27 Oct Forklift Safety
Forklifts improve the efficiency and production within the warehouse or out in the yard. A single employee behind the wheel of a forklift can do the work of many; awkward and heavy loads can be moved about with ease. But with all the production and efficiencies gained from a forklift, it should never come at a cost to safety.
While a forklift is dangerous in many ways, it’s very size and weight and build make it life-threatening. It doesn’t have to move at high speed to seriously injure or possibly kill an employee. And that’s why we train; train operators and employees on the ground to the dangers of the machine and how to adapt the workflow to improve everyone’s safety within the warehouse.
We often talk about the dangers of the forklift, but we don’t often mention the dangers posed to the people on the ground, working around and in conjunction with it. Even when an employee is not trained to properly operate a forklift, that employee should still be trained on the ways to keep safe while working around them.
Forklift Safety
One way to keep both pedestrians and operators keenly aware of one another is to implement traffic zones within the yard or warehouse. And signs (Signs should be placed at eye-level, and should be bright and easy to read) that are strategically placed throughout the warehouse to remind pedestrians to be keenly aware of forklifts and forklift operators keenly aware of pedestrians. It sounds simple, but awareness is a vital component to keeping everyone safe.
It’s also important that employees work together to keep one another safe. In the event that an operator’s view is obstructed, even for a moment, he or she will likely need the help and the trained expertise of other employees to safely navigate.
It’s important to do everything possible to cut down on the risks involved in forklift use. The forklift is a tremendous machine that adds so much potential to any warehouse or yard. And if you have any questions about a new or used forklift, then contact the forklift professionals at Anderson Forklift today.
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