Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts such as boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and scissor lifts which utilize an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These equipment allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In some ways, these types of equipment have made construction much safer and easier, however, the general safety that 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 unaware operators.
Falls
Normally, falls could take place when workers 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 inappropriately and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails in order to gain added height. Moreover, mishaps can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machinery to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being properly secured.
A lot of employees also fall because the base of their machine 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, thus causing the employee to be abruptly 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 common in articulated boom lifts. Because boom lifts could move both horizontally and vertically, they can change the machinery's overall center of gravity. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some type, totally extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.