Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machines that utilize either a series of linked, folding supports, like a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial pieces of equipment enable employees to access hard-to-reach places. In certain ways, these 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 accidentally lead to severe injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Normally, falls could happen when employees are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can happen when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and takes part in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. In addition, mishaps can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
Numerous employees also fall because the base of their equipment is accidentally struck by some other 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 terrible outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but could happen in any type of lift. As boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they can change the machinery's overall center of gravity. Therefore, if the lift is parked on an incline of some kind or over loaded, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position can lead to a tip-over situation.