5 Forklift Safety Tips Every Warehouse Worker Needs to Know

A warehouse with heavy equipment and machinery can be a dangerous place to work; that’s why many often display the number of days that have passed since the last accident. In America, forklifts alone injure around 34,900 people each year. 

Working in a warehouse can be dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be. Following some essential safety tips can drastically reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Government agencies enforce many safety tips, and following them will keep the company in compliance with the law. 

To learn some essential forklift safety tips, carefully read the guide below. 

1. Provide/Attend Safety Training Sessions

According to OSHA standards, all employees who operate a forklift must be trained appropriately. The company training program must cover specific content, like safety rules, working with the models of forklift available, examples of hazards, and OSHA guidelines. 

Forklift training should ideally be a hands-on educational experience. Videos and lectures are supplemental, but the best learning will come from employees working with the equipment themselves. Don’t forget to demonstrate essential procedures like how to conduct daily inspections or maintain load stability. 

Make sure that all employees update their training every few years. Even the most experienced forklift operator is susceptible to mistakes. 

2. Regularly Check and Inspect

While an in-depth inspection of mechanical parts and electrical performance occur monthly or quarterly, there should still be daily inspections of essential functions. Before any employee operates a forklift, they should check it for hazards. 

Employees can check the water, oil, radiator, tires, fork, brakes, lights, horn, and steering wheel for issues. Ensure fluid levels are appropriate, and there are no malfunctions or deformities. Evaluate the surrounding area for potential danger, like uneven ground or obstructions. 

3. Awareness and Accident Prevention

Maintaining awareness while operating a forklift is one of the best ways to prevent accidents. Knowing the most common causes for injuries — load problems, pedestrians, and inadequate space — helps prevent them.

Some necessary awareness includes exercising extra caution in intersections, paying attention to workplace signs and floor markings, and checking that a load doesn’t block eyesight. 

4. Monitoring Capacity and Stability

Load instability is a significant cause of forklift injury and fatality. Never overload a forklift, and stay within the stability triangle. Loads should be placed as close to the wheels as possible to avoid tip-over. 

Keeping the forks low to the ground also helps with stability. Make sure to drive slowly and take care around corners to maintain balance. 

5. Floor Marking Different Areas

Floor marking in a warehouse is as important as road markings outside. They alert pedestrians and drivers where to go. This helps prevent accidents. 

Floor marking should indicate paths that should not be blocked, differentiate between different areas like docks and doors, and indicate parking areas. They should help control the flow of traffic and try to keep pedestrians and forklifts separate.

More Forklift Safety Tips

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the ways to safely work with a forklift. Additional measures like establish visual communication methods and LO/TO are also a good idea. Don’t forget to share these tips with coworkers, friends, and family that work around forklifts. 

For more information on working with industrial equipment, make sure to visit our page.

Posted in Industrial Equipment.