Aerial Manlift Dangers
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 machines allows workers to get up high into previously inaccessible areas. In some ways, these types of machinery have made construction a lot safer and easier, however, the overall safety that comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has applied a new list of dangers that can inadvertently result in severe injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Typically, falls could happen when employees are unable to correctly secure the lift platform or are unable to wear a safety harness. Falls can take place when somebody on the platform acts wrongly and partakes in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to gain extra height. In addition, mishaps can be caused if the operator on the ground causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being properly secured.
A lot of employees also fall because the base of their machinery is accidentally struck by some other heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the employee to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this dangerous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Sadly, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs could take place in any type 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 machine. Thus, if the lift is parked on a slope of some sort or over loaded, completely extending the boom when it is in the wrong position could cause the equipment to tip over.