Build a foundation for forklift safety

Incidents involving forklifts can be prevented with proper facility layouts and route planning, housekeeping, ongoing training and education, and safe operating practices.

Indispensable in shops, warehouses, factories, and yard operations, forklifts are used by industrial workers to lift and transport numerous loads.

Having a forklift in your facility offers many benefits. But when they’re not used as intended, the consequences can be life-altering for the operator and those around them. Consider the following factors long before a worker gets into the operator’s seat:

1. Workplace Design and Hazards

Many potential hazards are present in your workplace’s design, making it a good place to start your assessment.

Aisles should be wide enough for the forklift to manoeuvre, and ramps or flooring with different surfaces need to be clearly marked. If shelving has components that could hit or intrude into the operator area, or if there are obstructions at intersections and doors, they need to be addressed ahead of time. Loading and unloading areas, including racking, also need to be properly designed to allow for safe operation.

Exhaust fumes and by-products from battery charging affect air quality, so make sure all areas are adequately ventilated. Don’t forget to consider all factors that affect a worker’s ability to operate a forklift safely, such as noise, odours, toxic gases, dust, and poor lighting.

2. Traffic Management

A written traffic management plan is an important tool for keeping everyone safe around forklifts.

The plan should account for the flow of all traffic, including the movement of forklifts and pedestrians. It also should consider the kinds of tasks or jobs being done and their interactions with the forklift. The plan also should factor in areas where there is higher potential for collisions, braking distance when carrying a load, the distance loads could fall, and any factors that could affect forklift stability.

The plan should prioritize visibility for safe forklift operation, such as the way the mast, load, and stacked goods obstruct the operator's view. It should also require storage rack systems that reduce the risk of contact between the beams and the operator. Areas where forklifts operate must be strong enough to support the weight of the truck and its load, and it needs to be kept clear of hazards.

Many hazard control measures exist. Your plan should include pedestrian and forklift exclusion zones that are marked by physical barriers and signage, and assistive devices like convex mirrors that improve visibility at intersections. Warning lights and signallers can be used when trucks or workers are in the area.

3. Training

Requirements will vary depending on your jurisdiction, but forklifts should only be operated by experienced workers who are trained, certified, or licensed to perform the task. Some jurisdictions specify a minimum operator age, while others require specific licensing.

Additionally, both drivers and pedestrians should be trained and educated. Topics may include the workplace's rules for safe operation of trucks, such as speed limits, stopping at intersections, and hand and horn signals. Training might also direct pedestrians to sit in the driver's seat to better understand the driver's visibility limitations with and without a load.

4. Daily Inspections

Regular inspections are crucial to avoid mechanical failures and other incidents.

Operators should inspect the forklift every day, including at the beginning of each shift and before each use. Before starting the forklift, the operator should carry out a visual or “circle” check to look for loose, damaged, and missing components, and safety features that aren’t functioning properly. Next, they should carry out an operational pre-use check to look for problems with the brakes, clutch, gearshift, lights and gauges, horn, and tilt and steering mechanisms. Any problems discovered during these checks need to be flagged to a supervisor and corrected before operating the forklift.

Safe forklift operation is a shared responsibility between workers and employers. Many incidents involving forklifts can be prevented with proper facility layouts and route planning, housekeeping, ongoing training and education, and safe operating practices.

Tips for Safe Operation

Operators should always follow safe procedures for speed, turning, braking, and accelerating. They should know the forklift’s load limit and never exceed it. Wherever available, a seat belt or operator restraint device should be used. Drivers should keep the forks at the lowest possible position, moving only when they’re sure the load is stable, and re-stacking if necessary. The forklift can be operated in reverse if the load blocks the driver’s forward view.

Be sure to operate at a speed that will permit a safe stop. Decrease speed at all corners, sound the horn, and watch the swing of both the rear of the forklift and the load. Drivers should have clear visibility in the work area with enough clearance when raising, loading, and operating the forklift while maintaining a safe working distance from all overhead power lines.

Where there are no clear lines of sight, have a spotter assist. Make sure there are no other workers in the area and maintain audio and visual communication between the spotter and the operator. And remember to never turn on a ramp or elevate the load when the forklift truck is on an incline.

This article was supplied by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), 135 Hunter St. East, Hamilton, Ont. L8N 1M5, 800-668-4284, www.ccohs.ca.