Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are equipments which use either a series of folding, linked supports, such as a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial pieces of equipment enable workers to get in touch with hard-to-reach places. In certain ways, these types of machinery have made construction much easier and safer, although, the overall safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that could inadvertently lead to serious injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Normally, falls can take place when workers are unable to correctly secure the lift platform 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 like for example climbing the guard rails to be able to gain extra height. In addition, mishaps could be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
Lots of employees also fall because the base of their machine is inadvertently struck by some other heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has catastrophic outcome.
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. Because boom lifts can move both vertically and horizontally, they could change the equipment's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some kind, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could lead to a tip-over situation.