OSHA estimates that approximately 85 fatal accidents occur every year due to forklifts. Also, they estimate that there are 34,900 accidents that result in serious injury and another 61,800 that are classified as non-serious. Some of the major causes of these accidents are:
- 25% Tip overs
- 18% Struck by lift truck
- 14% Struck by falling loads
- 12% Elevated Employees
- 7% Ran off loading dock
- 6% Improper maintenance
Keeping our employees and customers safe is Towlift’s number one priority. Creating a culture of safety has helped Towlift become a premier dealer in forklifts. Let us help you keep you and your workplace safe by following these lift truck safety tips.
10 Forklift Operator Safety Tips:
- Do not operate a forklift unless you have the proper training.
- Use seatbelts if they are available.
- In case of a tip over while operating a sit-down type truck, do not jump. Stay with the truck, holding on firmly and leaning in the opposite direction of the overturn.
- While traveling with a load, tilt the load back and raise it only as far as needed to clear the road surface.
- Do not handle loads that are heavier than the weight capacity of the forklift.
- Operate the forklift at a speed that will permit it to be stopped safely.
- Slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other locations where vision is obstructed.
- Do not allow passengers to ride on forklift trucks.
- Do not drive up to anyone standing in front of a bench or other fixed object.
- Do not use a forklift to elevate workers.
- Make sure that workers do not operate a forklift unless they have been trained and authorized to do so.
- Implement and enforce a comprehensive written safety program that includes training and certification.
- Ensure that operator restraint systems are being used on sit-down trucks.
- Establish a vehicle inspection and maintenance program.
- Separate forklift traffic and other workers where possible. For example, limit some aisles to workers on foot only, or forklifts only.
- Restrict the use of forklifts near time clocks, break rooms, cafeterias, and main exits, particularly when the flow of workers on foot is at a peak (such as at the end of a shift or during breaks).
- Install physical barriers where practical to ensure that workstations are isolated from aisles traveled by forklifts.
- Evaluate intersections and other blind corners.
- Enforce safe driving practices such as obeying speed limits, stopping at stop signs, and slowing down and blowing the horn at intersections.
- Repair and maintain cracks, crumbling edges, and other defects on loading docks, aisles, and other operating surfaces.
For more help in creating a culture of safety, visit The Forklift Training Company for industry leading safety and training courses.
Link
to The Forklift Training Center Website
