18 effective tips for forklift safety

Industrial workplaces have come to rely on forklift trucks to lift and transport virtually every load on the job site.

While this has made certain processes easier and safer, forklifts create other safety risks.

According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Safety and Health (CCOHS), “Once employees become accustomed to using forklifts, they stop thinking of forklifts as a safety hazard and forget or neglect to follow some important operating and maintenance procedures. “When forklift injuries occur, they are usually serious given the tremendous weight of those powerful machines.

Follow these 18 effective forklift safety tips to prevent fatal forklift accidents in the workplace.

• Conduct proper operator training. According to Genie Grips, a manufacturer of forklift attachments and safety products, safety training for forklift drivers is very important. “While work-related accidents and fatalities are minimized, economic losses from damaged goods are also reduced.” And forklift drivers without proper training put themselves and others at risk. It also poses an “imminent danger” to humans.




• Please dress appropriately. Forklift drivers need to get in and out of their vehicles on a regular basis, so they need to be comfortable, practical, and not too tight-fitting. As Linde Material Handling puts it, “Clothes that are too loose can easily catch on door handles and other objects, causing the operator to fall or injure themselves.”




• I know the class of forklift you are using. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes different forklift types and classifications. Because each type has its own construction, weight limit, travel speed, turning radius, and usage, it’s important to know your equipment in order to follow best safety practices, Big Rentz said. increase.




• Check your equipment daily. OSHA requires all forklifts to be inspected at least once a day before starting work. These are necessary to ensure that all parts are working properly and to identify problems before they occur.




• Install and maintain safety guards. Overhead guards protect forklift operators from falling objects. Meanwhile, the luggage backrest keeps the luggage in place. These help ensure worker safety.




• Do not modify your fork truck. It’s normal to want to customize your equipment to provide unique benefits to your organization. However, according to Thompson LiftTruck, forklift modifications can be unsafe and even illegal if done incorrectly.

  “Before you make any changes to your forklift, you need to know if the change complies with OSHA standards and if it will bring real benefits to your business. Operators can be subject to legal issues that can lead to workplace accidents and wasted time, and we do not recommend attempting to make changes yourself unless you have proper training and approval.”




• Maintain 360 degree visibility. Another important forklift safety tip is to maintain 360-degree visibility. Forklift operators can do this by keeping the forks low to the ground. If visibility is obstructed by cargo, the equipment must be reversed. Keep a good view of the rack when placing the load, says Texas Motive Solutions.




• use good lightingBright blue spotlights are one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent forklift-pedestrian collisions, according to Southern States Toyota Lift. “A blue LED spotlight (usually mounted on the overhead guard) projects a bright blue light 10 to 20 feet in front of the forklift,” it says. “Lights come on before a forklift enters an intersection to warn pedestrians of oncoming vehicles lift his truck.”




• Implement a floor marking system. Floor markings create safe pedestrian walkways, prepare facilities for automation while keeping workers safe, and make forklift drivers aware of potential threats. “Floor marking tape creates a visual ‘sidewalk’ that tells humans where it is safe to stand and when to cross ‘roads’ that can be dangerously close to forklifts and other powered equipment. can let you know. “




• Never carry extra people. Ever since this type of vehicle was invented, people have tried using forklifts to carry passengers. Sadly, according to the Creative Safety Supply, this type of behavior has resulted in thousands of injuries and many deaths.




• Be aware of your forklift capacity. According to Big Rents, in the mechanics of a forklift, an overload can lift the rear wheels off the ground and topple the entire machine. This poses a hazard to forklift operators and they are all around them.




• Check forklift stability. Whether an object is stable depends on whether the “loading moment” of the object at one end of the system is greater than, equal to, or less than the “loading moment” of the object at the other end of the system. increase. OSHA explains that this principle can be seen in the action of a seesaw.

  “Since tipping force depends on both the weight of the load and the distance of the load from the pivot point, the capacity of a forklift is always expressed in terms of both the weight of the load and the center distance of the load. By minimizing the load center distance, which we measured , the forklift can carry more weight.”




• Be careful when loading and unloading trailers. Working carefully is always the key to safety. This also applies to the process of loading and unloading trailers.




• Drive your forklift at proper speed. Just like driving a car, it’s important to maintain a proper speed when driving a forklift. Big Rentz says it’s important not to stop, turn, turn sharp, or turn abruptly, as the forklift can tip over.
  
• Maintain a safe operating distance. This gives you enough room to stop before you hit someone while driving the forklift. Maintaining a safe distance while operating a vehicle can also help ensure that no one is injured when lifting or lowering objects.
  
• Properly handle your luggage. The same principles of care apply to handling cargo as it does to loading and unloading trailers.
  
• Park your forklift properly at the end of your shift. Leaving the forklift truck in the middle of the work area will get in the way of other workers. If workers don’t see it, they can accidentally trip over it or hit a part of it.




• Keep your work environment clean and free of obstructions.