5 Essential Forklift Safety Tips

Today we are going to outline 5 essential forklift safety tips that will help decrease the number of forklift-related accidents in your facility.

We have over 40 years in the material handling industry and we would love to share our expertise and experience with you.

Here are our tips - continue reading for more info:

1. Provide Proper Training for All Your Employees

2. Check Your Forklift Before Each Shift

3. Follow Safe Driving Practices

4. Make Sure Your Facility Is Safe

5. Implement Safety Procedures

Learn important forklift safety tips to prevent accidents

Forklift Safety Tips

The Ministry of Labour's study done in 1996 revealed that the main reason for forklift accidents such as collisions, shifting loads, and tip-overs, was due to lack of an effective safety program.

They found that workers were not trained properly, there was inadequate supervision and the work environments were not set up with safety in mind. The following is a list of forklift safety tips that will address these issues.

1. Provide Proper Training for All Your Employees

The OHSA (Occupational Health and Safety Act) requires that anyone who will be operating a lifting device needs to be competent. In order to be deemed "competent," you must:

• Be qualified in terms of your knowledge, training, and experience to organize your work and its performance

• Be familiar with the OHSA and the rules that apply to your work

• Know about any possible or actual dangers related to health and safety in your workplace

It is your responsibility as an employer to make sure that every forklift operator in your facility takes forklift training and are deemed "competent" before they operate a forklift. Training should be both practical and in-class.

Forklift training should be both practical and in-class

There are different types of forklift training for different situations.

New Operator Training: If you have never operated a forklift before, then you need to take a course designed for new operators. It must be specific to the type of lifting device that you will be working with.

Forklift Refresher Training: If you are an experienced forklift operator, then you are required to take a forklift refresher training course every three years.

Change of Forklift Type: Forklift training is specific to the type of forklift you will be operating. If you change jobs or if you are assigned to a new class of forklift, then you need to take training that is specific to that class of forklift.

People Who Work around Forklifts: Even if you don't operate a forklift, if you work in the vicinity of forklifts, you also require training so that you can recognize potential sources of harm or injury and know the rules and procedures to avoid them.

You need to be trained on the specific type of forklift you will be operating

2. Check Your Forklift Before Each Shift

Each forklift operator should perform a pre-shift inspection of their vehicle before they begin each shift.

This is a thorough inspection that should help you identify any potential safety risks so you can have them addressed before you use your forklift.

During your pre-shift inspection, you will be checking things like:

• The condition of your tires: ensuring there is no excessive wear

• Your fluid levels: making sure they are topped up

• The presence of any fluid leaks: such as water, oil, or hydraulic fluid

• The condition of your forks: making sure they are straight and not cracked

• Your safety features: making sure your brakes, lights, horn, and steering wheel are all functioning properly

• Your working environment: looking for any obstructions, uneven surfaces, overhead obstacles, any any other potential hazards

• Your lifting device: Check your chains, mast and hydraulic system to make sure that they are in good condition

If you notice any safety hazards during your inspection of your forklift, do not ignore it. You need to lockout/tagout your vehicle until it is fixed.

Learn how to perform a pre shift inspection

3. Follow Safe Driving Practices

When forklifts are in use, there are different ways in which they can become a safety hazard:

• If your aisles, pathways, and storage areas are not clearly marked

• If pedestrians wander into the path of a forklift

• If loads accidentally fall over

In order to keep everyone in your facility safe, here are some forklift safety tips related to safe driving:

Watch where you are going: When you are driving your forklift, always look in the direction that you are going. If you can't see in front of you because of the size of your load, then drive in reverse.

Make your presence known: Use your horn when you come to a blind corner or intersection or use forklift safety lights to warn others of your presence.

Forklift safety tips: install blue and red forklift safety lights

Follow posted signs: Make sure you are following posted speed limits, floor makings and warning signs informing you of intersections and restricted areas.

Make sure your load is properly balanced: If your load is not properly balanced, it could fall off or tip over. Also make sure that your load doesn't exceed the maximum capacity of your forklift.

