Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like boom lifts, articulated boom lifts and scissor lifts that utilize an articulated boom or a series of folding, linked supports. These machinery allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible places. In certain ways, these machines have made construction much easier and safer, although, the general safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of hazards that can accidentally lead to severe injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Falls from a man lift often occurs when employees 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 unsuitably and participates in an activity like climbing the guard rails to gain added height. As well, accidents could be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
At times employees can fall when the lift's base is struck inadvertently by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, thus causing the employee to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Unfortunately, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs could occur in any type of lift, but are more common in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts could move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the equipment. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some type, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position can result in a tip-over situation.