Workplace Safety Tips for Forklifts

Forklift trucks are commonplace in many industries; they are used daily by workers to speed up their job and reduce the amount of manual labour needed to transport goods. However, they are also involved in accidents regularly and can cause serious injury to the driver and pedestrians if the right precautions aren’t taken. In this article, there are several workplace safety tips for businesses that use forklift trucks.

Safety equipment 

To prevent injuries, all drivers and those working around forklift trucks should wear the correct safety equipment. All forklift operators should wear safety shoes with steel toe-capped ends to keep their feet safe. Drivers should also wear a high-visibility jacket or vest so the driver can be easily seen when working. The driver should also be instructed not to wear loose-fitting clothing as it could get caught in the machinery and lead to an accident. In some industries, such as construction, hard hats are compulsory to protect the driver from falling debris. 

Vehicle safety inspections

Improper care of vehicles can lead to more accidents and problems for the business. It's vital that all vehicles are regularly inspected and any problems resolved. If drivers are left to continue to work with improperly maintained equipment, their risk of injury or an accident is greatly increased. There needs to be a proper process in place for assessing vehicles, reporting issues and ensuring they’re fixed by a trained professional. 

Ensure good visibility

One potential hazard when forklift trucks are being operated is the load getting in the way of the driver's view. To prevent this, the driver should always position the load as low down as possible and ensure they have a clear view of where they’re driving. Dangerous situations occur when visibility is restricted; the driver could collide with the racking, a pedestrian or another driver, resulting in an accident or injury. If the driver is entering a truck to collect and unload pallets, they should ensure they can see the edge of the ramp clearly. Driving too close to the edge of a ramp is very dangerous and might result in the forklift falling and tipping sideways off the ramp. If a driver has poor visibility, they should stop and rethink the job to find an alternative safer solution. 

Knowing where to drive

A critical part of keeping drivers and pedestrians safe on any site is ensuring that they are fully aware of where they are permitted to drive. Experts in traffic management in Victoria work to ensure that all vehicles on a construction site can move around safely without causing additional hazards. This might mean having separate zones where forklift drivers can drive and zones that people on foot need to avoid. All workers should be aware of this plan, and signs should be placed in clear view to remind workers where they can and can’t drive around the site. 

Training is critical 

No driver should be allowed to use a forklift truck without the proper training and gaining a suitable licence. Inexperienced drivers shouldn’t provide training; to avoid mistakes and improper training, the instructor should be qualified and accredited by a legitimate accrediting body. The training needs to go through all of the basic knowledge needed for operating a forklift truck as well as specific information about the job role of the individual forklift driver. The driver should be taught what to do in an emergency situation and given the right health and safety equipment to ensure they can do their job safely and correctly. Training typically lasts 3-5 days and often includes a test at the end to determine the skills of the driver and if they’re safe enough to use the forklift without supervision. Find out more about lift-truck training. 

When all these safety precautions are followed, many businesses can use forklift trucks to improve efficiency and help workers move and unload large amounts of goods safely. However, all workers must understand that these vehicles are dangerous if used incorrectly. Refresher training should be conducted periodically for all workers in order to maintain compliance with safety regulations. This training will help to reinforce the importance of driving safely and following the rules when using a forklift.