Operating forklift safely leads to higher ROI because of fewer downtimes and equipment repairs. More importantly, it’s about the safety of the forklift operators and other personnel.
How to ensure safe forklift operations?
Here are some standard ways on how to ensure safety when operating forklifts:
- Only qualified and authorised drivers should operate forklifts
- There should be a pre-operating checklist for defect checks and proper driving
- The equipment should only be driven in the designated roadways (people-dense areas or sites with materials inappropriate for the forklift should be avoided)
- Examine risky areas (narrow aisles, intersections, blind corners) and assign safe driving speed (slow down in areas that are bumpy, slippery or that have uneven surfaces)
- Parking areas should be properly designated (after the shift operators must park the forklifts only on those designated areas)
Manufacturing and logistics companies have a thorough documentation to minimise risks. They also provide adequate training to personnel to ensure proper operation and maintenance of equipment.
How to further improve forklift safety
Aside from adept management, engineers and managers also take advantage of modern technologies to further improve warehouse operations and forklift safety. One way they accomplish this is by the use of Optafleet which has the following features:
- Includes a customisable pre-shift safety checklist (equipment and applications often have different requirements)
- Collects usage data in real-time (spot anomalies early on and analyse data later for operations improvement)
- Enhanced tracking capabilities (know the location of an equipment, random verification if an equipment is in a designated area)
Moreover, many warehouses also have accident prevention systems in place. For example, the Pedestrian Alert System and Collision Avoidance System help prevent workplace accidents between forklifts and pedestrians (and also other forklifts). Together, they caution drivers and pedestrians when either one is in near proximity. This allows the operator to slow down and manoeuvre (while the pedestrian can halt or step back).
Operating forklift safely
Here at ShockWatch, we specialise in Damage Prevention (thereby improving workplace safety and business ROI). For over 40 years, we’ve been servicing small businesses and Fortune 100 multi-national companies. Contact us today if you need to improve forklift safety in your warehouse operations.
