Forklift Safety: A Lifesaving Guide
until an accident occurs to put these safety precautions into practice. The best
offense in any safety plan is a good defense. Empowering your employees to
manage their own safety will greatly reduce the risk of incidents.
Loading and Unloading Safely
The whole purpose of using a forklift is to help with lifting and carrying large
loads. Think of the time and effort it would take to hand stack warehouses full
of products. The forklift allows this work to be done quickly and relatively
safely as long as all employees understand the basic principles of forklift
operations. Before moving any load you should make sure that the load is
stable so that it does not slide or fall while it is transported from one spot to
another spot. Many warehouses store and move objects of different sizes and
shapes so you should familiarize yourself with the safest ways to stack items.
Block - Items that are square may be stacked in a cube and secured with
wires or other strapping.
Brick - Each level of the stack should be turned 90 degrees.
Pinwheel - If a brick pattern is unstable, each quadrant is turned 90 degrees.
Irregular - Items that are irregularly shaped like bags or cylinders can be
layered with plywood or strong cardboard to keep them stable.
As you inspect the load make sure that it does not exceed the forklift capacity
rating. Be sure to check the rating at whatever the furthest ex