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Learn about forklift safety, training, and overlooked aspects that can be utilized for personnel and workplace safety.
Published 26 May 2023
Forklift safety is the set of procedures utilized for the proper use of forklifts including before and after forklift operations. These forklift safety procedures will minimize the risk of incidents and ensure that the operator and the people within the vicinity are protected.
There are numerous procedures that are in compliance with industry standards such as OSHA’s to ensure forklift safety in the workplace. The most basic operational procedure that was set by OSHA, 1910.178(q)(7), states that industrial trucks such as forklifts should be inspected every day before they’re placed in the service area. Forklifts used round-the-clock should be examined every shift. Defects or signs of wear and tear should be reported immediately. These forklift inspections can be conveniently recorded by using a digital checklist such as these forklift checklists.
Forklift operators are required to participate in and complete training before they’re allowed to operate the forklift. While OSHA doesn’t provide forklift certifications, forklift operators can get training from outside their company and get a certificate for completion of training.
Employers are responsible for certifying that the training provided was adequate and in compliance with OSHA guidelines. The required training content can be found in 1910.178(l)(3). This provision is intended for initial forklift operator training, it also stated to only include topics that are applicable to your work area.
OSHA-powered industrial truck standards recommend that employers give refresher training courses, 1910.178(l)(4), in the following events:
Additionally, OSHA standard 1910.178(l)(4)(iii) states that the employer is required to evaluate the forklift operator every 3 years.
Operating a forklift is not an easy task as driving a regular vehicle. Forklift-related accidents account for 79 fatalities and 8,140 nonfatal work-related injuries in the year 2019 according to the National Security Council. These numbers are less than what it was two decades ago when CDC reported that there were 100 fatalities while 20,000 accounts for nonfatal injuries.
In the years that followed, newer technology emerged and the implementation of safety standards has been better. Statistics show that the number of forklift-related injuries are slowly decreasing every year. There is a potential to reach zero work-related forklift injuries if only employers complied with the safety regulations and forklift operators received proper training and support.
OSHA estimates that around 20-25% of forklift related injuries are caused by inadequate training while CDC listed the top 4 types of forklift incidents which are forklift overturns (22%), worker on foot struck by forklift (20%), victim crushed by forklift (16%), fall from forklift (9%). For fatal accidents, 42% is caused by forklifts tipping over (OSHA).
The following table is the complete data for forklift operations fatalities as provided by OSHA:
Forklift accidents can cause the company to incur additional operating costs due to the damage on products and property. Additionally, in the event of personnel-related injuries, employers can be responsible for covering hospital, recovery, and other work-related injury expenses.
The best way to prevent forklift incidents is to be aware of the safety hazards and factors present in the work area.
Here are the common reasons why forklift accidents may occur in the workplace and the corresponding forklift safety tips:
Here are some aspects that are easily overlooked by people in the facility:
Additionally, here are some basic forklift safety tips and protocols:
Forklift Safety Tips: Dos and Donts | SafetyCulture
Eliminate manual tasks and streamline your operations.
There are 3 parts of forklift training: formal learning, practical application, and evaluation.
Formal learning is the initial forklift training an aspiring forklift operator will have to take. As stated earlier, OSHA has recommendations on what the courses should contain. There are many available courses and this stage in training could be taken online. Mobile training applications such as EdApp provide completion certificates for all their courses. Here’s an example of the Forklift Operation Safety Course for initial training. The Training course is divided into three sections: Pre-operation, Travelling and Maneuvering, and Load Handling.
This training stage is applying what you have learned from formal learning. Employers are responsible for providing forklift training to their employees. While this stage of forklift training can be taken outside of the organization, only employers can certify their employees. Supervisors need to be knowledgeable, skillful, and experienced because they are responsible for monitoring forklift operators after their certification.
Managers and supervisors are required to evaluate their forklift operators in a timely manner. Evaluations are used to ensure that the forklift operator’s skills and knowledge are up-to-date. These evaluations can show which areas need improvement and to keep the forklift operators, pedestrians, and facility safe from incidents. Furthermore, this stage is done on a continuous basis. Frequent evaluations can uncover repetitive incidents and other issues that could be corrected. To avoid missing an inspection or an evaluation, the facility should use digital checklist tools that can be assigned to specific employees. Here’s an example of an forklift operator safety checklist:
Forklift Safety Checklist | SafetyCulture
Forklift operators can conduct the required daily inspections before operating a forklift using SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor). Supervisors will be able to be notified and see the report right from their own mobile device. Supervisors can also use the digital checklist tool to conduct frequent evaluations. With SafetyCulture you can:
Keep every forklift operator and pedestrian in the workplace safe by consistently conducting forklift safety inspections. Here are some forklift safety checklists intended for pre-start forklift operations and forklift inspections:
SafetyCulture Content Team
The SafetyCulture content team is dedicated to providing high-quality, easy-to-understand information to help readers understand complex topics and improve workplace safety and quality. Our team of writers have extensive experience at producing articles for different fields such as safety, quality, health, and compliance.
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