Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts such as articulated boom lifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts which use an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These equipment allows employees to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In some ways, these machinery have made construction a lot safer and easier, although, the overall safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that could inadvertently lead to severe injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often happens when workers cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can take place when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for instance climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. As well, mishaps 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.
A lot of workers also fall because the base of their machine is accidentally struck by some other heavy thing. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this dangerous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but can occur in any kind of lift. Because boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machinery. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some kind, extending the boom to full length when it is in the wrong position could cause the machinery to tip over.