally result in serious injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Typically, falls can happen when employees are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could take place when someone on the platform acts unsuitably and participates in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to be able to gain additional 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 properly secured.
Lots of workers also fall because the base of their machinery is inadvertently struck by some other heavy thing. During 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 catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Unfortunately, boom lifts are easily susceptible to tipping over. Tip-overs can occur in any kind of lift, but are more common in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts are able to move both horizontally and vertically, they are capable of changing the machinery's overall center of gravity. Thus, if the lift is parked on an incline of some kind or over loaded, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can cause the machine to tip over.