Follow safe driving practices: Make sure that your forks are securely under and are inserted as far under your load as possible before you start to drive. Drive with your load as low as you possibly can.

4. Make Sure Your Facility Is Safe

You should make sure that your facility is designed or laid out in such a way as to ensure the safety of all your workers. Ensure that:

• Overhead and side clearances are sufficient to all for the safe operation of your forklifts. This includes areas such as loading docks, doorways, and in rooms

• Floors, passageways, and aisles are all clear and free from any obstructions, debris, spills, or other hazards

• Your facility has adequate ventilation so that vapours form refuelling and the operation of your forklifts don't accumulate

Make sure that your facility is designed with safety in mind

5. Implement Safety Procedures

You can take additional steps to keep your workers safe by implementing more safety procedures such as:

• Visual communications: Set up safety signs, traffic control signs at intersections, and aisle markers

• Instruct all workers to be alert: Workers can also be instructed to watch out for unsecured or imbalanced loads, listen for horns, make eye contact with any forklift driver near them, and stay away from areas where pedestrians are not allowed.

• Provide pedestrian training: You can ensure your workers safety further by providing them with special pedestrian awareness training.

Wayco Cares about Your Workers' Safety

Wayco cares about worker safety. We can help you make your forklift equipment as safe as possible by performing regular maintenance for you.

Looking for professional safety training for all of your employees? Wayco provides a full range of forklift and other worker safety training programs. We can come to your facility or do the training at ours; whichever you prefer.

We also have a large supply of quality forklift safety lights and equipment that we can install for you to keep you and your employees safe.

Contact us today to set up a regular maintenance schedule, sign up for safety training, and to get your safety equipment installed.

"I really recommend to get your lift license here. One of the best courses I've take in my life, they make sure everything’s done the safest ways step by step so you can walk out ready for the job. Angela is the best teacher, very funny but makes sure all precautions are taken.Excellent place to get your forklift or scissor license in Kitchener Waterloo."

- Miguel Maza
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Best Forklift Safety Practices

Today we are going to take a look at the best forklift safety practices.

We have over 40 years in the material handling industry and we would love to share our expertise and experience with you.

We'll break down the best forklift safety practices so that you can keep your workers and your equipment safe from unnecessary accidents and injuries. Let's get started.

Be safe - Learn to follow our best forklift safety practices

Best Forklift Safety Practices

There are a number of great forklift safety practices that you can follow in your workplace. Click on the following links to learn more about each one.

Perform a Forklift Inspection Before Each Shift
Only Trained Personnel Should Operate Your Forklift
Best Forklift Safe Driving Practices
Forklifts and Blind Spots
Driving on a Sloped Surface
Best Forklift Steering Practices
Best Forklift Loading Practices
How To Raise and Lower a Load Safely
Best Forklift Practices for Handling Pallets
Best Forklift Parking Practices
How to Load and Unload from Trucks, Trailers and Railways Cars
Best Forklift Practices for Using an Elevator

Perform a Forklift Inspection Before Each Shift

One of the best forklift safety practices that every operator should adopt is doing a pre-shift inspection of your forklift before you start each shift to make sure that everything is working properly and that your truck is safe to operate.

You should do both a visual and operational inspection of your forklift and if you notice anything that is wrong, do not ignore it. Tell your supervisor immediately so that the issue can be looked after.

The following video will show you the steps in the inspection; continue reading for detailed instructions about what to check.

A best forklift safety practice is to check your machine before each shift

Visual Inspection:

During your visual inspection, you should take a look at the following things:

Your working environment: Make sure that the floor you will be working on is clear of any debris and that there are no obstructions overhead. Make sure that are no objects nearby that you might hit as you drive and verify that there is a functioning fire extinguisher present.

Your engine: Check your oil, fuel, and radiator water levels if you are operating an LPG (liquid propane gas), gasoline, or diesel forklift.
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Your battery: Make sure that your battery is fully charged and is securely in place. Check your cables for any exposed wires and make sure your battery plug connections are tight, clean, and in good condition. Make sure the vent caps are not clogged and the electrolyte levels in the cells are correct.

