According to government statistics, in 2017, 74 people died in accidents involving forklifts, while over 9000 people were injured. Forklifts are very useful but you need to follow strict protocols when using them.
In this guide, we’re going to show you some significant forklift operation mistakes that you and your employees need to avoid. By the end of this article, you should have an idea of the safety protocols you need to put into place.
Ready to find out more and make your workplace safer? Read on!
1. Skipping Daily Checks
You should check your forklift before you use it every day. There are no exceptions to this rule, any good forklift training course, such as FMS Training, will teach you this.
Before you start using your forklift, you should check the following:
- The forks of your forklift for damage, wear, or bending
- Tire pressure
- The gauges on your forklift to ensure that they are working correctly
- Battery charge
- Hydraulic and coolant liquids
2. Reversing Unsafely
When you’re driving your car, looking over your shoulder or in the rearview camera when you’re reversing is second nature. However many forklift operators forget to look behind them when in the cramped conditions of a busy warehouse.
When you reverse a forklift, you always need to be conscious of what is behind you. You don’t want to reverse into a colleague or another forklift carrying a heavy load.
This is a fundamental of forklift safety. Make sure that you’re always aware of your surroundings. Your life and those of your co-workers could depend on it.
3. Not Using the Right Equipment
Different forklifts can support different loads. If you put too heavy a load on a forklift, there’s a real danger of the forklift being damaged or destroyed, which could injure or kill people.
Make sure that the forklift you’re using for a job is up to the task.
4. Going Too Fast
There are significant time pressures on a lot of workers today, including warehouse workers. This can lead to forklift operators feeling the need to drive faster to be able to meet deadlines.
This poses severe problems for people in the warehouse, however. A loaded forklift going too fast is essentially a large missile: enforce a speed limit in your warehouse and make sure that forklift operators do not exceed it.
5. Not Securing Your Load
An unsecured load on a forklift can fall at any time. If the object isn’t fragile and isn’t too heavy, this may not be too big of an issue. If you are working with heavy or dangerous goods, this could be fatal.
Make sure that you secure your loads, no matter what they are.
Avoiding Forklift Operation Mistakes Is Paramount
You must avoid forklift operation mistakes in your warehouse. They can, as we’ve seen, have severe, life-changing consequences for your employees. Make sure that you have safety rules in place and that you enforce them.
For more interesting and informative articles like this be sure to check out the rest of our blog!
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