Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machinery that utilize either a series of linked, folding supports, like a scissor lift or a boom lift or an articulated boom lift. These industrial types of machinery enable employees to get in touch with hard-to-reach areas. In some ways, these kinds of machinery have made construction a lot safer and easier, however, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards which could accidentally cause severe injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Normally, falls can occur when employees are unable to wear a safety harness or are unable to correctly secure the lift platform. Falls can occur when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for instance climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. Moreover, mishaps could be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being correctly secured.
Sometimes employees can fall when the base of the lift is struck accidentally by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, hence causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily susceptible to tipping over. Tip-overs could happen in any type of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts can 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, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position can cause the machinery to tip over.