Forklift Safety

Forklift Operation

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 Forklift Operation

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 Forklift Operation

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 Forklift Operation

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 Introduction
Approximately 34,000 Forklift related injury
happened every year:
Immediate causes:
 INATTENTION
 DISTRACTION
 EXCESSIVE SPEED
 POOR DRIVING HABITS
 LACK OF TRAINING

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 Circumstances of Injury
HOW MOST INJURIES
OCCUR:
 Overloading Causing the
Vehicle to Turn Over.
 Load Instability Causing
Turnover.
 Obstructions in the Path of
Travel or Lift.
 Using Forklift Outside of
Design Limitations.
 Striking a Pedestrian.
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 Case Study # 1
NARRATIVE: AN EMPLOYEE WAS SPOTTING A
FORKLIFT BACKING UP IN A CONGESTED
FLOOR AREA. THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO
EASE THE VEHICLE SLOWLY BACK TO GAIN
CLEARANCE TO TURN. THE GAS PEDAL STUCK
SLIGHTLY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH,
PINNING AND CRUSHING THE SPOTTER
BETWEEN THE FORKLIFT AND A POLE AND
RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES.

 CITATION: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE

BETWEEN A FIXED OBJECT AND THE VEHICLE.

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 Case Study # 2
NARRATIVE: AN EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSFERRING
MATERIAL FROM A LOADING DOCK TRAILER TO
A WAREHOUSE LOCATION WHEN THE VEHICLE
WAS DRIVEN OFF THE SIDE OF THE DOCK,
RESULTING IN A LATERAL TIPOVER OF THE
VEHICLE AND FATAL OPERATOR INJURIES.
 CITATION: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE
BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE DOCK AND THE
VEHICLE.

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 Case Study # 3
NARRATIVE: AN EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSFERRING
MATERIAL FROM A STACKED PALLET
STORAGE LOCATION TO THE WAREHOUSE
FLOOR. THE OPERATOR BEGAN MOVING THE
VEHICLE WITH THE LOAD EXTENDED BEFORE
LOWERING THE LOAD, RESULTING IN A
CENTRIFUGAL OVERLOAD AND THE VEHICLE
TOPPLING. THE OPERATOR WAS CRUSHED BY
THE VEHICLE.
 CITATION: FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VEHICULAR
CONTROL
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 Forklift Safety Program
 ELEMENTS OF THE
PROGRAM:
 Written Company Safety
Procedures
 Employee Training
 Measurement of Training
Effectiveness
 Measurement of Driving
Proficiency
 Pre-employment and regular
medical examination
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 Forklift Safety Program

WRITTEN COMPANY
SAFETY PROCEDURES:
 Forklift Safety Procedure
Reviewed Annually
 Daily Operator Inspections
Documented
 Driving Training and
Proficiency Documented

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 Forklift Access Way
 Aisles must be well-lighted and free from
obstruction
 Aisles must be clearly marked and of ample
width
 Driving surfaces must be in good condition
 Pedestrian must be must be informed about
the forklift access way
 Regulatory signs must be prominent and
enforced
 Guardrails, door warning, mirrors and other
obstacles
 Standard precautions must be considered
and installed
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 Forklift Type and Designation
 Forklift type to be use must be compatible with the
type of environments and working conditions the
vehicle will be exposed to.
 Some types of Forklift configuration:
 D – Diesel
 E – Electrically powered
 G – Gasoline
 LP - Propane

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 Basic Principles
 Forklift Manufacturer:
 Dictates specific operation of
vehicle
 Maintains operation and
maintenance manual
 Specifies maintenance
requirements
 Consulted concerning
“attachments”
 To be consulted for safety
questions
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 Basic Principles

OVERHEAD GUARD

MAST

CARRIAGE

BACKREST
LOAD CAPACITY
6,000 lb

LIFT CYLINDER
PROPANE ONLY

TILT CYLINDERS

FORKS

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 Basic Principles

TYPES OF FORKS

 HALF-TAPERED FORKS
- USED WITH HEAVIER LOADS

 FULL-TAPERED FORKS
- USED WITH LIGHTER LOADS
- USED WITH NARROW PALLETS

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 Basic Principles

TYPES OF TIRES
PNEUMATIC AIR-FILLED TIRES AIR

- USED WITH HEAVIER LOADS

- OUTDOORS OR UNEVEN SURFACES

PNEUMATIC SOLID TIRES SOLID RUBBER

- PUNCTURE PROOF
- INTERCHANGED WITH AIR FILLED

CONSULT YOUR VEHICLE OWNERS MANUAL

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 Basic Principles
AUTO STEERING VS. FORKLIFT STEERING:

Front side

TRAVEL TRAVEL

AUTO FORKLIFT
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 Basic Principles
Swing Out
 Forklift steer with rear
wheels
 Swing out can occur
when back end of the lift
truck juts out during
turning and it is
attributed to the unique
rear-wheel steering of
lift trucks

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 Basic Principles
AUTO STEERING VS. FORKLIFT STEERING:

TURNING PRINCIPLE
PIVOT POINT THERE IS NO “SWING OUT”
WITH AN AUTOMOBILE. IN
OTHER WORDS, THE
VEHICLE FOLLOWS THE
TURNING RADIUS OF THE
FRONT WHEELS.

