Aerial Manlift Hazards
Aerial manlifts are machines that utilize either a series of folding, linked supports, like a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial pieces of equipment enable employees to access hard-to-reach areas. In some ways, these machinery have made construction much safer and easier, although, the general safety which comes with the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has implemented a new list of dangers which can accidentally result in serious injury or even death to drivers who are unaware.
Falls
Normally, falls could take place when workers are unable to wear a safety harness or are unable to correctly secure the lift platform. Falls could take place when somebody on the platform acts unsuitably and takes part in an activity such as climbing the guard rails to gain added height. In addition, mishaps could be caused if the operator on the ground causes the machine to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being properly secured.
A lot of workers also fall because the base of their machine is accidentally struck by some other heavy object. In this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the lift's length, thus causing the worker to be suddenly catapulted off of the platform. Obviously this dangerous action has catastrophic outcome.
Tip-Overs
Boom lifts are prone to tipping over. Tip overs are more frequent in articulated boom lifts, but could happen in any kind of lift. As boom lifts can move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the overall center of gravity of the machine. Hence, if the lift is over loaded or parked on an incline of some sort, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position could cause the machinery to tip over.