Forklifts are one of the most important pieces of equipment in the modern warehouse. They can also be one of
the most dangerous when used improperly. Each year in the United States, nearly 100,000 workers are seriously injured by a forklift-involved accident. Warehouse safety officers know how important safety is.
Here are three of the most common incidents and how to reduce them.
When a forklift collides with another forklift or anything else, something has gone seriously wrong. Issues with
unsafe operation, workplace design, and warehouse maintenance can all contribute to this. To reduce the risk of
forklift collisions, your best options are:
Dropped pallets are a huge risk for your workers and your profit margins. Broken products from dropped pallets can create huge financial losses. And chain reactions of falling products can severely injure your workers and shut your warehouse down for days.
If your operators are dropping pallets, improper forklift operation could be the culprit. Driving with a lifted load, turning at high speeds, and not relying on your mast tilt function can all result in dropped loads. Revise your operator training to reinforce the proper handling of loads to reduce the likelihood of dropping them. Your forklifts’ forks and hydraulic fluids should also be checked to ensure mechanical issues are not contributing to dropped pallets. Finally, are your pallets damaged? Weak pallets overloaded with product can break and contribute to dropped loads as well.
A forklift tipover is one of the most dangerous incidents. Whether the machinery tips forward, backward, or to the side, it can cause severe damage to your equipment and facility and can severely injure or even kill your workers. There are several ways to reduce the risk of forklift tipovers, such as:
