Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial man lifts are personnel lifts like articulated boom lifts, scissor lifts and boom lifts which utilize an articulated boom or a series of linked, folding supports. These machinery allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In certain ways, these types of machines have made construction much safer and easier, however, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards that could accidentally result in serious injury or even death to unaware operators.
Falls
Falls from a man lift normally happens when employees cannot secure the harness to the lift or fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could happen when someone on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for instance climbing the guard rails to gain additional height. As well, mishaps can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the employee being properly secured.
Lots of workers also fall because the base of their machinery 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 worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this dangerous action has catastrophic results.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are susceptible to tipping over. Tip overs are more common in articulated boom lifts, but could occur in any kind of lift. As boom lifts could move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machine. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some sort, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position can cause the machine to tip over.