Your hydraulic system: Check that bolts, nuts, guards, chains, and hydraulic hose reels are tight and that they aren't damaged or missing.

Your hoses: Make sure that all of your hoses are secured and not loose, crimped, bent, worn, or rubbing.

Your tires: Check your tires for any signs of excessive wear or damage. Make sure that the tire pressure is proper if you have pneumatic tires.

Your forks: Take a look at your forks to ensure that they aren't bent, cracked, or damaged and that the positioning latches are in good condition.

In addition, check that:

• Your carriage teeth are not chipped, worn, or broken

• There are no damp spots around your forklift that would indicate a leak

• Your chain anchor pins are in food condition and not loose or bent

During your inspection, carefully check the various parts of your forklift - Image Source: Created by Tynt22 using Adobe Photoshop. [CC BY-SA]

Operational Inspection

Your horn: Make sure it is working and loud enough to be heard over environmental noise.

Your brakes: Check that all of your brakes are working well, including your floor brakes, parking brakes, and your deadman seat brake.

Your clutch: Test out your clutch and gearshift to make sure that it shifts smoothly without jerking or jumping.

Your dashboard: Check that all of the lights on your control panel are working.

Your steering wheel: Make sure that you can move your steering wheel easily and smoothly.

Your lifting and tilting devices: Check that your lifting mechanism is moving smoothly by raising it to its maximum height and then lowering it. Then check that your tilt mechanism is working well by tilting the mast forward and backward all the way.

Your hoses and cylinders: Make sure that they are still not leaking now that you have done your preliminary inspections.

Noises: Listen for any unusual noises.

Only trained drivers should operate a forklift

Only Trained Personnel Should Operate Your Forklift

Proper training is an essential best forklift safety practice. No untrained person should be allowed to operate your forklift. You must not allow anyone to hop on for a ride either.

Make sure that your operators have successfully completed the training course appropriate to the type of forklift they are going to be using before they begin. Learn more about forklift training requirements here.

Best Forklift Safe Driving Practices

While you are operating your forklift, you should follow these best driving practices:

• Do not drive too fast and decrease your speed when going around corners

• Keep your hands, arms, feet, legs, head inside your truck at all times

• On flat surfaces drive with your forks as low to the ground as possible and tilted backwards

• Try not to make any sudden stops

• Keep watching in the direction that you are travelling

• Look out for wet and oil spots, loose objects, holes, rough terrain, etc.

• Watch out for pedestrians and other vehicles in your vicinity

• Sound your horn when going around a corner or to warn of your approach.

Forklifts and Blind Spots

Take note of any blind spots that you have in your vehicle with and without a load. If someone is crossing your route, stop driving, lower your forks to the floor and wait for the way to be clear before proceeding.

Be extra careful driving on slight inclines

Driving on a Sloped Surface

If you are operating your forklift on an incline, you should always point your forks downhill if you are not carrying a load, and point them uphill if you are carrying a load.

So this means that you will have to drive backwards down ramps when you have a load so that the load doesn’t fall off and drive and drive backwards up a ramp when you aren’t carrying a load. You should adjust the tilt of your forks to match the slope's gradient.

Never try to turn your forklift on a slope; wait until you are on level ground.

Best Forklift Steering Practices

Never turn your steering wheel sharply if you are traveling fast. Make sure to support your load by the front wheels and turn your forklift with your rear wheels.

Always follow your load capacities. If you overload your forklift, it will be very difficult to steer.

Best Forklift Loading Practices

Make sure you know the manufacturer's recommended maximum load limit of your forklift and of its forks. These numbers will be on your data plate on your machine.

Never exceed these maximums. They are there for your safety and for the safety of your forklift.

Your forklift data plate will show you the maximum capacities of your lift truck

Position your load according to the recommended load centre. Never try to counterbalance an overload by adding extra weight.

You should also keep your load close to your front wheels to keep it stable. Keep your mast in an upright position and level your forks before inserting them in the pallet.

