Forklifts are heavy duty vehicles that work incessantly. And due to this, they have some important safety considerations that should be kept in mind at all times. One of the most grievous and hazardous safety problems is tilting or tipping.

Forklift Safety Requisites

The major forklift safety requisites are:

Load management

It can be very risky to give into the temptation of loading extra load to a forklift. Many people don’t understand that “even adding a small weight will add to the whole load”, which is the surer way of causing a forklift to tilt or tip. Refrain from adding anything to the load even if there’s a little doubt or the load is near to its utmost capacity.

Load balance

Forklifts are designed in a symmetrical model to accept and carry balanced loads. Only one thing can happen if a heavy load is asymmetrical or unbalanced – tipping. Thus, make sure that the load is appropriately loaded and fittingly protected.

Masts

Masts have problems sometimes but when they do, they can be terrible. An out of order mast will predictably cause the load to tilt or tip. So, at the slightest of doubt concerning the condition of a mast, take the forklift for a check up to the service workshop and have the service personnel inspect it straight away.

Suspension

The suspension is another important part of the forklift, especially for heavy loads. There might be suspension problems when the forklift gets unusually bouncy. A defective suspension will automatically compromise a heavy load so it’s better to call forklift servicing personnel at the earliest.

Tyres

Tyres of the forklift take the whole pressure of both the forklift and the load it’s carrying. It just takes one tyre to break down and the complete load will tilt or tip. So at all times, have the forklift’s tyres checked and ensure to keep them well maintained with regular forklift maintenance. You can checkout our old post on Benefits of Regular Forklift Servicing: Preventative Maintenance

Driving

Forklift drivers in Australia are licensed and they are mindful of the safety requisites. Don’t permit an unlicensed person to drive a forklift. In fact, the most capable qualified drivers can have problems, so there’s absolutely no reason to allow an unqualified driver anywhere near a forklift.

Access Issues

One of the surer ways to unbalance the forklift load is by driving a forklift through “doubtful access points” such as a crowded warehouse floor. Suppose the load hits anything, it will obstruct the movement of the forklift and an expected tilt/ tip incident will take place. Make use of another access point or clear the space for the forklift.

Keep the forklift well-maintained

Keeping the forklift regularly maintained is the most effective way to remove the majority of the tilting/ tipping hazards. In case, any of the above problems occur in a new forklift then these problems can also be fixed quickly under the new forklift warranty. Technicians will find any possible dangers and avert accidents by replacing tyres, adjusting the suspension, checking masts and fixing any damage. Look at it in a different way – just a phone to the forklift servicing workshop can save a life, maybe your own. That’s excellent value!

Lencrow provides a comprehensive range of materials handling solutions that include new forklifts for sale, forklift rentals, fixed price servicing and forklift repairs.

Safety is paramount in all workplaces. It is necessary for an employer to put in place the correct measures to ensure that employees practice working safely. The introduction of machinery in to the workplace has significantly increased the productivity of a business however, if not managed correctly can cause injury and downtime. At Lencrow we recognize that everyone has the right to work with in a safe environment. Click on the link below to find out more information on how we can assist you to implement safe work practices.

Many industries, like construction and transport, rely on forklifts for their operations. But although forklifts are a highly versatile and necessary piece of machinery, they can be extremely dangerous and potentially cause serious accidents when inexperienced and untrained drivers are at the wheel. Additionally, having an unlicensed forklift driver can leave your business open to liability.

This means that having proper forklift licensing and training requirements in your business is essential to prevent such events from occurring. You can do this by ensuring that forklift drivers know how to operate forklifts safely around the worksite.

How forklift licenses work

To be eligible for a forklift licence, as per the SafeWork website, a person must:

Similar to the different license categories for Australian Driver’s License, there are classifications on the type of forklift you can drive. The two types of forklift licenses you can obtain are:

There’s a three-step process to obtaining your forklift license. Australian Law requires you to complete a compulsory training course with a registered training organisation (RTO). These typically go for 1-3 days and will cover everything from basic forklift driving to demonstrating how to operate a forklift safely in a business premises.

It’s important that you research different training organisations to make sure that they can offer you the skills and training you’re looking for and need in your business. You can do this by starting with reviews to see how long the company has been in operation, what the average passing rate is, and what the training environment is like.

After you’ve found a trusted RTO and booked a course, prepare yourself by requesting a copy of their forklift driver manual and revise the material. Most RTO’s will have practice questions so be sure to ask for copies as well.

On-site when you’re training, it’s required that closed in shoes are worn along with a hi-vis vest which is usually provided during the training, as in all situations involving a forklift, safety is essential.

Once your training is completed, everything you’ve learnt will be put to the test. You’ll be assessed on both forklift theory and how you operate and manoeuvre a forklift in your surroundings.

As soon as your training and assessment have been completed, you’ll be given application forms to obtain your physical license. These forms must be filled out correctly with a passport sized photo and 100 points of ID attached and must be lodged within 60 days. Take the papers with you to your nearest Australia Post to be processed where it should take at least 4 weeks for your license to be delivered to you.

