Pretty much, many of us use them. But, what do we need to know about them, other than the fact that they make our original forks longer?
Forklift Extensions
First off, they cannot be homemade. OSHA frowns upon anything homemade. They must meet American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standards in their construction. ANSI stats that the fork extensions must be stamped with the individual load ratings and the supporting for size.
Approved Fork Extension Size
The forks can’t be more than 1.5 times the length of the supporting fork blade. Example: If you have 48″ forks on your lift, your extensions cannot be longer than 72″. OSHA compliance officers will cite you for a violation if they see them on your lift and that are not rated on your nameplate or capacity tag.
The weight of each extension could be anywhere from 75 – 100 lbs, along with an additionally longer load center that will come into play with longer extensions. This means that your forklift will no longer pick up as much weight, and your truck’s capacity plate needs to show the weight reduction and on the factory (through the dealer) can change the tag.
Using extensions may make your job easier, but you have to have the right ones and change your tag – or face an OSHA violation.
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