Safety First – 15 Forklift Safety Tips to Keep Your Team & Warehouse Moving

Forklift Safety is Everyone’s Job – Advice for Warehouse Managers, Forklift Operators, and Warehouse Workers. 

While today’s forklifts are designed with lots of features for safe operation, moving heavy or bulky loads with a forklift through a crowded warehouse or a busy storage yard presents some opportunities for accidents. Both forklift operators and pedestrian workers in facilities where forklifts are used need to be vigilant to avoid accidents and provide safe coexistence.

Here are some actionable forklift safety tips to ensure the personal safety of both forklift operators and warehouse workers.

1. Restricted use. Only trained and certified workers should be operating a forklift. Sure, it looks easy enough, but there’s a lot to know about how forklifts operate and how to properly load and drive them. If you’re unsure about how to operate a forklift, sign up for operator training here.
2. Nice to know ya. Know your equipment. A port container truck requires a lot more skill than a pallet jack. You need to understand the lift’s capabilities and limitations in terms of speed, loads, and lift height.
3. Safety wear is safety care. Always wear a seatbelt, if supplied, and proper work clothes. Loose-fitting clothing can get hung up in the forklift’s mechanism. Depending on the job site, hard hats, safety shoes, high-visibility vests, hearing and sight protection may be required.  
4. Know your tipping point. Never exceed the forklift’s load rating. Remember that using an attachment generally reduces the load capacity of the forklift. Make sure the load is properly centered laterally and that the load’s center of gravity is far enough back on the forks to prevent the forklift from tipping forward.
5. Can’t you see? Make sure you have good visibility of your forklift’s forward path. If the load is high and you can’t see over it, enlist a lookout to help navigate your path. If that’s not possible, operate the forklift in reverse. Make sure you have a good look at the rack you’re planning to place a pallet on. Use your horn to alert warehouse workers if your visibility around corners is restricted.
   
6. Speed kills! Don’t be a forklift cowboy or cowgirl. Turning a loaded forklift too quickly can have disastrous results. When operating a forklift outdoors, be aware of adverse ground conditions. Wet or icy surfaces can cause a forklift to make a dangerous skid.  
7. Going down? Ramps require particular caution. Always back down a ramp with a loaded forklift.
8. Prep your ride. At the start of your shift, make sure your forklift is ready to go. See Before You Turn the Key—Turn to Your Daily Forklift Truck Inspection Checklist
9. Be a low rider. Don’t travel with your load elevated. When the forklift is moving, don’t raise or lower the load. Do that at a full stop.
10. Get a grip. Use caution getting in or out of the forklift. Use hand grips. Oily or wet floors are ripe conditions for slips and falls.
11. Share the road. Be aware of pedestrians, warehouse workers and obstacles in your drive path. A floor marking system that clearly delineates forklift drive paths goes a long way in protecting warehouse workers and preventing forklifts from colliding with obstacles.
    
12. Avoid hitchhikers. Don’t give rides to other workers unless the forklift is outfitted with a second seat. Under no circumstance allow people to ride on the forks!
13. Always be ready. At the end of your shift or when you’ve finished using the forklift, park it in a safe or designated area, lower the forks to the ground, set the parking brake and remove the key. Close the service valve on propane tanks. This way your vehicle is always ready for the next shift
14. All the bells and whistles. Equip your forklift with the latest available safety equipment like, back-up alarms, blue spot safety lights, directional spot lights and amber strobe lights. These are all available in our parts department at 833-226-4573. Forklifts are only required to have a working horn. The rest is optional. It’s up to you
15. Pedestrians share responsibility. Train warehouse workers to be vigilant. Forklift safety is not only the responsibility of forklift operators. Being struck by a forklift is no fun. Never stand under a raised load. Use caution when working in a designated forklift drive lane.

 

Surely, you want your facility to be one that proudly displays one of those “XXX Days Without An Accident” signs. Safe forklift operations can help contribute to that achievement.

The Apex forklift operator training program delivers a personalized experience with proven results for your forklift operating team. Our training experts will come to your site and educate your team on operating forklifts with efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety. For more information on forklift safety, give us a call at 833-226-4573. Apex is the dedicated source for Chicago metro area material handling needs.