Why forklift licenses are a worthwhile investment

Drivers who are inexperienced in the operation of a forklift or don’t have the proper training that comes with having a license run the risk of causing:

Apart from this, your business may face liability for illegal forklift operation.

From an individual perspective, having a forklift license will make you a desirable candidate for any position you’re applying for that requires forklift handling. It is also a good way to upskill and keep yourself as a top employee.

Best way to stay safe

In your workplace, you should make sure everyone who is operating a forklift has an appropriate license. You can do this by paying for your employees to do the training and licensing course or giving them a day off to do the course.

It’s also important that forklift licences are renewed to keep yourself and your co-workers safe. A forklift license must be renewed every 5 years, and you don’t need to do the training assessment again. It’s the same process for when you first applied for your license. You will still need a passport sized photo, 100 points of ID, funds for the renewal fee and fill out the license renewal application form at your local Australia Post Office.

For more information

Lencrow Forklifts is an Australian owned company that’s been in operation for over 40 years and provide forklifts for rent and purchase, as well as trained forklift drivers to come to you for your material handling needs. If you have any questions about forklift licensing, visit our website for more information.

According to Safe Work Australia, there was 3,414 work-related deaths from 2003 to 2016, 190 in 2017, and 118 in 2018. While there’s an obvious improvement, we believe that bringing the figures down relies on educating on the risks associated with forklift use and best practice approaches to forklift safety. We’ve identified 10 steps for you to apply to your workplace to prevent accidents.

1. Train your forklift drivers

Forklifts are dangerous machinery that can cause serious accidents when handled by untrained and inexperienced drivers. It’s Australian law that forklift operators must obtain a valid forklift license through a compulsory training course with a registered training organisation. To be eligible, potential operators must be over 18 years of age.

Trained forklift drivers can improve the efficiency of any warehouse, as their experience will keep workflow going. They’ll know which areas they can operate in to avoid accidents. However, whenever a warehouse floor plan changes, drivers will need to be trained again to ensure they know the new layout.

2. Understand the stability triangle

The stability triangle is resembled in a forklift’s three-point system: the two wheels at the front and the pivot point of the rear axle. For the vehicle to be stable, the centre of gravity and its load must remain within the triangle. If the centre of gravity moves outside of the triangle, the vehicle will be unstable, increasing the risk of tipping over.

All factors that move the centre of gravity relate to the load. A heavier load means the combined centre of gravity will be further forward. Eventually, the forklift load will become heavier than the truck’s rating plate and will move the combined centre of gravity too far forwards and outside the triangle. Loads should be carried as low as possible when moving a loaded truck to minimise the risk for workplace accidents.

3. Implement a pre-start safety checklist

Before an operator uses a forklift, a pre-start safety checklist should be completed at the beginning of each shift and signed off by the supervisor at the end of each week.

This checklist must be completed in an area clear of people and other vehicles. If there are any faults on the forklifts, the supervisor must be notified. The checklist will include:

4. Undertake forklift maintenance

Regular forklift upkeep will reduce downtime for forklifts, meaning you can get on with the job without interruptions. Scheduling regular services for your forklift will allow forklifts to run at their peak every time and reduce costs for the warehouse, and any risks identified can be removed once a forklift has been inspected.

5. Keep people away from equipment

Forklifts have warning devices such as horns , strobe lights, and reversing alarms that drivers can use to warn pedestrians. Drivers have to be aware of their surroundings and utilise these features if necessary. You can also have improved visibility with blue lights, which move along the ground to give a clear visual sign that a forklift is approaching.

Hi-visibility vests must be worn at all times, for all staff and pedestrians. There should be no unauthorised persons in the warehouse. It’s best practice to have a sign-in sheet for any visitors and ensure that they’re accompanied at all times.

6. Understand traffic flow

Warehouses have traffic flows that need to be understood by all employees to avoid collisions with pedestrians, stock or other forklifts. Proper marking, signage (such a reflective lines and markers), speed limits, no parking zones, and pedestrian crossings will guide the traffic flow to run smoothly. Any changes to the warehouse layout will affect the traffic flow, and all staff will need to be trained on the new traffic flow.

7. Be cautious of safety slopes and grades

Slopes and grades should always be approached with caution. Drivers will need to ensure they’re a safe distance from the edge of the ramps and that the ramps are wide enough to prevent forklifts from tipping over.

Drivers will also need to know the grade of the incline with the load they’re carrying. Otherwise, they increase the risk of tipping over, causing damage to stock, equipment and injury to the driver.

8. Don’t overload a forklift

As per the stability triangle, you don’t want to overload the forklift as it could tip over and cause major accidents or injuries to pedestrians and forklift drivers. Forklift drivers must understand the load capacity of their forklifts. This information is located on the safety plate attached to the forklifts. It will clearly show the:

9. Have a well-lit warehouse

Poor lighting increases the risk of accidents and stock damage. On the other hand, having quality lighting in the correct positioning will increase visibility for your forklift drivers and reduce the risk of accidents. The best position to have your lights is over the aisles, since your forklifts will be operating there the majority of the time. There’s an added bonus if your warehouse already has skylights, as the natural light is at no cost to you. Alternatively, state of the art LED lighting would be the way to go due to it having a cleaner light at a lower cost than your standard lighting.