How To Raise and Lower a Load Safely

Wait until your forklift is fully stopped and braked before you attempt to lift your load. Check that you have enough overhead clearance and stay clear of any overhead power lines. Lift your load straight up and then tilt it back slightly

Stay on your forklift while your load is raised as your truck is less stable in this position. Don't let anybody walk or stand near or under the elevated load. No one should walk under a raised forklift mast even if there is no load on it.

Learn how to properly lift your load

Best Forklift Practices for Handling Pallets

Adjust your forks so that they are high enough and level to go into the pallet. Make sure they are inserted all the way underneath the load. Make sure that your forks are the right width so that the weight of your load is evenly distributed.

Best Forklift Parking Practices

When you are finished operating your forklift, park it in the approved spot. Set your brakes before leaving it and lower your forks to the floor. Put your controls in neutral and turn off your motor.

Disconnect your battery if you are operating an electric forklift or follow your propane shut-down procedures if you have a propane lift truck.

To learn more about proper battery care, click here. The following video will show you how to water your battery.

From time to time you need to water your battery

How to Load and Unload From Trucks, Trailers, and Railways Cars

Make sure you stay clear of the edges of the docks, rail cars or ramps. The edges should be clearly marked and follow these best forklift safety practices:

• Do not tow or push a railway car or truck with your forklift

• Do not operate your forklift inside these vehicles for extended periods unless they are properly ventilated

• Ensure that the dock plate is properly secured and it can support the weight of your forklift and your load

• Drive slowly and carefully over the plate and don't spin your wheels

• If you need to cross a railway track, do so on a diagonal

Best Forklift Practices for Using an Elevator

Only enter an elevator if you are authorized to do so. Make sure that your forklift's weight plus the weight of your load doesn't exceed the elevator's limit. Enter the elevator squarely, put your controls in neutral, shut off your motor and put on your brakes.

For the Best Forklift Service and Inspections, Trust Wayco

Forklifts also require yearly inspections. At Wayco, we have trained personnel who meet the OHSA requirements to be able to carry out your annual forklift truck safety inspection.

Upon completion of our full vehicle inspection, we will let you know the exact condition of your equipment and once it is found to be in proper working order, we will certify your equipment for you.

You need to have this type of up-to-date inspection documentation available to show government inspectors when they come to your facility. Contact Wayco today to set up your annual inspection.

In addition to annual inspections, Wayco can also service and maintain your forklifts throughout the year to ensure they are running efficiently and safely.

“We purchased a used forklift from Wayco in January. It was extremely clean and in excellent condition when it was delivered. We have also had incredible ongoing service from the professionals at Wayco. Overall dealing with them has been an excellent experience.“

- Dons Trailer
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Blue Forklift Safety Lights vs Red Forklift Safety Lights

Blue Forklift Safety Lights vs Red Forklift Safety Lights: Today, we are going to look at the difference between blue and red forklift safety lights.

We have over 40 years in the material handling industry and we would love to share our expertise and experience with you.

We'll tell you the meaning of blue and red forklift safety lights and why they are both a vital part in reducing forklift accidents. So, let's get going.

Blue Forklift Safety Lights vs Red Forklift Safety Lights: Learn the difference - Image Source: Wiese

Blue Forklift Safety Lights vs Red Forklift Safety Lights

Blue and red forklift safety lights are both used as an effective warning system.

They both let pedestrians and other forklift drivers know the direction and speed of your forklift’s approach as they shine a bright light on the floor in front of, behind, and along the sides of your forklift.

Read on to find out how each type of light is specifically used.

Blue Forklift Safety Lights Indicate Forward and Backward Motion

Blue forklift safety lights are attached to the rear and/or the front end of your forklifts. They shine an intense, bright blue light on the floor in front of or behind your forklift, depending on where they are mounted.

Depending on the angle and intensity of the beam, the light can shine 10 to 20 feet from your forklift. The light moves along the floor with your forklift, indicating the path that it is taking as well as the speed that it is going.

A forklift blue safety shines an intense blue light on the floor in front of or behind your forklift - Images Source: Ideal Warehouse

Blue Safety Lights Ensure Greater Safety When Backing up

When you are going backwards on your forklift, it is especially difficult for you as an operator to see if there is anyone or anything behind you.