TRAVEL
AUTO

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 Basic Principles
AUTO STEERING VS. FORKLIFT STEERING:

PIVOT POINT
TURNING PRINCIPLE
THERE IS CONSIDERABLE
”SWING OUT” WITH A
FORKLIFT. IN OTHER WORDS,
TRAVEL THE VEHICLE FOLLOWS THE
TURNING RADIUS OF THE
REAR WHEELS.

SWING RADIUS

FORKLIFT
DANGER ZONE
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 Basic Principles
Rated Capacity
 The maximum amount of weight
that can be safely lifted
 How the load rests on the fork is
critical
 The closer the load to the
backrest, the better
 Can be found on the
nomenclature plate of the
vehicle

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 Basic Principles
Operating near Pedestrians
 Speed limit of 3mph
 Establish eye contact when
possible
 Acknowledged their presence
with a nod
 Avoid congested pedestrian
areas if possible
 Panic stop distance for typical
loaded truck;
 1mph = 1~3 feet
 10mph = 22 feet
 18mph = 55 feet
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 Basic Principles

LIFTING PRINCIPLE

COUNTER PIVOT POINT PIVOT POINT COUNTER WEIGHT

WEIGHT

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 Basic Principles

LIFTING PRINCIPLE

MOVING THE LOAD AWAY FROM

REAL HEAVY PARTS
THE BACKREST CAN LOWER
THE RATED CAPACITY OF THE
6,500 lb
FORKLIFT BY HUNDREDS OF
POUNDS!

INCORRECT

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 Basic Principles

LIFTING PRINCIPLE

REAL HEAVY PARTS REAL HEAVY PARTS

6,500 lb 6,500 lb

INCORRECT CORRECT

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 Basic Principles

CENTRIFUGAL FORCES

REAL HEAVY PARTS

MOVING OR TURNING THE VEHICLE

6,500 lb
WHEN THE LOAD IS EXTENDED CAN
RESULT IN TURNOVER BECAUSE OF
CENTRIFUGAL FORCES APPLIED AT
THE TOP OF THE LOAD!

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 Basic Principles

FORK ADJUSTMENT

FORKS SHOULD BE SPREAD AS

WIDE AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW FOR
MAXIMUM STABILITY OF THE LOAD!

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 Basic Principles
Pre-use Inspection
 Mast  Roller tracks and Chains
 Tires  Forks and adjustments
 Fluid levels  Cylinder mounting hardware
 Hydraulic lines  Lights and warning devices
 Handbrake  Seat adjustment and belts
 Lift controls  Lift and tilt cylinders
 Driving controls  Overhead Guard mounting
 Fire  Steering and brakes
extinguishers
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 Handling and Moving Loads
Visibility during Forklift Operations
 Approach the load slowly and do not “Bump”
 Know where all the bystanders are located

REAL HEAVY PARTS

ACME
FORKLIFTS
TRAVEL
6,500 lb

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 Handling and Moving Loads
Visibility during Forklift Operations
 Never allow bystanders between you and fixed object
 Know where all spotters are located
 If you lose sight of a spotter, stop and find them
 Assume lost spotter are in your path

REAL HEAVY
PARTS
STOP
ACME
FORKLIFTS

6,500lb

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 Handling and Moving Loads
Pick-up a Load
 Approach the load slowly and straight on (Load
centered)
 Stop when the tips of the forks are about a foot
away
 Level forks and adjust fork height
 Move forward slowly until load is fully against
backrest
 Lift the load high enough to clear floor obstructions
 Back the load out slightly from the storage location
 Carefully tilt mast back to stabilize the load
 Ensure rear is clear; move backwards

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 Handling and Moving Loads
Put down a Load
 Approach the unloading point straight on
 Stop when the tips of the forks or side of the load
are about a foot away
 Lower load, carefully level forks
 Move forward slowly until load is in desired location
 Lower the load to floor or storage location
 Ensure forks are clear of pallet
 Ensure rear is clear; move backwards

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 Handling and Moving Loads
Unstacking Loads
 Approach the load slowly and straight on (Load
centered)
 Stop when the tips of the forks are about a foot away
 Raise forks to desired height
 Level forks and drive forward
 Move forward slowly until load is fully against backrest
 Lift the load high enough to clear obstructions
 Ensure rear is clear; move backwards
 Once the stack is cleared, lower to desired height
 Carefully tilt mast back to stabilize the load
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 Handling and Moving Loads
Stacking Loads
 Approach the location slowly and straight on
 Stop about a foot away and raise load to desired
height
 Drive forward until load is square over stack
 Level forks and lower load until load is supported
 Ensure forks are clear of pallet
 Ensure rear is clear; move backwards

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 Handling and Moving Loads

 Stacking and
racking of materials:
 Setting height limits
for stacks to
prevent them
collapsing under
their own weight.

