Preventing Forklift Accidents in Your Warehouse

Forklifts are essential pieces of equipment for material handling in commercial and industrial warehouses. However, their presence increases the risk of worksite injuries due to collisions, falling materials, and operational mishaps. Therefore, if you have acquired forklifts for your business, consider these tips for preventing accidents and promoting safety.

Use Trained Operators

The lack of training in forklift operation contributes to poor handling and subsequent accidents. Therefore, ensure your operators are qualified for the task. When you hire new workers, check their licenses and certification for forklift handling. Also, provide supplementary training as needed to keep the employees sharp.

For instance, if you purchase new forklifts for the warehouse, plan for demonstrations. Different equipment types and models have different controls. Also, conduct periodic evaluations to gauge the performance of operators and their safety ratings.

Understand the Limits

Forklifts are workhorses, but they have limits. These pieces of equipment are capable of handling heavy loads under a specific capacity. If the capacity is exceeded, the components will sustain damage. Moreover, the risk of workplace accidents will increase. For instance, overloaded forklifts are prone to tip-over accidents.

Also, the loads could fall and injure other workers on the site. The total losses related to property damage due to these incidents could be significant. Therefore, check the weight rating when you purchase or rent a forklift, and ensure that all workers in the warehouse are aware of the maximum capacity rating.

Inspect the Equipment

Your forklifts might fail and cause injuries due to underlying problems. If you don’t realize that the equipment is worn out or damaged, an accident is bound to occur. Therefore, plan for regular inspections of warehouse forklifts before use. Operators or shift supervisors can handle the check-ups.

Some of the common issues to consider during inspections include operating controls like the steering wheel and safety components like lights, masts, and overhead guards. Also, evaluate the general condition of the forklift components like the body, tires, and forks. Additionally, look out for fluid leakage or decreased fluid levels.

Keep accurate logs or records of the results after each inspection. If you discover a problem, avoid using the compromised forklift to prevent accidents. Plan for immediate repairs by a professional.

Consider Floor Marking

Warehouses experience a lot of movement from people, vehicles, and general equipment. Therefore, collision incidents can occur often if a warehouse doesn’t have a good approach to traffic management. The most reliable method for preventing collision is to mark out a path for forklift movement. The goal of floor marking is to keep equipment away from pedestrians.

Isolate a roadway within the warehouse with clear directions for forklift operators. Also, mark out the safe areas along these paths for pedestrians. Additionally, consider detailing potential hazards on signage for forklift handlers such as the presence of bumps and risk of falling objects. Use temporary or permanent line-markings to mark the floors of your warehousing business.

Manage Your Fleet

Proper management of your forklift fleet will prevent performance oversights and subsequent accidents. The most critical management aspect is regular equipment maintenance. Consistent servicing keeps forklifts in optimal working conditions for a safe environment. Neglected and poorly maintained equipment are more prone to accidents.

Consider investing in fleet management software to monitor the servicing needs of your forklifts. The software will allow you to plan for maintenance depending on the model, make, and age of the forklifts. These programs also allow you to track repairs, report malfunctions, and monitor the spare parts inventory.

Keep in mind that fleet management is difficult even with the right software if you are not familiar with heavy equipment requirements for optimal performance. If you are struggling with the forklift aspect of your warehouse operations, contact us at Lift Solutions, Inc. We have experience in all aspects of forklift management, including maintenance and repair.