Forklift accidents remain one of the most common causes of workplace injuries in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centres. By implementing preventative measures, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of accidents.
This guide covers the most common forklift accidents and how they can be prevented.
Forklift Collisions with People, Equipment and Racking
Collisions are the most common forklift related incident. These accidents can lead to injury to people, damaged stock or equipment and costly downtime.
Operator Training
Ensuring forklift operators have received accredited training and refresher training is essential to reducing the risk of collisions. Forklift training gives operators key lessons in safety, hazard awareness and using the equipment appropriately.
Equipment Choices
The likelihood of accident occurring if the correct equipment is being used is significantly reduced. Factors to consider include:
- Load weight and dimensions
- Lift heigh requirements
- Aisle width restrictions
- Indoor or outdoor operating conditions
Additional Safety Upgrades
Technology within the forklift safety realm is ever evolving. There are lots of safety focused upgrades that can now be used to prevent collisions. These include:
- Pedestrian warning lights
- Cameras
- Lighting
- Warning Alarms
Upgrading your forklift by investing in safety solutions can minimise downtime due to incidents occurring.
Forklift Overturns
Forklift overturns are considered one of the most costly accidents. Serious injuries and severe equipment damage can occur due to a forklift overturning.
Good training will highlight prevention measures:
- Safe travelling speeds
- Risk associated with wet, uneven or sloping surfaces
- Ensuring loads are low when travelling
- Correct load handling techniques
- Safe cornering and manoeuvring best practices
- Safety upgrades such as load capacity monitor
Visibility also being a key issue, enhancing equipment visibility with a higher seating position or improved visibility models can reduce the overturning risk.
Unstable Loads Falling from Forklifts
Falling loads present a significant danger to employees, stock, racking, and equipment. Load instability can also contribute to forklift overturns.
There are many ways to reduce the risk of loads falling from forklift:
- Appropriate training
- Never exceed forklift load capacity
- Utilising the correct attachments
- Position loads as advised within training
The Importance of Daily Forklift Checks
Daily inspections are one of the most effective ways to prevent equipment-related incidents. Identifying defects before operation helps ensure forklifts remain safe and reliable. Daily checks consist of checking all of the main components including tyres, lights and the forks.
How Hiremech Can Help Forklift Accidents
At Hiremech we offer accredited operator training. Our team can help you select the correct equipment for your application along with suggesting potential upgrades for your fleet. This can significantly reduce the risk of collisions, overturns, falling loads, and other workplace incidents while improving productivity and compliance. Contact our experts to improve your workplace safety.