A blue safety light attached to the rear of your vehicle will warn the person or other vehicle of your presence when your view is restricted.

Blue safety lights help you when you are backing up - Image Source: Wiese

Blue Safety Lights Ensure Safety When You Are Moving Large Loads

When you are carrying a large load on your forklift, it is also very difficult to see what is in front of you. A blue safety light installed on the front of your vehicle will warn anyone in front of you that you are coming so they can get out of the way.

Red Forklift Safety Lights Indicate a Safe Side Distance from Your Forklift

Red forklift safety lights form a safe distance line along the side of your forklift

Red forklift safety lights are attached to the sides of your vehicle. They shine an intense, bright red line of light about 2 to 5 feet along either side of your forklift. This distance can be adjusted by angling the light.

This red line, also known as the halo zone, forms a boundary along the sides of your forklift that indicates a safe distance to remain back from your forklift. This red line should not be crossed by pedestrians or other forklifts in order to keep safe.

Red Forklift Safety Lights Protect Pedestrians from Rear End Swing

Forklifts steer from the rear axle and they pivot on their front wheels. As a result, their rear end acts as a counterweight and will swing wide when the forklift turns.

If an operator doesn't understand or have a good control of their forklift, the rear end of their forklift could swing around and hit a pedestrians or other object.

The red safety light shows a pedestrian how far to remain away from a forklift to avoid being hit by a rear end swing.

Red forklift safety lights can protect you from rear end swing - Image Source: Wiese

Why Are Forklift Safety Lights so Important

The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) estimates that there are an average of 101 deaths due to forklift accidents and another 97,570 forklift related injuries each year. Those numbers are staggering!

In addition, the number one cause of death in these accidents is a pedestrian being hit by a moving forklift. These accidents can be greatly reduced with the implementation of forklift safety lights.

Forklift accidents can be prevented with the use of safety lights

Blue and Red Safety Lights Help to Warn Pedestrians

Workers can become so accustomed to the sounds of the forklifts and other noises around them that they no longer listen to the warning signs that they might be in danger.

Pedestrians or workers may also be wearing noise protecting head gear and are, therefore, not even able to hear the sound of an approaching forklift.

In addition, your workers may be looking down at information on their clip board or down at their cell phone.

Safety lights can warn pedestrians of approaching forklifts - Image Source: Wiese

A bright blue or red light shining and moving on the floor of their path will quickly catch their attention and warn them of impending danger, giving them time to stop or change direction to avoid being hit and injured.

The use of blue and red safety lights have proven to be one of the most effective warning devices to pedestrians that a forklift is approaching.

Blue and Red Safety Lights Help to Warn Other Forklifts

By installing blue and red safety lights on your forklifts, you will not only be keeping pedestrians in your facility safer, but you will also cut down on the number of collisions between your material handling equipment.

Blue and Red forklift safety lights are also easily seen by other forklift operators. Their colourful beams of light make a protective perimeter on your warehouse floor, clearly outlining the movement of your equipment. Other operators will have a very clear boundary that they should never cross.

Let Forklift Hub Help You Ensure Your Workers' Safety

Forklift Hub is concerned with worker safety. We can help you make your material handling equipment as safe as possible by installing both blue and red safety lights on your forklifts.

We have a large supply of quality forklift safety lights and equipment to keep you and your employees safe. Contact us today to get yours installed.

Keep Your Forklifts in Working Condition with Regular Maintenance from Forklift Hub

If you are looking for top quality forklift maintenance and service on all makes and models, contact Wayco. Our fully equipped service and parts department is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our qualified technicians are capable of properly performing maintenance services and inspections of all types.

Our knowledgeable staff can keep your equipment in top working condition, which means lower repair costs and higher machine efficiency. Contact Forklift Hub today for all of your forklift maintenance and repair needs.

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Need additional forklift equipment? A quality used vehicle can give you the most bang for your buck!

At Forklift Hub, we carefully and inspect all our pre-owned equipment to ensure that you are getting an excellent and reliable vehicle.

We offer incredible warranties as well as financing for used forklift purchases. Contact our sales staff today and find out how affordable pre-owned forklifts can be.