Aerial Manlift Dangers
Aerial manlifts are equipments which utilize either a series of linked, folding supports, such as a boom lift or an articulated boom lift or a scissor lift. These industrial pieces of machinery enable workers to get in touch with hard-to-reach places. In certain ways, these types of equipment have made construction much safer and easier, however, the general safety that 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
Falls from a man lift normally occurs when employees fail to or are unable to wear a safety harness or cannot secure the harness to the lift. Falls could take place when someone on the platform acts wrongly and participates in an activity like for instance climbing the guard rails to be able to gain additional height. In addition, accidents can be caused if the ground-based operator causes the equipment to move in an unexpected motion before the worker being correctly secured.
At times workers could fall when the lift's base is struck accidentally by a heavy thing. During this situation, the force of the blow below becomes amplified by the length of the lift, therefore causing the worker to be abruptly catapulted off of the platform. Clearly this hazardous action has terrible results.
Tip-Overs
Unfortunately, boom lifts are easily prone to tipping over. Tip-overs could happen in any kind of lift, but are more frequent in articulated boom lifts. As boom lifts could move both vertically and horizontally, they are capable of changing the machine's overall center of gravity. Thus, if the lift is over loaded or parked on a slope of some type, extending the boom completely when it is in the wrong position can result in a tip-over situation.