10. Maintain a clean workplace

This may sound obvious, but it can’t be stressed enough how important a clean workspace is. An untidy and cluttered workspace can make the area difficult to manoeuvre with your forklift. Always ensure that rubbish is put in the bin and is regularly emptied to avoid fire hazards. A clean workplace will allow for a reduction of risk when it comes to forklift collisions and workplace injuries.

Contact Lencrow Forklifts for workplace safety advice

For your forklift safety needs, contact Lencrow Forklifts for any advice and one of our experienced team members will help you. Lencrow Forklifts have been an Australian owned family business for more than 40 years. Contact us on 1300 532 276 for all you materials handling needs.

Forklifts are a heavy and dangerous piece of machinery that are used in warehouses, shipping yards and factories to transfer, stack, and lift loads. Even at low speeds, they are one of the common causes of workplace injuries and deaths across Australia. They cannot only involve the driver, but pedestrians as well.

Such incidents can be prevented by knowing how to identify, assess and minimise risk. Businesses must work with their employees to identify and improve work safety outcomes.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. The guide below will show you what to do.

Your responsibilities

As a business owner or workshop manager, you are responsible for creating a safe work environment and safe working systems, as well as providing well maintained and safe machinery, up to date information, training and supervision for all employees.

You will need ensure the necessary safety practices, such as observing speed limits and warning signs, wearing correctly fitted seat belts, slowing down, using alerting sounds such as reversing alarms and horns, are all adhered to to ensure a safe working environment. To find out if you have these in place or if you need implement them, you need to conduct a risk assessment.

Doing risk assessments will help you:

You must create awareness of the risk assessment plan, as they highlight risks that need to be focused on and open up conversations with those who may be affected.

So, how do risk assessments work?

Identifying hazards

You need to see how people can be injured. You can find this out by inspecting your workplace and looking out for potential situations that might cause an incident. Talk to your employees. Employees should already be reporting any potential hazards they see, but some things may be overlooked, and you’d rather be safe than sorry. This gets everyone involved and further increases awareness.

Aside from immediate incidents, think about it long term. Could there be a potential incident in the near future? Incidents such as high noise pollution could cause hearing loss for your employees if not minimised to a safe level. Ensure that employees are wearing the correct safety gear (such as ear muffs) in noise pollution areas.

Acknowledging people at risk

After you have identified the workplace hazards, you need to then identify who may be at risk and how they may be affected. For example, risks can include:

Forklift instability

The biggest danger associated with a forklift is tipping over. Seatbelts save lives and must be worn at all times to prevent the driver from jumping out and causing themselves further injuries. Tipping over can also injure pedestrians who may be nearby and who might be struck with debris. Forklifts can tip over if you:

Operator sprains and strains

Drivers can get long term health problems from sprains and strains in their neck, back, and arms. The common hazards that cause this include:

Overall, you need to identify which groups may be harmed as they have different requirements. Groups include but are not limited to young workers, disabled workers, migrant workers and groups that may not always be onsite such as visitors, contractors and cleaners.

Evaluate & decide

After you have identified the risks and know who they affect, you must evaluate the risk to decide on which precautions to take. It’s one thing to identify risks, but not taking action does not prevent or minimise the risk.

You need to look at what actions you currently take at your workplace and compare them to good practices. This will allow you to see if you could be doing more to increase the standard in the workplace.

Recording a risk assessment

Failure to implement the necessary precautions can be costly if an incident occurs. Having a written record of your findings is a tangible record that can be used as a reference for future improvements and assessments.

Be sure to have an action plan for the implementation stage. This will allow you to prioritize which risks to action first, and then work your way through efficiently.

Have a traffic management plan

The aim of the traffic management plan is to separate pedestrians and forklifts to ensure the safest movement of traffic in the workplace to minimise collisions. To create your plan, consult with your employees and follow the risk assessment procedures:

Identify the hazard

Study your workplace to identify areas where potential collisions may occur. Ask your employees if they have noticed any problems while driving the forklift and review your incident reports.

Evaluate the risk

The risks are caused by the hazards identified. You need to assess:

Control the risk

Eliminating the risk is most effective way to control them. It if it not possible to eliminate the risk, you will need to consider other ways you can minimise the risk. You may have to:

Review control measures

Reviewing your control measures ensures that your measures have been implemented and that new hazards haven’t arisen as a result. Whenever there is a near miss, incident, or even changes to your workplace, it is in your best interests that you repeat the hazard management process.

Lencrow Forklifts have more than 40 years’ experience in the materials handling industry, from selling to renting forklifts. For any queries relating to forklift risk assessment, speak to one our experienced staff on 1300 516 431.