1. Few Safety Tips for Forklift Operation
The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is the government arm that
checks on Canadian companies’ compliance with health and safety standards for the prevention
of injury, illness and death in the workplace. In industrial settings, part of this protection is
requiring forklift operators to enrol in forklift safety courses. If you have been recently hired for
this position, here are basic tips to help you perform your job with utmost safety.
Preventing Tipovers
If you ask your more seasoned colleagues, they will tell you that most forklift accidents are
triggered when the vehicle tips over. In fact, more than 25% of these incidents are of the said
cause. This is something they have learned not just from courses leading to forklift operator
certification, but most especially from experience. Given that, you must always wear your
seatbelt to avoid getting thrown off the truck if it does fall over. By keeping yourself safely
strapped to your seat, the truck’s frame itself will protect you. Of course, you’d like to ensure
that this does not happen at all, and one of the most important things you can do is to never
exceed the vehicle’s capacity. This is one of the most basic lessons taught in lift truck training.
Safety for Pedestrians
Aside from ensuring their own safety, forklift operators must always look out for pedestrians.
This is very basic, given that visibility is often obstructed by the truck itself or the load it carries.
If you have to pass an intersection or any other part of the road where your vision is blocked,
drive slow and alert everyone to your presence by honking your horn. Avoid coming on to any
person who is situated near a fixed structure. Remember, even an empty forklift can be twice as
heavy as a regular car, and you would likely be unable to make it come to a quick, full stop.
Because most pedestrian-related forklift accidents are brought on by disengaged load or falling
debris, you should never drive the truck without first ensuring that your load is securely strapped
to the back for greater stability. And whether the vehicle is loaded or not, make sure nobody is
standing or walking beneath the forks.
Rear Steering
Another basic lesson in lift truck training is that forklifts are not driven like any other vehicle. It
is steered from the rear, meaning the back part swings significantly when you make a turn. Thus,
when operating this truck, you must always make sure to take things slowly but surely. Every
turn and every stop must be done smoothly, especially when the vehicle is loaded. Otherwise, it
could be thrown of balance and this can spell disaster. Pay particular attention to this guideline
when you approach ramps, grades or elevated surfaces. By following these basic tips, you can
save not just yourself, but people around you from serious injury.
Carter Morin is a professional safety services article author and he has written so many articles
on Forklift safety operator training certification, lift truck training and Telescopic fork lift
certification. To know more details visit us at: http://isafety.ca/