elements of forldift safety OPERATORS BALANCE NUMEROUS PRACTICES TO PERFORM WORK SAFELY Pie, oe A isi paried 6 thal Mustain Oct eee ee sits, iron Winner Chris Evans, a forklift operator for Elgin Plywood. Gon ceatintet oeonenr cee Tee ea ean weet ‘ang gh Ree iaie ret occa ae TOe Sct ence nn onc calaae Eee et el SE camp ae ae tet Coan sendy Cnediatecam professionals, ageney officals and the National Safety Ci Dem RaMMRths iswny teece ioe sulla Be eee aii iEsgieus REL cag Eistosee sual Pals He heen te crn ed eae dint cena ae it should, safety superseded speed during the fork TRAIN FOR SAFETY forklifts in 2015, A safety guide published by the Washington State Depart- ment of Labor & Industries states that workers without proper training and knowledge of forklift operation, as well a5 operators who maneuver forklifts carelessly, have an increased risk of injury or death. A commitment to safety begins with proper training, The guide further states that “an untrained forklift opera tor can be as dangerous as an unlicensed driver of a motor vehicle.” OSHA's Powered Industrial ‘Trucks Standard ~ 29 CFR 1910.178 ~ establishes that “the employer shall safetyandhealthmagazine.com ‘ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is ‘competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion ofthe training ‘and evaluation” outlined in the standard, ‘OSHA requires training programs to combine formal instruction, such as lectures and written material, with practical training and a workplace performance evaluation. Washington L&I Safety and Health Technical Specialist Drew Kertzman said that a prevalence of qualified experts and resources has allowed for improved training in recent ‘years. Still, operators should be mindful of the differences between varioustypes and models of forklifts and lift trucks, “The gap that I've seen in the past is just presuming that nee you're trained on one forklift, you automatically know how to maneuver all forklifts.” Kertzman said. “As you get larger and larger (forklifts), they operate differently, and as ‘you go from model to model, they are litte bit different.” Sefety+Health | October20 41PERFORM CHECKUPS B Operators.are urged to inspect forklifts befare each job, checking first the items that can be monitored without the engine running. Checkpoints should include seat belts, tires, lights, hora, brakes, backup alarms and fluid levels.as well as the movingand load-supporting parts of the forklift. Kertzman said his agency commonly issues citations to companies that neglect to maintain forklifts in good working condition. “Ws low hanging frit to have a beat-up truck sitting out there that any inspector can spot halfa doren things wrong with it from 40 feet away.” Kertzman said, The Washington L&l citation process involwes discuss- ing the area(s) ofeade violation, explaining to the employer how the organization failed to comply and offering possible metheds to resolve the issue, “then the employer is ultimately on the hook to decide what they're going todo, and then make thase changes in a timely fashion.” Kertzman said AND THE RULES industrial and rough-terrain lift truck operators includes a discussion that nay sound elementary to same. but none theless is vital to promoting driver, worker and bystander safety: Although lift trucks and personal vehicles share some similarities, they ultimately are quite different, ‘Among the differences: + Open structure; driver isnot campletely enclosed + Weights ranging from 9,000 t0 30,000 pounds, with lifttrucksat the heavier end + Traveling speeds of less than 20 mph, elaser toa walking pace + Three-point suspen + More prone ta tipping over ~ loaded or not ~and varying stability ‘ighter turning radius for operating in tight spots KNOW THE MACHINERY = NSC urges operatars to always wear seat belts. Neglect: ing to do sa can eause an operatar to be ejected fram the forklifts protective eage ifthe truck turns over, resulting in a passible serious injury or fatality ‘An operator always should be aware of his or her sur roundings on the jobsite, as the load or environment may obstruct visibility Evans stresses the importance of drivers being aware of. and making eye contact with, pedestrians or other warkers during operation. OSHA best practices for maintaining vis- ibility include «+ Keep clear view. + Always look in the direction of travel, 42 Safety+Health | October 2017 + Use spotters or aids such as rear-view mirrors to boost visibility + Use headlights if workingat night, outdooes or in areas in which additional lighting would improve visibility. OSHA requires forklifts to be equipped with headlights when general lighting is lessthan 2 lumens per square foot ‘STABILITY TRIANGLE’ 4 | An unloaded lift ruck’scenterof gravity = wherethe ‘weighthas equal concentration ~ typically is higher than that of'a personal vehicle, NSC states. The load has its own center of gravity, and once i’s picked up, a combined center of grav- ity between the load and truck is established. Lift trucks are built on three-point suspension systems, the physics of which resemble a triangle. Support points ie at both ends of the front axle, with another located at the center of the rear axle. Together, NSC states, this forms a “stability triangle” that operators must stay within when the truck is in motion Numerous factors can cause a lift truck to vacate the stability triangle, Including unstable, heavy, wide or raised loads; fast starts and stops; taking corners too quickly; and rough terrain. Vininglon LA offers serra tip to ep proven fork litt From tippingever: + Before operation, ensure a load is completely stable and secured on the forks. + Keep loadslow to the ground during operation, + Keep loadsuphill when climbing or descendingan incline. + Drive slowly in wet or slippery conditions. + Slow down during turns,aind honk the horn upon encous tering traffic. Bi OSHA advises operatars to check loads before picking them up with the forks, ensuring the load’s stability and dimensions will allow far safe trans- port. Move squarely in front of the load and move the forks apart as far as possible before driving them under the load, Make sure to nat overload and that the load is centered. Slightly Git the forklift mast backward before lifting, ft the load enough to clear the flaor or rack, For staek ing, OSHA recommends lifting the load above the lower stack by about 10 centimeters, or 4 inches. When placing a load, operators should be squarely in front of the placement destination, Washington L&l states. Make sure the area is flat and stable, and don't place heavy loads on top of light ones. Lower the forks tupon placing the load, and then back the forklift away. As always, ensure the load isstable. @ UNDERSTAND THE KNOW ABOUT LOAD BASICS safetyandhealt hmagazine.com