A Guide To Eliminating Mishaps While Operating A Forklift Truck
Author: Micheal Danis
There are a lot of different types of mishaps that can take place at the time of operating a forklift truck. Hiring a person having a proper forklift certification in NJ and making sure every employee goes through professional training on a regular basis is one of the most promising ways to get rid of such incidents and accidents. The following are some of the key topics that are discussed at the time of professional forklift training:
- Turn on headlights whenever required
- Always make use of safety belts
- Properly look over and maintain every forklift truck
- Reduce interruptions
- Abide by every traffic sign and rule
- Always stay alert while operating a forklift truck
- Inspect the area around the forklift truck prior to start the operations
- Make sure that every back-up alarm is functional
In addition to all these essentials, you will also be trained about a variety of ways that can be used to lessen or eliminate pedestrian injuries and fatalities at the workplace. The following are some of the requirements and practices that are recommended by OSHA:
- It is mandatory for every forklift operator to give the right of way to every pedestrian or a person working nearby or crossing the lane.
- Always separate the forklift traffic and workers, when possible. There is a variety of forklift trucks that offer terrible visibility to the operator. So, always make yourself stand out.
- In every facility, there must be some particularly allocated aisles for workers on foot only and/or forklift trucks only.
- Make your employees stand out, possibly by making use of high visibility vests
- The control panels and work stations are required to be kept away from the aisle, when possible
- The barriers are supposed to be raised in order to separate the traffic on foot and forklift trucks, when possible.
- In the areas where foot traffic is very common, the use of forklift trucks is supposed to be restricted, such as the following:
- Main workplace entrance or exists
- Around the clocks
- Doorways that lead to or from cafeterias or break rooms
- When any individual or a group of people walks across the planned route of a forklift truck:
- Stop
- Wait in anticipation of the pedestrians pass by
- Carry on carefully through any crowded area
- Spot the troubles by walking the route initially in case you are going to operate a forklift truck in a cluttered area.
- In case of an inadequate amount of safe clearance, notify the foot traffic by asking them to move.
- Check for circumstances that necessitate a spotter and use one while traveling
- Sound the horn at aisles, doorways, and blind corners.
- Sound the horn or any other alarm while backing up the forklift truck
- Do not miss to make an eye contact with the one working nearby