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 Handling and Moving Loads

Lifting Object
using pallet:
 Placing goods on
the pallet correctly
and ensuring
nothing can roll off
or fall through
between the slats..

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 Handling and Moving Loads
Driving with a Load
 Travel with the load tilted slightly back for stability
 If you can’t see over the load, drive in reverse
 Drive with load approximately 6 inches above surface
 Pedestrians always have the Right of Way
 Remember that the driving wheels are your pivot point
 Obey traffic rules and local policies
 Always slow down whenever attempting a turn

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Site specific problem contributes to the hazards
of Forklift operations such as;
 Classified Hazardous operation area (working in
petrochemical, gas processing plant)
 Closed environment / poorly ventilated areas
 Handling hazardous substances
 Potentially hazardous road and environment
condition

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Unstable floor surface
 Traction problems, skidding, and
sliding can occur
 Drive cautiously at slow speed
 Be aware of debris and spills
 Be aware of the other personnel
working nearby
 Avoid making tight turns
 Ensure brakes are applied
carefully

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Overhead Clearances
 Plan your route in advance
 Drive cautiously at low speed
 Know the mast height and
facility overhead clearances
 Be careful around electrical
lines or any live system
around the area

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Spatially Restricted areas
 Consider getting out before
getting in
 Try moving empty forks to
one side of the carriage
 Use maximum turning angles
 Be careful when making tight
turns

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
High Traffic Areas
 Pedestrian consideration:
 Never allow pedestrian between
you and a fixed object
 Pedestrians always have the
Right of Way
 Maintain a safe distance when
loading and unloading
 Be careful when making tight
turns
 Never assume pedestrians
knows your position (get their
attention)
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 Dangerous Driving Condition
High Traffic Areas
 Multiple Forklift consideration:
 Obey all local traffic rules and
signs
 Know where all mirrors are
positioned
 Use horns when approaching
corners, doorways & aisles
 Never exceed the safe working
speed of 5mph
 Keep a safe distance from other
Forklifts (3 lengths)
 Pass only in authorized areas
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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Uneven Driving Surfaces
 Understand the type of tires
installed in the vehicle
 Understand the limitation of the
tires
 Approach railroad tracks at a
45-degree angle
 Take alternate route rather than
unnecessary risks
 Determine if different types of
vehicles are available
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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Loading Dock Operations
 Ensure Bridge or Dock Plates are
secured
 Ensure Bridge or Dock Plates are
rated for the vehicle
 Ensure trailer, truck or railcar
wheels are secured
 Never accelerate on Bridge or
Dock Plates
 Always maintain a safe distance
from edges
 Never compete with pedestrians
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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Trailer Operations
 Ensure trailer floor is rated for the
vehicle weight
 Verify that the trailer floor is in
serviceable condition
 Ensure that the Forklift will not
unbalance the trailer
 Use additional trailer supports if
unbalancing is a risk
 Consider the interior trailer height
 Ensure the trailer cannot roll away or
move away from the dock
 Consider lighting and inclement
weather
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 Dangerous Driving Condition

LOADED FORKLIFT RAMP OPERATIONS

ALWAYS APPROACH RAMP LOAD FIRST!

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 Dangerous Driving Condition

LOADED FORKLIFT RAMP OPERATIONS

ALWAYS LEAVE RAMP LOAD LAST!

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 Dangerous Driving Condition

UNLOADED FORKLIFT RAMP OPERATIONS

ALWAYS APPROACH RAMP FORKS LAST!

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 Dangerous Driving Condition

UNLOADED FORKLIFT RAMP OPERATIONS

ALWAYS LEAVE RAMP FORKS FIRST!

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 Dangerous Driving Condition

TURNOVERS

LONGITUDINAL TURNOVER

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 Dangerous Driving Condition

TURNOVERS

LATERAL TURNOVER

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 Dangerous Driving Condition
Spotters
 Never under estimate the value of a spotter

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 Summary

Forklift Operation can be done safely without

endangering any personnel or causing
damage to property; through the following;
 Detailed Forklift Safety Procedure
 Extensive Employee Training program
 Periodic Reinforcement Training
 Sufficient Discipline Regarding Implementation

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