Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machinery which use either a series of folding, linked supports, such as an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift or a boom lift. These industrial pieces of machinery enable employees to access hard-to-reach areas. In some ways, these kinds of equipment have made construction a lot safer and easier, although, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of hazards which could accidentally lead to serious injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Usually, falls can take place when employees are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls could take place when someone on the platform acts inappropriately and participates in an activity like for example climbing the guard rails in order to gain additional height. What's more, accidents can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion prior to the worker being properly secured.
Sometimes employees may fall when the lift's base is struck accidentally by a heavy object. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this hazardous action has terrible outcome.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs can occur in any kind of lift, but are more common in articulated boom lifts. Because boom lifts are able to 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 kind, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could result in a tip-over situation.