Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are machines which use either a series of folding, linked supports, like a scissor lift or a boom lift or an articulated boom lift. These industrial pieces of machinery allow workers to get in touch with hard-to-reach places. In some ways, these machinery have made construction much easier and safer, although, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which could accidentally result in serious injury or even death to unaware drivers.
Falls
Usually, falls could occur when workers 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 inappropriately and takes part in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails to gain added height. Additionally, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion before the employee being correctly secured.
A lot of workers also fall because the base of their equipment is accidentally struck by some other heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the worker to be abruptly 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 common in articulated boom lifts, but can happen in any type of lift. As boom lifts are able to move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machine. Therefore, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some sort, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position can cause the equipment to tip over.