Aerial Manlift Hazards

An aerial manlift is a machine that uses either a series of linked, folding supports (scissor lift) or an articulated boom (boom lift) to put workers in high or hard-to-reach places. In many ways the manlift has made construction simpler and safer, but the relative safety of the unparalleled mobility of aerial manlifts has created a new set of hazards that can expose unwary workers to injury or death.

Falls

• Falls often occur when workers fail to wear a safety harness or properly secure the lift platform. They can be caused when the worker on the platform performs an improper activity like climbing the guard rails for added height, or by a ground-based operator creating unexpected motion before the worker is set. According to the Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health website, many workers fall because the base of their machine has been struck by another heavy object. The force of the blow is amplified by the length of the lift, causing the worker to be catapulted off the platform.

Tip-overs

• Boom lifts are particularly suseptable to tip-overs.

  Tip-overs can occur in either type of lift, but they are most commonly seen with articulated boom lifts. Because boom lifts are capable of moving horizontally as well as vertically, they are also capable of changing the machine's center of gravity. If the lift is parked on an incline or over loaded, extending the boom to full length in the wrong direction can end in a tip-over.

Electrocution

• Overhead powerlines are a serious danger for lift operators.

  This is another problem common to both types of lift. If the platform operator is not paying attention, or the platform is being controlled by personnel on the ground who cannot accurately assess proximity to wiring, either the worker or the platform itself can easily be brought into contact with electrical wires. Unless properly insulated, the worker could be electrocuted.

Crushed/Caught

• This category covers any injury sustained when a worker is caught between any part of the lift and a nearby object such as a tree limb or light fixture, as well as injuries sustained when caught between two parts of the lift itself.

Boom Movement

• Because this boom is bent double, the operator must look for a clear path on both ends.

  For articulated boom lifts only, boom movement can cause any of the dangers mentioned above. While a boom is still bent double, the section of boom behind the bucket will move in the opposite direction as the bucket. If it's not carefully monitored, the rear end of the boom can crush objects and coworkers or sweep them off of an elevated walkway. If the rear of the boom should strike an electrical line or a wall, the worker on the platform could be electrocuted or ejected by the abrupt stop.