Safety Tidbit 7.11 – Best Practices to Avoid Forklift-related Fatalities and Injuries

Safety Tidbit 7.11 – Best Practices to Avoid Forklift-related Fatalities and Injuries

Reference: Fowler, Lauren. “How to Reduce Forklift Accidents - Be Safe & Save Lives.” WAYCO, WAYCO - Best Forklift Warranties & Safety Training, 10 Feb. 2019, https://www.wayco.ca/blog/2018/12/18/how-to-reduce-forklift-accidents-be-safe-amp-save-lives.

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Michael Zahorchak – a junior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA, graduating in Spring 2023.

Why do forklift accidents occur? Accidents tend to occur when the operator or bystanders don't have education and proper training around the forklift. You can follow many practices to lower the chances of forklift-related injuries or fatalities. If you are a forklift operator, you should understand a few basic things like how it operates, the weight the forklift is designed to handle, and how to repair it. Understanding these three factors can lower the chances of a forklift injury substantially.

A few practices include:

-       Only trained and licensed individuals should operate forklifts

-       Always wear your seatbelt when operating

-       Avoiding edges such as unprotected loading docks

-       Never attempt to jump off the forklift if it is tipping

-       Operating at safe speeds and adjusting speeds for certain work conditions

-       Never overload the forklift

-       Travel with forks close to the ground

-       Eliminate forklift operation in heavy foot traffic areas

-       PROMOTE PEDESTRIAN AND WORKER AWARENESS

Most accidents occur in the workplace from workers not being trained enough or knowing how to maintain the forklift correctly. A study by OSHA showed that proper operator forklift training could reduce the risk of accidents by 25-30%.

Another significant rule when operating a forklift Is that pedestrians always have the right of way. Better management and awareness practices can prepare all workers for understanding this part of forklift operating. Driving a forklift has similar rules to driving on the road when it comes to the pedestrian. You could come up with better practices for this by creating designated walkways and designated travel ways for the forklift. Pedestrian awareness training also has a significant role in safety while operating forklifts that doesn't get talked about too much. Pedestrians need to be just as alert as the operator to minimize any risks of getting injured.

Finally, preventing loading problems and overloading the lift is a big way to prevent injuries or fatalities. Along with each forklift, there is a manufacturer's load capacity plate. The load capacity determines the maximum weight that a particular forklift can safely carry. The maximum load rating is critical because if you don't follow this, it could lead to the forklift tipping, and serious injuries can result from that. Also, correctly distributing the weight is very important while loading the forklift and operating it. Ensuring the load is secured at an evenly distributed weight is another way to reduce tipping over. A study showed that 14% of forklift accidents/serious crush injuries come from rollover, collision, or falling loads if the load is too heavy for the lift.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.