Comprehensive Guide to Forklift Safety: Handling The Load
Forklifts are indispensable tools in the logistics, manufacturing, and construction industries, capable of lifting and transporting heavy materials across short distances. However, their operation comes with significant safety risks, not just to the operator but also to pedestrians working nearby. Proper handling of loads is crucial to ensure safety and prevent accidents. This article provides a detailed toolbox talk on forklift safety, focusing on the essential aspects of handling the load safely.
Preparation
- Secure the Load: Ensure the load is safely arranged and stable. Unstable loads can shift and cause accidents.
- Inspect for Damage: Do not carry damaged merchandise unless it has been secured by wrapping or banding.
- Center the Load: As much as possible, center the load on the forks to maintain balance.
- Handle Off-Center Loads with Caution: If a load cannot be centered, exercise extra caution.
- Distribute Weight Properly: Place the heaviest part of the load nearest the forklift’s front wheels to maintain stability.
- Know Your Forklift’s Capacity: Do not exceed the stated capacity of your forklift. Overloading can lead to tipping.
- Use Load Extension Backrests: These are essential for off-center, improperly distributed, or oversized loads to prevent the forklift from becoming unbalanced.
Approaching the Load
- Approach Slowly: Stop 8 to 12 inches in front of the load and ensure the forklift is squarely in front of it.
- Adjust Fork Height and Direction: Before lifting, set the direction control to neutral and ensure the forks are at the correct height.
- Secure Forklift Before Fork Adjustment: Do not raise or lower the forks unless the forklift is stopped and the brake is set.
Fork Position
- Level the Forks: Before inserting them into the pallet, ensure the forks are leveled.
- Insert Forks Fully: Slide the forks fully under the load, ensuring they are at least two-thirds the length of the load.
- Avoid Fork Overreach: Be cautious not to extend the forks through to the other side where pallets are closely stacked.
- Evenly Distribute Weight: Adjust the forks to distribute the weight of the load evenly between them.
- Tilt the Mast Back: To stabilize the load, carefully tilt the mast back.
Lifting the Load
- Check Overhead Clearance: Before lifting, ensure there is adequate clearance overhead.
- Watch for Overhead Obstructions: Be mindful of overhead installations, lights, pipes, etc., to ensure sufficient headroom.
- Lift Above Lower Stack: Lift the load about 4 inches above the lower stack before moving.
- Tilt Mast for Stability: After lifting, slightly tilt the mast back to rest the load against the backrest extension, ensuring it doesn’t catch on any obstructions.
- Return Lift Control to Neutral: Once the load is securely lifted and tilted back, slowly return the lift control lever to the neutral position.
Conclusion
Forklift safety is paramount in preventing workplace accidents and injuries. By following these detailed steps for handling loads, operators can ensure the safe and efficient use of forklifts. It’s essential to adhere to these guidelines, along with regular forklift maintenance and operator training, to maintain a safe working environment. Remember, safety is not just a guideline but a responsibility shared by all members of the workplace.
Latest Posts
October 17, 2023
AI Tools for Safety
AI Tools for Safety: A Pre National Safety Council Webinar AI is rapidly transforming workplace risk. Now, CompScience gives safety professionals tools to quickly report risk, train workers and measure improvements which we will demo in the Safety Tech Pavilion at the NSC Congress. Join the webinar plus QA with CompScience CEO Josh Butler […]
Read more
June 20, 2023
Workplace Safety AI: The Webinar for Workers’ Comp Agents
Learn why AI is rapidly transforming workplace safety into a differentiator and how you can use safety analytics from CompScience to help clients lower injury rates and lower costs. Mike Seling and Jacob Geyer explain how AI is rapidly transforming workplace safety into a differentiator for agents and how you can use safety analytics help […]
Read more
April 27, 2023
How To Reduce DART Rates
Reducing the dart rate is a critical goal for any safety manager, as it directly relates to the safety and well-being of employees in the workplace. The dart rate, also known as the days away, restricted, or transferred rate, measures the number of days employees are away from work due to occupational injuries or illnesses. […]
Read more
November 21, 2024
How CompScience is Revolutionizing Workers’ Comp: Insights from Josh Butler on the InsurTech Geek Podcast
At CompScience, we’re driven by a mission to make workplaces safer and insurance smarter. Recently, our founder and CEO, Josh Butler, had the incredible opportunity to share our story and vision on the InsurTech Geek Podcast. In this episode, Josh explores the cutting-edge ways CompScience is leveraging AI, computer vision, and data science to […]
Read more
November 21, 2024
Winter Workplace Hazards: Tips for Hazardous Industries
Winter brings unique challenges to workplaces, especially in industries where medium to high hazards are already part of the environment. Icy conditions, heavier gear, and changes in workflow all contribute to increased risks. Addressing slip/trip/fall incidents, ergonomic challenges, and powered machinery hazards is critical to keeping workers safe and preventing costly workers’ comp claims. Here […]
Read more
October 30, 2024
Revolutionizing Workplace Safety: CompScience’s AI-Powered Integration with Verkada’s Camera Systems
At CompScience, we’re dedicated to using AI-powered safety analytics to help organizations prevent workplace injuries and enhance risk management. By integrating with Verkada’s state-of-the-art camera systems, we’re providing safety professionals with unparalleled insights and the tools needed to create safer work environments. In our recent webinar, we highlighted how this seamless integration between CompScience […]
Read more
October 1, 2024
The Power of Data in Ergonomics
At CompScience, we’re excited to share our recent feature in Business Insurance, which highlights how our AI-driven approach to ergonomics is helping companies create safer, more productive workplaces. The article, “Data Key for AI-Based Ergonomics Strategies,” emphasizes the critical role data plays in transforming how businesses approach workplace safety and injury prevention. The Power […]
Read more
July 15, 2024
Josh Butler on the Predict and Prevent Podcast
Tune in to the latest episode of the Predict and Prevent podcast to hear our very own Josh Butler discuss his motivations, the origin story of CompScience, and how AI and computer vision are revolutionizing injury prevention and transforming the insurance industry and workplace safety.
Read more
July 2, 2024
Revolutionizing Workplace Safety with SafetyBriefAI
The quest for workplace safety has advanced significantly with SafetyBriefAI, a mobile application designed by CompScience to identify potential hazards on job sites using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. SafetyBriefAI offers a groundbreaking, simple solution that enhances safety management processes, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and proactively preventing accidents and injuries. Designed for Safety […]
Read more