Business A forklift truck is the most valuable and integral piece of equipment in many warehouses and industrial workplaces. While forklifts are valuable, they can also be dangerous and cause many workplace accidents. Keep your employees safe by emphasizing these forklift safety tips below.
It may seem obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning that only workers trained and certified to operate a forklift should ever use one. Operating a forklift may seem straightforward, but it takes a trained hand to operate it safely.
It’s common for accidents and injuries to occur when untrained workers use the forklift, even if it’s just to move it out of the way or do a small task. It’s a simple but unbreakable rule to always leave the forklift operations to the professionals!
While forklifts are durable and capable machines, they can degrade and break down quickly, especially if you don’t looked after them carefully. That’s why forklift operators and maintenance workers must put the truck through a thorough inspection every day before work.
It’s wise to have an inspection checklist for forklift operators to go through before starting each shift. You may have them check the following things:
They may also need to keep an eye out for leaks and other issues. With a thorough inspection each day, you’ll be able to pinpoint and capture problems in the forklift before they become major issues and breakdowns on the floor.
Visibility, or a lack thereof, is one of the most common forklift safety hazards, particularly when hauling a significantly heavy or awkward load. For those jobs where the load limits visibility, ensure forklift operators overcome these issues with help from lookouts and floor markings.
Having another worker act as a lookout while the forklift moves through the workspace is a simple solution to a lack of visibility. However, utilizing a floor marking system is also useful if that’s not available. Have a system where forklifts can operate throughout a space without worrying about pedestrians, and have them use the horn when coming around low-visibility corners.
Another simple but valuable safety tip to keep your employees safe is to know the limits of the forklift. These trucks can undoubtedly lift heavy loads, but operators should never push the forklift past its tipping point or load rating.
Many accidents happen when forklift operators try to cut corners and make one trip instead of two by carrying a heavy load, as this can damage the truck and put others in danger. We all want efficiency and productivity, but they should never be ahead of forklift safety.
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