Forklift Safety
Many industries and operations (manufacturing, agricultural and warehousing) use powered industrial trucks (including forklift trucks or lift trucks) routinely in the workplace. Forklift trucks are used to move, raise or lower objects that are stored in containers or on pallets to other areas of the workplace. Their use helps to improve workplace productivity and reduces the need for excessive manual handling of goods and objects by employees. However, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health there are around 100 fatalities and 20,000 serious injuries each year. Here, in the USA, as a result of forklift truck incidents.
Pre Operational Check
Pre operational check is the single most important part of operating a forklift. Without properly doing so, you are asking for a disaster. Possible injuries or death to yourself or others could vary likely happen under the wrong circumstances. The equipment you are operating is subject to failure, and it is just a matter of time until it does. It is the operators responsible to check for these failures. OSHA requires that all forklifts be examined at least daily before being placed in service. Forklifts used on a round-the-clock basis must be examined after each shift. [29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7)]. The operator should conduct a pre-start visual check with the key off and then perform an operational check with the engine running. The forklift should not be placed in service if the examinations show that the vehicle may not be safe to operate. A vehicle in need of repair, defective or in any way unsafe, should not be driven and should be
Forklift Safety 2 taken out of service immediately. Any problems should be recorded on the appropriate documents and reported to a supervisor.
Forklift Capacities and Load Handling
There are many different types of forklift trucks with different load capacities and they differ for specified maximum weight and