Forklifts aren’t necessarily complex machines, but they do have several ways about them that make them dangerous to operate and requiring very specific guidelines and standards by which they should be operated and maintained.
In this post, which is the final of a four-part series, we’ll take a look at some strategies that employers can develop to mitigate incidents and injuries among forklift operators and other employees. What you will read here is from an article in a recent issue of Professional Safety magazine written by Christopher Janicak and Tracey Cekada about forklift safety and how to address the thousands of incidents every year resulting from a forklift. (You can see the others posts here, here and here).
Buckle Up, Buttercup
The data shows that the No. 1 cause of fatalities involving forklifts are when a forklift tips over and crushes the driver or another employee. While the 1910.178 standard (which was mentioned in a previous post) does not specifically mention seat belts or some kind of restraint system, it has been established that seat belts on a forklift can go a long way toward keeping drivers safe in the event of a tipover or rollover.
Seat belts are designed to keep people safe in cars when there is a collision at a high rate of speed. While forklifts do not get into those realms of speed, seat belts serve the same purpose but for a different reason – they are designed to keep the driver in the cab of the forklift in case the vehicle tips or rolls. The first instinct of a forklift driver when the vehicle tips is to jump out, but that actually increases the risk of injury or death by the forklift tipping or rolling on top of the driver.
To stay safe, even though 1910.178 doesn’t mention it, is to require all your forklift operators to use the seat belt when in the seat, even if the vehicle isn’t in motion or turned on.
Board the Train-ing
Forklifts are not to be treated like regular cars, where as long as a person has a driver’s license he or she can get behind the wheel of a forklift. And unlike passenger cars, you don’t just train on a forklift just once, pass a test and you’re licensed or trained to operate a forklift until you are in your 60s.
Believe it or not, there actually is an OSHA standard regarding forklift operation traiing, and it is an extensive standard that not only requires forklift training for all operators every three years (employers may require more frequently if there is a need) but includes information about the training itself – there should be classroom- or seminar-style instruction, practical experience behind the wheel of a forklift as well as honest and direct evaluation of forklift performance that should meet a standard of proficiency as determined by the employer.
ANSI also provides some expected topics of discussion during the traiing to ensure a comprehensive understanding of safe forklift operation. ANSI strongly suggests that the training include discussions about basics of operating a forklift, effects of environment on a forklift (uneven terrain, weather, indoors, etc.), and the safety rules in forklift operation.
Quite an Operation
Operating a forklift is certainly not like operating a car, simply because there are so many other mechanical aspects to a forklift besides just operating a steering wheel and a gear shift.
ANSI has done its best to provide the most comprehensive guidance and rules about forklift operations, including safety and and traveling guidance as well as information about safe loading.
General safety guidance addresses the need for operators to keep hands and feet in the cab at all times, how to watch out for pedestrians around the forklift and conducting a proper starting procedure. For traveling, there is information about how to go up and down various inclines, handling cross-aisle traffic and “rules of the road” for forklifts, especially in warehouses or other areas where multiple forklifts are used.
The Real Forklift Grunt Work
Forklift operators have to be on their guard when on loading docks or loading or unloading directly on a tractor-trailer or some similar vehicle around a warehouse facility. While ANSI takes on general operations of forklifts, OSHA takes over when it comes to situations like warehouse loading docks or when lifting or lowering workers using forklifts.
When on a loading dock, a forklift operator not only needs to know the capabilities of his or her forklift, but also but note the weight capacity of the loading platform and the tractor-trailer and ensure that when the forklift is loaded it does not exceed the weight limit. The dock plate must also be secure and the max load of the forklift must be known to avoid any tipping. Any issues involving any of these moving parts is the responsibility of the forklift operator, including navigating the platform and the loading dock around pedestrians and other forklifts.
When lifting or lowering workers to or from a platform or elevated position, OSHA put forth guidance that mandates the there be a secure and even platform attached to the forks or attachments, and that there be some fall-restraint system for individual workers or guardrails attached to the platform to mitigate falls while the forklift is in operation.
Power of Inspection
Forklifts are powered by any one of several types of fuel, including liquid natural gas, diesel, fuel cells or batteries, among others. Forklift operators and mechanics should be versed on the various standards and procedures regarding the handling of these various fuels, including storage, exposure to heat and open flames and proper disposal of used fuels.
Batteries and fuel cells are especially dangerous and require their own protocols and handling. Batteries that require re-charging should be handled in a special area away from other machinery, people and flames, as there are hazards with chemical burns and fires if the charging is not handled properly and specifically according to the manufacturer recommendations. There must be plenty of protection for the person conducting the charging in case of spillage, including the use of eye protection in case of splashing, and good ventilation in the area to account for vapors and fumes.
For inspections of forklifts, it is recommended that standard practice should be a thorough check at least once a day, or once per shift if the forklift is to be used on multiple shifts in a day. The inspection should cover everything from the battery and lights to chains and cables, condition and pressure of tires, the fuel system, controls for lifts and tilts as well as brakes and those mechanisms that engage loads (including the forks).