Safety Measures Before Using Forklifts

by Certa Lift Company (Lift Equipment)

A forklift is a vehicle used in industries. This vehicle is used for lifting heavy load and moves it from one place to another. It consists of a fork like head that is inserted under the load. It is one of the most important vehicle is very common in factories and huge warehouses. It is very useful for loading and unloading goods and materials. Being an extremely powerful and useful machine, it is also a big responsibility. It can turn out to be a disaster if not operated by the professionals or experienced staff. Number of accidents are due to the improper training provided to the operators. There should ample amount of field training given to them before they actually operate in real situations. One of the most accidents occurring using these lifts is overturning from an upright position. In this case, an operator or worker is stuck below the machine. Sometimes the workers get stuck between the machine and the load and injure themselves badly. In rare case, the machine runs over the workers and they lose their lives. The accidents have no limits. There are many examples of the accidents caused by mishandling these lifts but they all can be avoided if some measures are taken before using them. There are some of the safety measures that should be kept in mind and followed while using forklifts.

Make sure the person who is driving these lifts is well trained and is well versed about the critical situations that can occur. This way he will know how to deal with such situations instead of panicking and ending into an accident. Being careless can result into disaster.

Always check the working of machines every day before using it. If there is a problem it should be rectified on immediate basis. You should never operate such machines. This way you are putting your life in danger and others too.

Always keep a focus on the path where the machine is heading especially on the turns. Always make sure to check there is no obstacle in the way you are heading.

All turn off the machine properly when not in use. Also, the forks should be lowered completely and brakes should be set.

Make sure to give horn where you see people involved in their work. It is the duty of the driver to follow all the rules while driving. One of them is the speed limit. Don’t exceed speed beyond the safety limit.

Don’t raise or lower the load on the machine when the machine is moving. This can cause imbalance and load can fall anytime and might injure others around. Make sure the speed is slow when the goods are loaded.