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 kinds of machinery enable employees to get in touch with hard-to-reach areas. In some ways, these types of machines have made construction much easier and safer, although, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that could inadvertently cause serious injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Typically, falls can happen when employees are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can happen when someone on the platform acts unsuitably and partakes in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. Additionally, accidents could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
Many employees also fall because the base of their equipment is inadvertently struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the worker to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily susceptible to tipping over. Tip-overs could occur in any type of lift, but are more common in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts can move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machinery. Thus, if the lift is parked on a slope of some sort or over loaded, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could lead to a tip-over situation.